Tag: Troy Franklin

Bo Nix, Troy Franklin make NFL history in wild-card game vs. Buffalo Bills

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix and wide receiver Troy Franklin made NFL history with their touchdown in the wild-card game.

The season may not have ended the way the Denver Broncos wanted on Sunday, but the future is bright with former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix leading the way.

Denver lost 31-7 to host Buffalo in the wild-card round. After Denver went up 7-0 early in the first quarter, it was all Buffalo.

That first score, though, was special for the Broncos; a pair of former Ducks combined to make NFL history. Nix found Troy Franklin for a 48-yard touchdown in the opening minutes becoming the first rookie-to-rookie touchdown in the playoffs.

While it was a great start for Nix offensively, he struggled after that, finishing with 13 completions on 22 attempts for 144 yards and that one touchdown. Meanwhile, Josh Allen and the Bills were able to take advantage of the Broncos’ stout defense, amassing 471 yards of total offense on the day.

It may have been a frustrating end to the season for Denver, but fans enter the offseason with a lot of confidence and hope as they carry forward with what appears to be a franchise QB in Nix. With his first offseason in the NFL, a big jump is expected to take place going into 2025 for the young passer.

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Broncos knocked out of playoffs with 31-7 loss to Bills

The Broncos’ postseason ended with disappointment, but Denver still overachieved this season with a rookie QB and a big salary cap deficit.

The Denver Broncos were knocked out of the NFL playoffs with a 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round on Sunday afternoon.

The Broncos took an early 7-0 lead when rookie quarterback Bo Nix hit fellow rookie Troy Franklin on a 43-touchdown pass in the first quarter. That score marked the first time in NFL history that rookies connected for a touchdown in a playoff game.

That ended up being Denver’s only score of the game.

The Bills later settled for a 26-yard Tyler Bass field goal on their opening drive to make it 7-3. Following a Denver punt, Buffalo took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter on a five-yard James Cook touchdown run.

The Broncos converted a fake punt on their next drive when Riley Dixon completed a 15-yard pass to Marvin Mims, but the trickery did not lead to any points for Denver. On a later punt, though, Dixon and Mims pinned Buffalo down at the one-yard line.

Following a Buffalo punt, Nix led an eight-play, 55-yard drive just before halftime to put the Broncos within field goal range, but kicker Wil Lutz hit the right upright on his 50-yard attempt. After that missed kick, Denver went into halftime trailing 10-7.

The Bills went 55 yards on the first drive of the third quarter before stalling and settling for a 27-yard field goal to make it 13-7. After another Broncos punt, Allen made it 21-7 with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Ty Johnson followed by a successful two-point conversion.

Buffalo opened the fourth quarter with Allen’s 55-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel to extend the lead to 28-7. Buffalo later added a 34-yard field goal to make it 31-7, which ended up being the final score.

On the injury front, Denver outside linebacker Jonah Ellis (shoulder) left in the second quarter and was later ruled out.

Up next for several Broncos players is the Pro Bowl in February. Attention will then turn to the NFL combine, followed by NFL free agency in March.

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Broncos rookies Bo Nix and Troy Franklin made NFL history vs. Bills

Broncos QB Bo Nix and WR Troy Franklin became the first rookies in NFL history to connect for a touchdown in a playoff game, per CBS Sports.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix and rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin made NFL history in the first quarter of Sunday’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.

On the game’s opening drive, Nix threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Franklin to take an early 7-0 lead. That score marked the first time in NFL history that a rookie QB threw a touchdown pass to a rookie WR in a playoff game, according to CBS Sports.

From the line of scrimmage to the end zone marked 43 yards, but the ball traveled 53.5 “air yards,” according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That marked Nix’s fourth pass that traveled more than 50 yards this season, fourth-most in the NFL only behind Jayden Daniels (six), C.J. Stroud (five) and Jared Goff (five).

Nix had a brilliant regular season, breaking all of the team’s major rookie passing records. Nix ended the year with 3,775 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes, plus four touchdown runs and one touchdown catch.

Nix and Franklin were teammates at Oregon. Surprisingly, though, Sunday’s completion was the first time they’ve connected on a deep pass this season. It came at the perfect time in a do-or-die playoff game.

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WATCH: Bo Nix and Troy Franklin connect for a touchdown in playoffs

WATCH: Bo Nix and Troy Franklin connect for a touchdown in playoffs.

Oregon football fans have seen this a bunch of times.

But this time it was in the NFL Wild Card Playoff round.

Former Duck quarterback Bo Nix hit another former Duck, receiver Troy Franklin on a perfect post pattern for a 43-yard touchdown strike for the Denver Broncos.

Nix is leading his team into the AFC Wild Card where they are currently playing the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos finished the regular season 10-7 and they are a severe underdog to the 13-4 Bills.

It’s thought that Nix could be the favorite for the NFL Rookie of the Year. He had an outstanding season for the Broncos, who have had difficulty finding a quarterback since Payton Manning retired.

In his first season, Nix had a completion percentage of 66.3 and threw 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. As for the receiving end of that touchdown, Franklin caught 28 passes in the regular season and two touchdowns in his rookie campaign.

 

WATCH: Broncos QB Bo Nix throws 43-TD pass to Troy Franklin

What a time for Bo Nix and Troy Franklin to finally connect on a deep pass!

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Troy Franklin against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Here’s video of the play, courtesy of the team’s official Twitter/X page:

Following the score, Denver leads Buffalo 7-0 in the first quarter.

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Broncos QB Bo Nix takes blame for missed deep throws to Troy Franklin

“I gotta hit those … I feel like I kind of let them down,” Broncos QB Bo Nix said of his deep throws to Troy Franklin.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and wide receiver Troy Franklin were teammates at Oregon, connecting 142 times for 2,274 yards and 23 touchdowns from 2022-2023.

Franklin was one of Nix’s favorite deep targets with the Ducks as the receiver averaged 17.1 yards per reception last fall. Surprisingly, their connection in college has not translated to the NFL, at least not yet.

Nix has repeatedly failed to connect with Franklin on deep throws in 2024. The latest example came on 3rd-and-6 in overtime of Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Needing a field goal to win or a tie to clinch a playoff spot with just over five minutes remaining, Nix overthrew Franklin and the Broncos had to punt. The Bengals went on to win the game 30-24 with a touchdown.

Nix was asked about the incompletion after the game.

“You play the whole game and you get to these opportunities, and I gotta hit those,” Nix said. “That’s what NFL quarterbacks do. I’m going to continue to work until I hit those and not put my team in that position. I feel like I kind of let them down.”

Nix was also asked about the team’s decision to kick an extra point to send the game to overtime instead of going for two and a potential win.

“I definitely want the ball and a chance to win the game,” Nix said, “[but] we had a chance in overtime to do that, and I missed that one. It was a good decision by us to kick the field goal and play for overtime. We had stopped them enough to feel good about it. We thought we could move the ball in overtime, but we didn’t.”

Denver remains just one win (or tie) away from clinching a spot in the NFL playoffs. Now the team has one game remaining — an AFC West showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs at home in Week 18.

“It’s been like this for two weeks,” Nix said. “So you just have to put everything in to go win the game.”

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Broncos WR Troy Franklin was in a walking boot after ‘TNF’ loss

Broncos WR Troy Franklin was spotted wearing a walking boot after a ‘Thursday Night Football’ loss to the Chargers.

Following the Denver Broncos‘ 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin was spotted wearing a walking boot on his left foot, according to a report from the Denver Post‘s Ryan McFadden.

Franklin was not given an injury designation during the game and the Broncos will not practice again until next week, so it might be several days until we get an update on Franklin’s status.

The 21-year-old receiver hauled in two receptions for 25 yards on three targets against the Chargers. Franklin now has 25 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns through his first 14 games in the NFL.

Denver released veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds earlier this month, so if Franklin misses any time, the team’s remaining WRs would be Courtland Sutton, Devaughn Vele, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Marvin Mims. The Broncos also have Michael Bandy, David Sills and A.T. Perry available on the practice squad.

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Broncos vs. Chiefs: 5 things to watch for on Sunday

Here are five things to watch for when the Chiefs host the Broncos on Sunday.

After facing the Baltimore Ravens on the road last week, the Denver Broncos are now set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on the road this week.

The Broncos lost to the Ravens 41-10 and coach Sean Payton must now attempt to stop the bleeding before going up against a division rival.

“Listen there’s a little bit of UFC to our league,” Payton said this week.
“You’ve got to be able to, each week, I don’t care who you’re playing, if you’re not careful you can catch one on the chin. You’ve got to get back up and you’ve got to get back to work.

“That gets back to that mental toughness, the grit, all the things that we’re looking for. Not only in our players, but our coaches and everyone. You get excited to play the next game to hopefully get the taste out of your mouth.”

With the team looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat in Baltimore, here are five storylines to watch for ahead of the Denver vs. KC matchup.

1. Weekend roster moves: The Broncos have seven players set to return to the 53-man roster in the coming weeks, and they’ll have to make some cuts to make room for the returning plays. Denver has one open spot on the active roster after trading pass rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals, but the team will probably need to create at least one more opening this weekend. Center Luke Wattenberg and linebacker Kwon Alexander seem to be likely candidates to get activated to the 53-man roster on Saturday.

2. Denver’s center decision: With Wattenberg expected to return, the Broncos will need to make a decision at center. Wattenberg started the first five games of the season before landing on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Alex Forsyth started the last four games while Wattenberg was on IR. Will the team now stick with Forysth or go back to Wattenberg?

3. Broncos backfield rotation: The Chiefs allow just 83.9 rushing yards per game, third-fewest in the NFL this season. That will be a tough test for starter Javonte Williams and change-of-pace back Jaleel McLaughlin. Payton also hinted this week that rookie Audric Estime could be more involved in the second half of the season.

4. Pat Surtain vs. DeAndre Hopkins: It didn’t take long for “Nuk” to get on the same page with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In his second game after being acquired from the Tennessee Titans via trade, Hopkins hauled in eight receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns in Week 9. Hopkins is still a formidable receiver, especially in the red zone. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Surtain follow Hopkins on Sunday.

5. Bo Nix connecting on deep throws: Despite playing with Troy Franklin in college, Nix has struggled to connect on deep throws to Franklin this season. Facing a Chiefs secondary that ranks near the middle of the pack, Nix will undoubtedly aim to get on the same page with Franklin this week. Going up a stingy run defense, Nix will need to step up for Denver’s offense to have success on the road.

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). Playing at home, KC is considered a heavy favorite against the Broncos.

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Broncos QB Bo Nix needs to stop ‘overthinking’ long passes

Bo Nix and Troy Franklin were college teammates, so why have they struggled to connect in the NFL? “It’s just a level of overthinking it.”

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a respectable game against the Baltimore Ravens last week, but he struggled on deep throws, failing to connect with fellow rookie Troy Franklin once again.

“I thought he did well [overall],” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Nix’s performance in Baltimore. “I think there were some plays certainly he would’ve wished he had back. He just missed Troy on a Cover Zero check, and there’s still so many learning moments for him. In other words, each week is another class for another test, and I like the way he’s progressing. I like the poise after each series and after the game. You feel his maturity.”

This week, Nix and Co. will travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs on the road. The quarterback was asked about his (lack of) connection with Franklin during his media availability earlier this week.

“I think with me and him right now, it’s just a level of overthinking it a little bit I think,” Nix said. “The pressure and the ambition of, ‘We’ve already done it. We have to do it again. It should be easy for us.’ That’s not the case. You’re going against different guys. You’re playing in a different system. You’re thinking a little bit too much. I’m also not going to make excuses. We have to hit them when they’re open.

“We practice well. We do a good job of making sure we get the reps in practice, and I think it’s only a matter of time before the explosives and the big ones are being hit again. It’s good to be able to have those other guys like ‘Court’ and all those guys to make explosive plays at the same time. You can really kind of spread the ball out and distribute it well. I just think we have to stop overthinking it.”

Nix and Franklin were teammates at Oregon from 2022-2023, but their chemistry has not yet translated to the NFL. We’ll see if that changes this week.

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). Playing at home, KC is considered a heavy favorite against the Broncos.

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Ravens vs. Broncos: Top photos from Baltimore’s 41-10 win in Week 9

Top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 9 at M&T Bank Stadium

Denver entered the game 5-3 with the NFL’s third-ranked defense, but the Baltimore offense shredded them, as Vance Joseph’s defense surrendered 396 yards and five touchdowns on the afternoon.

The Ravens are 6-3 after a 41-10 win over the emerging Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium.

Here are the top photos from the win.

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