In the eight games since the Colts traded a first-round draft pick to Cleveland for running back Trent Richardson, he’s produced a mediocre 96 carries for 272 yards.
Those aren’t numbers you’d expect from a third down back, let alone a No. 3 overall pick. Richardson has struggled, but the Colts aren’t about to give up on him.
Colts head coach Chuck Pagano “will continue to be patient with Richardson, and says the numbers will come.”
“I don’t know if he’s snake bit, I don’t know what the heck is going on,” Pagano said. “We’ll get it fixed. We’ll get the holes there. He’s making the right reads, he’s doing all the right things, he knows what to do. He played great without the ball, protection-wise, those things. His numbers are going to come. I’m not concerned about that.”
Pagano also admitted that the line has to do a better job when blocking for Richardson.
“You look at Trent’s runs, for whatever reason, there’s penetration, a guy is pulling and falls down,” Pagano said. “There’s a guy in the backfield waiting there. He had some really good runs, plays that he made in space, screens, things like that he does a great job with. That’s going to come.”