Vikings find out which Colts QB they will be facing on Sunday night
By Adam Carlson
The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football in Week 9. The purple and gold are desperate for a win after back-to-back losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
Sunday Night Football will be the scene for the game between the Vikings and Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium and some recent developments have made knowing which quarterback Minnesota will face a bit of a question.
Vikings find out which Colts QB they will be facing on Sunday night
The question of which quarterback the Minnesota Vikings will face in Week 9 has been answered. ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter shared on X that second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson will not be behind center, but veteran passer Joe Flacco will handle that duty.
A QB change for the Colts: Indianapolis is benching former first-round pick Anthony Richardson and turning to veteran Joe Flacco, sources tell @FowlerESPN and me. Coaches met this morning and made the seismic organizational decision to change QBs. pic.twitter.com/uqANJwOwr4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2024
Richardson has struggled to stay healthy and be an effective quarterback since he was selected fourth overall by the Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Florida passer has thrown seven touchdowns compared to eight interceptions since entering the league and has barely completed over half of his throws. In fact, his completion percentage so far in 2024 is a dismal 44.4 percent while averaging 159.7 passing yards per game.
Meanwhile, Joe Flacco has been efficient and productive for Indianapolis this season. In six games played, the former Ravens, Broncos, Jets, and Browns quarterback has thrown seven touchdowns to one interception and completed 65.7 percent of his passes.
The benching of Richardson isn't a massive surprise but it does signal some major problems for the Colts. Indianapolis put the hopes for their future on his shoulders when they used a top-five draft pick on him and he has yet to live up to that value.
The 22-year-old quarterback tapped out of the Colts' Week 8 game against the Houston Texans while dealing with fatigue and that hasn't settled well with the organization and many NFL experts around the league.
Coaches and staff from Indianapolis met on Tuesday morning and came to the conclusion that Joe Flacco would start the game against the Vikings on Sunday Night Football instead of their young quarterback.
The Minnesota Vikings will have their hands full with the Colts on Sunday if they get the efficient, experienced passer that Joe Flacco has been this season. Let's hope the purple and gold can find a way to get a victory and return to their winning ways.
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