Joe Flacco takes saddle for Colts, to start against Vikings

A midseason quarterback change frequently signals trouble for a franchise.

It will be up to Joe Flacco to prove that this time is an exception.

Flacco, 39, will take over at quarterback when the Indianapolis Colts (4-4) visit the Minnesota Vikings (5-2) on Sunday night in Minneapolis. The 17-year veteran will replace second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was benched this week after an inconsistent start to the season.

Colts coach Shane Steichen said the switch would not be a short-term move.

"Joe will be our quarterback going forward," Steichen said. "I feel like Joe gives us the best chance to win. ... I'm just looking at where we're at with the team. We're at .500. It's my obligation to 53 players in the locker room to win football games."

The Colts will try to do just that on the road against a Vikings team that is suddenly desperate for a victory. Minnesota started the season with five straight wins before dropping back-to-back games against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.

During the skid, the Vikings lost a key player as standout left tackle Christian Darrisaw suffered a season-ending knee injury. The team wasted little time to respond, acquiring left tackle Cam Robinson and a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2026.

Robinson did not make it north in time for the Vikings' first practice of the week but there is a chance that he will make his team debut Sunday.

"If he's ready to go and prepared, I'd like to get him in the mix there," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said. "If for whatever reason, either situational or something where we hold him out and give him a full week of prep next week, we'll see how it goes. I think we have a good plan in place."

The Vikings feel more confident that veteran tight end T.J. Hockenson will make his season debut after missing the first seven games recovering from knee surgery. Hockenson, 27, had 95 catches for 960 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games last season.

"I think T.J. is ready to play," O'Connell said. "He's as good as he's looked since we got him here. And that's saying something considering the impact he made right away in (2022), and the season he was having last year at the time he was hurt. He's a huge part of our offense, our system."

The Colts hope to say the same for Flacco, who has a 102.2 passer rating this season compared with a 57.2 passer rating for Richardson. Flacco has thrown for 716 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception this season.

Jonathan Taylor leads the Colts' ground game with 454 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Alec Pierce has a team-high 394 receiving yards and three scores.

For the Vikings, Sam Darnold will make his eighth start of the season. He has posted a 107.2 passer rating while throwing for 1,610 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Aaron Jones has 501 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his first season with the Vikings. Justin Jefferson is dominating at wideout again this season with 41 catches for 646 yards and five touchdowns in seven games.

This is the first meeting between the teams since Dec. 17, 2022, when the Vikings emerged with a 39-36 victory in overtime. In that game, the Vikings overcame a 33-point deficit, making it the largest comeback win in NFL history.

--Field Level Media