Texans 23, Colts 20
Q. Can you explain you coming out? Were you hurt? Were you tired?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Tired. I ain't going to lie. That was a lot of running right there that I did, and I didn't think I was going to be able to do that next play. They got on me pretty quick so I was just trying to get the ball to the running back right there so he could try to make some space and make a move, but probably buying some more time. That's what I wish I would have done more.
Q. Looked like a lot of deep shots you were trying in the first half. Was that what the defense was giving you at the time?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: There was opportunities. We knew they were going to try to take away some of the deep shots, but they played us in man. We liked our match-up, we like our receivers to get open, we've just got to execute at the end of the day. But we feel like they give us an opportunity to take advantage of certain things. We tried it, but execution got to come down better.
Q. Is it tough when you don't complete those and the offense isn't really getting in rhythm? Is it tough to try to come back and get in rhythm?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Not necessarily. Like I said, execution, we knew that was our opportunity right there. You've got to take advantage of every opportunity the team gives you because you're not going to get those opportunities every time, so really just got to execute and take advantage of it.
Q. I know this is very meaningful to you. When you don't have success individually or as a team, how are you kind of dealing with that process right now?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I mean, it hurts. You don't want to lose, especially not in the division, not in this league, you don't want to lose. It definitely hurts taking those L's. But you learn from them. It's nothing but a lesson. We know what we've got to clean up. Execution has got to be top tier for us. We've just got to play better.
Q. This has been a roller coaster because you got hurt, there's been some ups and downs on the field. Have you seen growth? Do you feel like you're growing?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Yeah, for sure. I feel like I'm trusting my teammates more, trusting the game, letting the game come to me. I feel like I'm playing within the game, making plays and just doing what I'm supposed to do, but like I said, at the end of the day, execution got to be better on both ends, whether it's me delivering the ball to the wide outs or them catching, we've just got to execute at the end of the day because we know what we can do, we've just got to do it.
Q. You're still quite early in your career. It's only been 10 starts. As you look at yourself. Where do you feel like you are as a passer and how have you been progressing?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I feel like I'm a great passer. I've been playing quarterback pretty much my whole life. I'm just a different quarterback from everybody else, so people are going to try to point out that I'm not as efficient as everybody else, but it's cool to me. I run the ball way better than every other quarterback. Probably not Lamar, but most quarterbacks. I take advantage of my opportunities. I just use my powers to the best of my ability, and when I am delivering the ball, I feel good about it and when I'm running I feel good about it, as well.
Q. That drive, the pass to Downs, it almost was a touchdown, it kind of felt like on that drive you got in a rhythm, hitting some throws over the middle. What went right?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I felt like I executed. We already had all the shots. We already had all the opportunities to just go out there and just play. That drive was a good drive right there. J.D. made a great catch at the end of the drive and JT finished it off, so just execution right there.
Q. Talk about the pick at the end of the first half.
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Man, we were looking for a certain look right there, and they didn't really give us that look, so I killed the play, I checked it, and they just played good zone right there, so he was pretty much my only target right there, and I thought I was able to fit it in there, but the nickel did a great job of jumping under it, so got to give some props to him.
Q. You were the last guy off the field at halftime. I saw you tapping your chest and giving guys fist bumps. What do you hope actions like that will do?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I don't really hope it does anything. I'm just letting my squad know I'm still in it, regardless of what happened in the first half. We didn't really do our best right there, but so what, it was the first half. I told the guys at halftime, don't even worry about the first half, let's just go out in the second half and execute better.
Q. You talked about being a different type of quarterback and being a great runner. Is that something you can lean into more just to add more plays right now?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Maybe. The opportunity presents itself, if Shane and the offense believes that that's what we should start leaning more towards, I'm definitely going to take advantage of it, but if they feel confident with our ability to keep taking shots, I'm down with that, as well.
Q. I know you're confident as a passer and obviously I wouldn't doubt that, but when you look at some of these numbers and not succeeding at the rate you want to, what gives you confidence you can still grow in that aspect?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Because I can play. I can play football. I've been doing it my whole life. I don't necessarily look at numbers. They said Vick didn't have a great completion percentage his first couple years and he's probably one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever do it, so I don't necessarily look at numbers, I just look at each play for itself because I don't have the ability to control every single thing that happens every single play, I can only control what I can control and I'm just trying to do my part out there. If my numbers are low, I'm just got to pick them up and I've just got to play better.
Q. At the end of the game the defense gave you two opportunities to go score. Is it frustrating they did their job and you guys couldn't do yours?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Yeah, man, it hurts. The defense, they're just playing balls to the wall, man. Excuse me for saying that. But they've been playing great. They've been doing their thing, and they gave us two opportunities right there to take advantage of the game and just go win it, but we didn't do that to the best of our abilities.
We've just got to execute next time.
Q. Talk about getting Jonathan Taylor back and do you feel like there's another level of this offense when you have him out there?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: It feels good seeing JT out there because as you can see he gets the ball in his hands and he makes it works and makes some plays. But just having all of the play makers in the game, just making plays, like when JT goes out he's got -- Trey going in right there, they make plays, as well, the wides swapping as well and the tight ends we swapped there. Anybody that's on the field, we expect them to make plays, and JT be doing that.
Q. What do you think is fair as a quarterback, obviously everything isn't on you, but how much do you think is fair to shoulder for yourself in losses like these?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Man, you've got to take it with a grain of salt because people are going to say it's my fault. I definitely could have played better today. I definitely could have delivered the ball better. I definitely could have made some better checks. I could have played better. I definitely understand that. Even when we play well and we win the game, they're going to say AR was the main reason we won. You've just got to be able to take both sides of it, the wins and the losses. I'm just steadily trying to grow and just keep getting better.
Q. Josh Downs, do you feel like -- he was pretty explosive today. Is that something you guys have continued to build on to get more of those big plays?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Yeah, for sure, but we more so want to get everybody involved, as well, because there's opportunities, like I said. When J.D. is out there and I'm delivering the ball, some teams are going to start doubling him. That just gives everybody else an opportunity to get open and just make some plays. You've got to take advantage of it when everybody else is out there, just giving us the go balls and the quick slants and all that, you've got to take advantage of it. Shout-out J.D. for making some plays out there.
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports