Colts' Joe Flacco reacts to being benched in favor of Anthony Richardson

As a plethora of analysts and fans offered takes about the 4-6 Indianapolis Colts going back to second-year pro Anthony Richardson as their starting quarterback for this coming Sunday's game at the 3-7 New York Jets, some seemingly forgot that veteran Joe Flacco has to deal with being benched presumably for as long as Richardson stays healthy. 

Flacco spoke with reporters on Wednesday and offered an honest reaction to his latest demotion. 

"Obviously, as a competitor, I’m disappointed in the way that the last two games have went," Flacco acknowledged, as shared by Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. "Wanted to provide a spark and get some wins for the team, wasn’t able to do it."

It's understandable Flacco believed he could once again produce some magic, considering what he achieved with the Cleveland Browns last season. The Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player won four of five regular-season starts to guide Cleveland to the playoffs, and he ultimately earned Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award honors. 

However, Flacco most recently left much to be desired with his play in back-to-back losses. While he completed over 67 percent of his pass attempts and recorded a pair of touchdowns, he also tossed four interceptions to go along with two lost fumbles and seven sacks. One of those picks was returned to the house for a score in Indianapolis' 30-20 defeat against the Buffalo Bills this past Sunday. 

"I really do feel disappointed in the way the last couple weeks went," Flacco said, "because when you walk into this locker room, you want to be able to really hold your head high and feel like you’ve done the best for the team, and I didn’t necessarily feel like I did that."

Flacco knows he must "always be ready to go," considering Richardson's concerning injury history. With that said, head coach Shane Steichen strongly suggested that Flacco will remain a QB2 through Week 18 unless Richardson is physically unable to play. 

Flacco turns 40 years old this January and seems to have lost whatever he had with the Browns roughly 12 months ago. Thus, his four-turnover performance against Buffalo may be his last in a meaningful NFL game.