INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts couldn’t have scripted a better ending for Anthony Richardson’s return as the starting quarterback Sunday.

The 22-year-old was 8-of-10 for 129 yards in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets, rallying the Colts from an eight-point deficit with two of the biggest scoring drives of his young career.

And Richardson capped his best all-around performance as a pro with a 4-yard touchdown run for the winning points in a 28-27 decision that snapped a three-game losing streak and kept Indianapolis (5-6) in striking distance in the AFC playoff chase.

It was a remarkable turnaround for the young passer who spent the past two weeks watching from the sideline as veteran Joe Flacco was named the starter in his place.

Richardson told reporters after the game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, he was more relaxed than at any other point in his 11-start NFL career.

That began with a solid game plan from head coach Shane Steichen that made more use of the quarterback’s unique rushing ability and gave Richardson more answers in the passing game.

Even though the Colts averaged just 2.6 yards per carry, they stuck with the run game to the tune of 35 carries.

That kept the Jets’ second-ranked passing defense from pinning its ears back and rushing all out on every snap against a banged-up Indianapolis offensive line that was starting three rookies.

Richardson responded by completing 20 of 30 passes for a career-high 272 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also rushed 10 times for 32 yards and two scores and finished with a 106.5 quarterback rating – his best as a pro in a game he finished.

“I mean, I think that the game plan that we had yesterday, I think that really helped him settle in,” Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said during a video conference call Monday. “It let him get his touches and allowed him to settle into the flow of the game, and he did great. He made lots of plays. He was running people over. He was just using all of his strengths.”

Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen was impressed with the way Richardson used his eyes to help manipulate a New York defense that surrendered 200 passing yards just four times in its previous 10 games heading into Sunday.

Richardson also did a good job protecting the football.

He lost a fumble on the opening drive of the third quarter but rarely put the ball in danger otherwise and didn’t allow the lone miscue to escalate.

“I thought he did a really good job just managing everything, being smart with the football in certain situations, taking the completions when they were there,” Steichen said. “Obviously, 20-of-30 was huge – 66%. Again, it was a hell of a job by him and the rest of our guys.”

The goal now is consistency.

The Jets (3-8) were a desperate team fighting for their playoff life, but there will be much stiffer challenges ahead – beginning with this week’s home game against the surging Detroit Lions (9-1).

Richardson showed great poise in leading his team to a come-from-behind win on the road in a hostile environment. It’s one of the more important tests a young quarterback must conquer.

But success in the NFL is measured by a quarterback’s ability to repeat such performances.

The Colts remain one game behind the Denver Broncos (6-5) in the race for the AFC’s seventh – and final – playoff berth.

And they’ll need more clutch drives by Richardson over the final six weeks if they are to reach the postseason for the first time since 2020.

“I think consistency is a huge part of anyone’s growth, a team’s growth,” Steichen said. “I think when you win games like that, obviously, I think momentum is real, and we’ve got to carry it into this week. I thought our guys had a hell of a week of preparation – the whole team. I thought our energy level was at an all-time high during the game, even when things didn’t go our way there to start the second half, guys kept fighting and believing.

“I think that showed the resilience, like I’ve talked about with this football team all year, that the guys believe in each other. Then, obviously, you go fight for 60 minutes and see what happens. To come out on top there at the end was huge.”

ROSTER MOVE

Indianapolis signed defensive tackle Trysten Hill to the practice squad Monday.

Hill has appeared in 34 games with five starts over six seasons for the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys.

He was drafted in the second round by the Cowboys out of Central Florida in 2019.