Indianapolis Colts Win in Trent Richardson’s Debut

September 22, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Trent Richardson (34) looks on during warm ups before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Luck led the Indianapolis Colts to a slight upset victory over the San Francisco 49ers on the road in Trent Richardson’s debut.  The 49ers never got on track offensively and clearly missed tight end Vernon Davis.  Richardson had 13 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown; at just 2.7 yards per carry, it is certainly not an overwhelming day but it is a difficult transition after arriving earlier this week.  He did not look overly special and largely looked like what he was doing while with the Browns, but this is what should have been expected considering the circumstances.  It will be more indicative of what Richardson can do in two weeks.  After a get well game against the Jacksonville Jaguars for Richardson this coming week, they then get to host the Seattle Seahawks.  That is the start of a three game stretch headed into their bye where they are looking for Richardson to make a big impact.  The Colts play on the road in San Diego followed by a home game against the Denver Broncos before they get to their bye.

On the other side of the coin, the Browns struggled mightily in the running game in Richardson’s absence.  Newly signed Willis McGahee could not get on track running the ball as he ran the ball 8 times for 9 yards.  As a group, the Browns running backs ran for a total of 49 yards on 15 carries.  The group had a better average than Richardson did, but it will be a story that people keep an eye on as the season progresses with “I told you so’s” coming from various groups at various times.