Jim Irsay wanted a running back tandem and that is exactly what he got. Just a few days after trading for former Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson, the Indianapolis Colts owner is singing the praises of his new-look offense. Following a win against the San Francisco 49ers in which both Ahmad Bradshaw and Richardson scored touchdowns, Irsay could not hold back his excitement over the success of the trade.
"To bring in Ahmad Bradshaw and now to have Trent Richardson," Irsay said, via IndyStar.com. "You can see Trent with his lateral movement, his explosion, his always going forward. What we're looking for is what we saw today."
The Colts offense ripped through the San Francisco defense that is stacked with Pro Bowl talent. Indianapolis finished with a season-high 179 yards rushing while quarterback Andrew Luck put up 164 yards passing. The offense was balanced and productive with the dual-threat running back performance as the highlight of the game. Richardson's first carry of the game went for a touchdown. He finished with 35 yards on 13 handoffs. Bradshaw also put up a touchdown on 19 carries for 95 yards. The run game helped eat up clock time and cushion the win.
"As a running back, this is how you want to play every game," Bradshaw said. "We want to pound them with the run and hit them over the head with the pass."
While Colts fans are loving the new tandem, fantasy owners of either Richardson or Bradshaw might not be thrilled. The two got almost even time on the field. Bradshaw was on the field for 30 snaps while Richardson was in for 28. Third-string Donald Brown was used three times for 25 yards. Both running backs might not gather a lot of value as the season goes on while sharing the workload with each other.
Richardson said after the game that he has been waiting for a game like this where he gets to see more action on the field. While the running back was the lone rusher for the Browns, they only handed him the ball 13 times in a game. He credits the veteran Bradshaw for helping him get acquainted with the Colts after just joining the team on Thursday.
"They want to be great and I know why I am here," Richardson said. "I am here for the long run and I am not going anywhere. We are going to be a great team.''
