The Indianapolis Colts must have felt like they were on top of the world after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers’ defeat ended a 3 game-winning streak, leaving the Minnesota Vikings the only undefeated team in the league. Unfortunately, the Colts lost quarterback Anthony Richardson to a brutal tackle that left him with a hip injury. Thankfully, they had Joe Flacco on hand to take up the slack.

Not that the Colts have seen the last of Richardson this season. Coach Shane Steichen has reported that the 22-year-old might begin practicing again today, depending on how he’s feeling. “If he’s ready to go, he’ll be out there,” Steichen said. The young man has generally been averse to missing out on games, and might be aiming for a full season this year.

Anthony Richardson had suffered multiple injuries in his rookie season last year that meant he’d only played 4 games. A concussion in Week 2 to begin with, which caused him to miss his Week 3 game. Following that, he suffered a severe AC joint sprain (in the shoulder) which required surgery. Having been the fourth overall pick in the draft that year, Richardson might feel the Colts didn’t get everything they paid for out of him. Through no fault of his own, of course.

It’s the curse of a high draft pick, you’ve got to live up to the promise. He hasn’t had the greatest start this year either, even before the injury. But he’ll have to trust the Indianapolis Colts will have faith in him to turn the season around. He’s already been announced as being ready for the game on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Has Joe Flacco made a case for himself in Richardson’s absence?

You might have thought of Joe Flacco as something of a relic by this point. He’s clearly proven that to be a baseless assumption after the Colts’ win over the Steelers last night though. At 39 years old, he’s the second oldest quarterback in the league, after Aaron Rodgers. A whole 17 years older than Anthony Richardson, the Colts likely meant him to be a combined backup-mentor. And he does have a wealth of experience to draw from and offer. He’s a former Super Bowl MVP after all, though it was way back in 2012.

His performance against the Steelers showed his different playstyle, opting for shorter, less flashy passes, but with a much higher completion percentage than Richardson. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called Flacco “a much more proficient passer than Richardson” too. While it would be nice to see more of Flacco on the field, it’s likely the Colts will try to squeeze all they can out of Richardson’s nearly $34 million contract. It doesn’t make sense to bench talent that cost you that much.

And after already having faced injury this season, a more cautious Richardson taking the field might mean Flacco won’t find any more game time. A shame, but it was nice to see a grizzled veteran take to the field and win a game for his team.