The Indianapolis Colts have had a strange dance with their quarterbacks this season. Anthony Richardson, in particular, has been an enigma. If you found yourself in the naysayers’ camp early on, you wouldn’t have been short of company.

With the starting position going for Richardson to Flacco and back to Richardson, it looked like the Colts didn’t know what was going on. Well, with that most recent nail-biter of a Jets game, Richardson’s proven all the haters wrong.

And Pat McAfee acknowledges it too. Often quick to pass judgment, but mature enough to know when he’s wrong, McAfee admitted live on air that Colts fans were justified in hating him. McAfee had previously written off Richardson, after the incident during the Texans game where the young player had walked off the field. Having wronged them, he says of the Colts team, “I do believe that I am part of enemy camp. They hate me.”

Perhaps the realization came after Zaire Franklin ripped into his coverage of the issue, “Use your platform responsibly. And pick a side. Whose team is y’all on?” McAfee wasn’t mentioned by name, but he was the biggest voice mocking the issue on national television at the time.That happened late in October, when McAfee blew his top at Richardson over his decision to “sub out.”

When Richardson gave no reason for him stepping off the field except him feeling tired, it upset McAfee among other pundits even more. “I had never seen an NFL QB tap out while still being healthy until watching Anthony Richardson…The QB is your franchise. The message it sends is loud and influential,” was McAfee’s extended take.

That ignores the possibility the young man might have felt uncomfortable on the field, something that can quickly escalate to injury. It wouldn’t be the first time, not even the first time this season. Richardson’s injury against the Steelers is what let Joe Flacco step into the limelight for a while in the first place. But even beyond that, his rookie season saw him suffer multiple injuries, to the point his season ended with him having played just 4 games. That’s got to set in a big mental block to overcome. Well, with him back on the side and performing better than ever, overcome it he has, apparently.

With or without McAfee’s blessings, how are the Colts looking vs the Lions?

Pat McAfee is a living legend for the Colts, spending all 8 years of his career with them. The fact he managed that even though he retired in his 20s is impressive. And he’s clearly changed his tune about the Colts as of late. So what do the odds look like, as the two blue dragons take on each other?

Well, the Detroit Lions come into it with a much stronger 9-1 record and are dominating NFC North. The Indianapolis Colts have more losses than wins though, at 5-6 and 2nd place in AFC South. Historically, things have been pretty tight between the teams, with the Colts having a slight edge. In 44 games, the Colts have won 22 and the Lions 20, with two ties.

Though Richardson did well in the last game against the Jets, the Lions have one of the strongest defenses in the League. It’s going to be a whole new challenge. And Jared Goff’s had a killer year, certainly a better one than Richardson so far. It’s safe to say the odds don’t look too healthy for the Colts, but maybe they can stage an upset on the Lions anyway? They did manage to pull one against the Steelers earlier this season. Let’s see which way the penny falls.