Green Bay Packers Defeat Indianapolis Colts; QB Battle Between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Continues

Preseason is the time players can win a job. It is not always about winning the game. In one play, Green Bay Packers’ Tyron Herring may have done both. Herring, a rookie cornerback from Delaware fighting for a roster spot, made a game-saving play that clinched a Packers 23-19 preseason win over the host Indianapolis Colts.

The play kept Indy out of the end zone that likely would have given the Colts the win with less than 10 seconds remaining. Herring said after the game that he always dreamed of stepping on an NFL field, and the play just adds to his desire to put in the work to earn an NFL roster spot.

The QB Competition Between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Ends With No Clear Winner

Coming into the game, no one was interested in figuring out if Herring was on the path to make the team. The intrigue was on the other side of the field with the quarterback competition between Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson. Coming into the game, there was no clear No.1. After the game, there is still no clear No. 1.

Jones started the game and left with the score 3-0. He went 7-of-11 for 101 yards with a 93.4 passer rating. He had a couple of good passes and a few mediocre plays, but no turnovers or boneheaded plays that cost his team yardage or pride. Those types of things plagued his time in New York.

Richardson, meanwhile, did not leave the game with an injury, which has been his downfall thus far in two seasons with the Colts after being the fourth pick overall in 2023. He played steady, had no miscues, but no spectacular plays either on the ground or through the air. He had similar stats, going 6-of-11 for 73 yards.

The two average performances came against the second unit of the Green Bay defense. This will give cynics plenty of fuel to run with a narrative that it won’t matter who is behind center; the QB and team will continue down the road of mediocrity. Indy is a team that has not made the playoffs since 2020, has had close calls, but seems to finish around .500 each year.

Colts Owner Gives Assessment Of QB Competition 

In the preseason, local TV broadcasts the games. Through the years, certain traditions in the TV booth can come together. In Indianapolis, a tradition of meeting with the owner for comments and predictions has evolved. Due to the death of Jim Irsay, the tradition was handed over to new Owner Carley Irsay-Gordon.

Local media was quick to point out that the new owner did not follow in her dad’s footsteps and provide a series of grand predictions. They pointed out that Irsay-Gordon did not jump in with a clear answer when asked who would win the starting job.

Joel Erickson from the Indy Star wrote: Irsay-Gordon avoided picking a side in the most important position battle of training camp (the quarterback battle). During the interview, Irsay-Gordon indicated that the decision was up to Head Coach Shane Steichen, and she has confidence he will make the right decision.

All of this falls under the category of: There really is not anything to write about in the NFL preseason, so it might be a good idea to write that the owner declined to name the starting quarterback. Then, the owner deferred the decision to the head coach. Can you imagine the headlines if Irsay-Gordon predicted the No. 1 starter, or better yet, she indicated it was her opinion that Jones or Richardson should be named the starter immediately?

Colts Kicker Spencer Shrader Decided To Show He Was the Clear No. 1

As a rookie, Shrader spent some time with the Colts and also played with the Chiefs and Jets. He signed a two-year contract in the offseason with the Colts, and now seems to be the lock to be the kicker. If the path to this point seems unlikely, you do not know Shrader. He was an ankle injury away from being a professional soccer player in Brazil. In addition, he runs a training company, a blog, and other businesses.

For now, it seems Shrader has a full-time gig as the field goal kicker for the Colts after hitting 4 field goals in 4 tries and an extra point. His longest field goal was 56 yards. The Colts finish the preseason against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Packers play the Seattle Seahawks.