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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
A look at how Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham fit in the Denver Broncos' QB room for 2025
The ex-Tigers will battle it out for the role of QB1 again in Denver this training camp. The Denver Broncos are known for their orange and blue colors. Also, their quarterback room has some history with the colors as well. Both starter Bo Nix and backup Jarrett Stidham played at Auburn. That is not breaking news. Nix had a surprising and stellar rookie season for the Broncos in 2024 and helped lead the team to the postseason. Last season, Nix threw for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns as a rookie. The Broncos closed out the season with a 5-2 record before losing in the AFC Wildcard 31-7 to the Buffalo Bills. Nix played his first three seasons with the Tigers before transferring to Oregon for his final two seasons. While operating a proper offense at Oregon, he showed the NFL his capabilities as a quarterback. He had moments at Auburn but was more consistent in Eugene. Stidham returns to the Broncos for his third season as the backup to Nix. He has played for three different NFL franchises, including the Broncos. Stidham started his career with the New England Patriots before playing for the Raiders. Stidham was tasked with being the guy to replace Tom Brady in New England. The team would sign another former Auburn quarterback, Cam Newton. Stidham would spend his time with the Patriots as a backup. He would be traded to Las Vegas for the 2022 season. Stidham started the final two games of the 2022 season. He had a big game in his first start versus the San Francisco 49ers. In a 37-34 overtime loss, Stidham threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns. He would then become a member of the Broncos starting with the 2023 season. That first season, he was the backup to Russell Wilson but started the final two games after he was benched. While he may have aspired to be a full-time starting quarterback in the NFL, Stidham has built a solid career as a backup quarterback. A reliable one too. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Phillip on Twitter @PJordanSEC
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Indianapolis Colts played in 2 of the 25 best games since 2000
The Indianapolis Colts have been a part of two of the best games in the NFL over the last 25 years. The Indianapolis Colts have been a part of two of the best NFL games over the last 25 years. Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports recently ranked what he believes are the 25 best NFL games since the year 2000. The Colts made the list twice, and both for good reasons. The first appearance came at No. 23 in Schwab's rankings with the Colts' come-from-behind win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 AFC Wildcard round. "The Colts fell behind the Chiefs early in a 2013 wild-card game, and it was 38-10 not long into the third quarter," wrote Schwab. "That set the stage for a wild comeback from the Colts, who won 45-44 on a fourth-quarter bomb from Andrew Luck to T.Y. Hilton. It's the highlight of Luck's short NFL career." The Colts would outscore the Chiefs 35-13 in the second half. Luck would finish the game completing 29-of-45 passes for 443 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. TY Hilton had a masterful performance, catching 13 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns. The Colts' second appearance in Schwab's rankings came all the way at No. 4 with Peyton Manning's comeback win over the New England Patriots in the 2006 AFC Championship Game. "The 2006 season AFC championship might be the most underrated great game in NFL history," Schwab wrote. "The Patriots took a 21-3 lead and it looked like another disappointment for Peyton Manning. But Manning led a brilliant comeback, the Colts got a game-sealing interception off Tom Brady late and finally Manning was heading to his first Super Bowl. There were many great Manning-Brady duels, but this was the best of the bunch." Trailing 21-6 at half, the Colts would score 32 points in the second half of this game while the defense held the Patriots and Tom Brady to only 13 points between the third and fourth quarters. Manning was 27-for-47 passing overall for 349 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes combined for over 100 rushing yards, while Dallas Clark led the way through the air with 137 receiving yards. The Colts would go on to win the Super Bowl that season over the Chicago Bears.
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Several head coaches, OCs and a DC from Colts' 2020-2021 coaching staffs
The Indianapolis Colts' coaching staff during the 2020 and 2021 NFL seasons have ended up putting together some impressive individual resumes. As noted by Jim Ayello of The Athletic, the Colts' coaching staffs during those two seasons under head coach Frank Reich included three future head coaches: – Nick Siriani (currently with Philadelphia) – Matt Eberflus (formerly with Chicago) – Jonathan Gannon (currently with Arizona) With the Colts, Siriani was the offensive coordinator, Eberflus the defensive coordinator, and Gannon the cornerbacks coach. In addition to those three, these four went on to be NFL offensive coordinators: – Kevin Patullo (currently with Philadelphia) – Klayton Adams (currently with Dallas) – Marcus Brady (formerly with Colts) – Press Taylor (formerly with Jacksonville) On the Colts' staff, Brady took over as the offensive coordinator in 2021 after Siriani left. Adams was an assistant offensive line coach and then the tight ends coach in Indianapolis. Patullo was the pass game specialist in 2020 and Taylor was a senior offensive assistant in 2021. On the defensive side of the ball, Alan Williams was the Colts' defensive backs coach from 2018-2021 and he was the Chicago Bears' defensive coordinator from 2022-2023. That's a pretty impressive resume for a collective coaching staff to have over a two-year span. The 2020 season was the last time that the Colts were in the playoffs. They finished 11-5 that season and lost in the AFC Wildcard round to Buffalo. In 2021, the Colts went 9-8 and missed out on the playoffs after losing their final two games of the season.
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What's the big thing Jaguars' QB Trevor Lawrence needs from Liam Coen?
What does Jacksonville Jaguars' quarterback Trevor Lawrence need most from new head coach Liam Coen? On a recent appearance on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams, Lawrence was asked that question. His response went beyond scheme and play-calling–although those are important factors–and instead centered around the need for leadership and energy. 'I think just from a leadership perspective, having that energy day-in, day-out is something our team needs,' Lawrence told Adams. 'We've been through a lot. The last two seasons have been not what we we expected after what we did two years ago. I think this team needs some juice and he's going to bring that.' 'Obviously the play-calling is SUPER important.' Trevor Lawrence on what he NEEDS from his new HC Liam Cohen 📈@Trevorlawrencee @heykayadams @Jaguars | #DUUUVAL — Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 17, 2025 In 2022, the Jaguars finished that year 9-8 after a three-win season in 2021, and won a playoff game in the AFC Wildcard round after a spectacular comeback. However, instead of growing from that point, the Jaguars plateaued in 2023 with another 9-8 record and then regressed to just four-wins this past season. Things grew stagnant and it's up to Coen to help lead that turnaround. But while Coen will set the vision for what he wants the culture to be like moving forward, buy in from the players and the team leaders upholding that standard is also an important part of the equation. 'As players I'm ready to lead and bring that as well. We all have to buy in. We have to buy in to what he's doing, the culture he's trying to set or we don't have a shot. So that's our responsibility to buy in to what he wants us to be and the identity we want to have as a team and to take it and run with it.' In his one season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator, Coen turned that rushing offense from being one of the least productive in football to one of the most productive. This is also an area where the Jaguars have to improve as well to assist them in becoming less predictable. Quarterback Baker Mayfield would also have a career-year in many key categories, and the Bucs were the only offense in football to rank top-five in passing yards per game, rushing yards per game, and points per game. Accomplishing this in Jacksonville will include having a strong running game to lean on and one that is married to the passing game, with looks and concepts that build off of each other. Coen has also mentioned building the offense around Lawrence and what he does well, and that includes getting his input along the way. Offensive coordinator Grant Udinski would call the Jaguars' new offense 'multiple,' referencing their ability to attack defenses in a variety of ways and with a variety of looks to keep opponents off-balanced. All of that and more will, of course, be important to reshaping the Jaguars' offense and getting the most out of Lawrence. But before any of that can take place, as Coen said in his introductory press conference, the culture has to be established and once that happens, then the fundamentals, technique, and scheme will follow. 'At the end of the day, players play and scheme is important and obviously there's somethings we can do there to set us up, but players have to take it and believe in it and I think that's the biggest thing,' Lawrence added. 'Just that belief. I know for me and a lot of guys I've talked to, we're fully bought in and just excited for April to get here and to start.'
