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17	August 2018

the World Cup circuit this season.

Frank Reich might not have been the Indianapolis Colts' first choice as head coach.

Turns out Cole Beasley Cowboys Jersey , he might be the better fit anyway.

Just three days into training camp, the 56-year-old former quarterback has injected energy, enthusiasm and excitement into a team desperately needing to change directions after three straight seasons of missing the playoffs.

"I think he brings a really neat perspective," Andrew Luck said this week. "He's certainly had an amazing career as a player and has done an amazing job as a coach. I've really enjoyed talking to him, learning from him, talking with him and figuring out what the best course of action is in many different arenas."

The new tandem is just getting started.

Throughout the first two public workouts in suburban Indianapolis, Luck and Reich have been conversing regularly as Luck learns his fourth offense in seven pro seasons.

But Reich does more than just talk.

He's innovative, passionate and personable, and players seem to respect the unique journey Reich took to his first head coaching gig.

After graduating from Maryland, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills and joined a cast of future Hall of Famers while playing for the only team to appear in four straight Super Bowls.

His coaching career began when another Hall of Famer, Tony Dungy, hired Reich as an intern with the Colts in 2006. Peyton Manning earned his first championship ring that season, though Reich did not receive one.

In 2009, Reich was promoted to quarterbacks coach as Manning captured his fourth MVP Award, led the Colts to a 14-0 start and another AFC title.

Then after stints in Arizona and San Diego where he worked directly with Larry Fitzgerald and Philip Rivers, Reich was named the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator in 2016 and finally picked up the elusive ring when Nick Foles beat New England in February.

Not enough?

Even before he replaced injured Bills quarterback Jim Kelly in the 1992 playoffs and overcame a 32-point deficit to complete the largest comeback in NFL history, Reich threw three second-half TD passes in relief of Stan Gelbaugh and led the Terrapins back from a 31-poinnt deficit to beat highly-ranked Miami in 1984. At the time Josh Allen Jersey Bills , it was the largest comeback in major college football history and still ranks No. 3.

"The backup role has suited me well in my career," Reich joked at his introductory news conference in February.

The Colts are counting on him to do it again, this time in the family tradition.

His father was a football coach, his mother coached sports and his brother, Joe, is entering his 18th season as head coach at Division II Wingate University in North Carolina.

And Reich may need all of his expertise to turn things around in Indy.

He inherits a young roster that has more questions than answers, a team the outside world believes will be among the worst in the league and one that was spurned by its top coaching choice, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, shortly after the Patriots season-ending loss.

So instead of McDaniels, general manager Chris Ballard brought in a reigning champion who understood the organization, who helped Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz put himself in the MVP conversation in just his second NFL season and who refused to take a single interview until Philadelphia's season was over.

He didn't care what the critics said then about the Colts, and he doesn't care now.

"I see and hear the chatter, but we don't focus too much on that," he said, referring to one projection of a two-win season. "That is, I guess, a little bulletin board material Cheap Bradley Chubb Jersey , but for the most part, it's about believing in one another. I've seen what we've done. I've seen the kind of players we have. I just have a lot of confidence in who we have here."

The players like what they have in this coach, too.

Reich, for instance, remembers what it's like to play the game and can provide perspective and stories about his own NFL experiences including a surgical procedure he had on his shoulder following his retirement in 1998 that was similar to what Luck endured in January 2017.

"He certainly is a sounding board for all of us quarterbacks," Luck said. "I think he's also a great teacher. The best coaches have always been the best teachers. He does a fantastic job of that."

Reich's frank, succinct assessments have been a big hit, too.

He's made no secret of his personal expectations: The Colts must work hard, be prepared, play with discipline and finish games. He also encourages players to be themselves, a combination that led free agent tight end Eric Ebron to Indianapolis and could bring more help to Indy in the future.

"Frank is just Frank, he always just keeps it real," Ebron said. "That's what I like about him."

鈥?Jim Caldwell may have been the Detroit Lions� most successful coach in the Super Bowl era.That was not enough to save his job.The Lions fired Caldwell on Monday after a season in which the team raised hopes before fading and missing the playoffs with a 9-7 record. They also fired offensive line coach Ron Prince, keeping the rest of the assistants under contract in case the next coach wants to retain any of them.Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford called Caldwell �one of the finest leaders we�ve ever had as our head coach.��Not only did he guide us on the field to three winning seasons, but he also set a standard of excellence off the field that had a tremendous impact on everyone in our organization and our entire community,� Ford said in a statement.Caldwell was 36-28 in four seasons and went 0-2 in two postseasons with the Lions. Including three years with the Indianapolis Colts, he is 62-50 and 2-4 in the playoffs with one Super Bowl appearance.Lions general manager Bob Quinn said he wants a coach to take the team to the next level 鈥?postseason victories and championships. Quinn added that he fired Caldwell Odell Beckham Jr Jersey Youth , in part, because he thought the team was capable of winning more than nine games in each of the last two seasons.Detroit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will interview for the job Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the coaching search. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not identified any candidates. Austin has interviewed with many NFL teams in recent years.For the first time, Quinn has to hire an NFL coach. After Detroit gave him a shot to be a first-time general manager a little less than two years ago, he chose to keep Caldwell. After letting him go, Quinn�s future with the franchise may hinge on his next hire.�I feel pressure every day in my job,� he said. �I signed up for it.�Quinn was a part of New England�s personnel department for 16 years before the Lions hired him and says he might consider Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels because of his familiarity with them.Houston Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, who also has ties to Quinn in New England, and Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur are also potential candidates.Caldwell received a multiyear contract extension before the season, but the team didn�t announce the move for months. This season ended with a 35-11 victory over Green Bay on Sunday for Caldwell�s third winning record in his four years.Led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, Detroit met relatively modest expectations this season, but raised hopes with 3-1 and 6-4 records only to drop out of postseason contention by losing three of five.Caldwell became Detroit�s first coach to have at three winning seasons in his first four years since the early 1950s.He didn�t scream at his players and showed interest in their lives.�I love Caldwell,� receiver Marvin Jones said. �I�ve been here for two years and he�s the best coach I�ve ever had. Everybody is quiet two minutes before his meetings because he demands respect without yelling. He doesn�t yell at all. You never want to disappoint him. We just had to make more plays for him.�When Caldwell was hired almost four years ago, he was working for a franchise with only one winning season in a 13-season stretch.�We�re going to be smart,� Caldwell said at the time. �We�re going to be a football team that takes the field that�s not going to shoot itself in the foot.�Detroit�s defense, though, was short-handed in consecutive games late in the season. The Lions were down a player for a snap when Minnesota scored a touchdown in a win at Detroit on Thanksgiving and were missing two players when Baltimore converted a third down to help it take a two-TD lead in a victory.�I�m not sitting up there making excuses Mike Piazza Jersey , it�s unacceptable,� Quinn said.Even as it became clear Caldwell�s job may be in jeopardy, he took it in stride.�That�s kind of the way it goes,� he insisted going into his last game as Detroit�s coach. �That�s every year, right? I told you guys a story a long time ago about Marty Schottenheimer. He got fired at 14-2. So anything less than a Super Bowl, obviously it could happen.�The Lions have never played in a Super Bowl. And since winning the 1957 NFL title, they have won only one playoff game and that lone victory was in 1992.Caldwell went 16-8 against NFC North teams, but wasn�t able to help the franchise win its first division title since 1993.In each of Caldwell�s four years with the Lions, they ranked among the NFL�s worst in yards rushing. That glaring weakness put a lot of pressure on Stafford and a shaky line, resulting in a struggling offense that failed to score consistently.Quinn said players will not be involved in the interview process, but Stafford hopes offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter is back next season.�I would love to have the opportunity to keep working with him,� Stafford said Monday as the players cleared out their lockers..