Midweek Mailbag: Looking at Auburn's quarterback situation

Let's look at questions about Auburn's quarterback battle.

The Auburn Tigers are 1-0 after defeating Mercer in their season-opening win. 

Despite the offense being able to move the ball, the quarterback battle is still generating conversation after TJ Finley threw two picks and Robby Ashford impressed with making plays with his legs. 

It shouldn't come as a shock that several questions this week were about Auburn's quarterback situation. 

Why would TJ be a better option now, even with improvement, given Ashford’s ability to open up more types of plays for this offense? - @yungpheasant

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

I think the messaging from the coaching staff has been consistent on this. They like the way that Finley has led and conducted himself during the offseason. 

That's at least what earned him the starting job going into the season. You have to think his leash is short though given how long it took for Finley to be named the guy.

Bryan Harsin's quote from fall camp discussing the quarterbacks stood out to me. He talked about how you know who the quarterback is whenever you walk into a room. But of course, what happens on the field is the most important.  

Ashford's upside is clear. We may see him take a bigger role this week leading into the showdown with Penn State next week. 

Will TJ have anymore INT's heading into LSU week? My guess is nay. I think he'd take getting sack 25 times before then before he gives up another INT. - @JrainFromAl

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Say what you want about Finley but he's a confident passer. There are positives to this but also some negatives in believing you can squeeze passes into tight windows. 

This is what caused the first pick on the third-and-18 against Mercer. 

I don't think Finley's mentality changes. The former LSU quarterback has never seemed to be impacted by outside pressure or the moment being too big. 

This doesn't mean he won't hold on to the job, but I bet he throws another pick. 

Who is one player that isn't getting enough praise? - @BarningKnight

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

I think Zion Puckett is ready to have a really strong season. He was used in a few different ways on Saturday. 

He was at free safety for 36 snaps, slot corner for six, and 14 snaps in the box. 

This coaching staff loves versatility and should give Puckett a lot of opportunities this season. 

Can we expect to see more WR getting involved moving forward? - @cliffthill

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

I thought we'd see more of the wide receivers against Mercer. If Auburn's offense is going to be more successful than last season, the pass catchers have to have a bigger role. 

Only three wide receivers caught passes despite nine wide receivers getting into the game. 

I think guys like Koy Moore and Camden Brown see some catches this weekend. 

Do you just love The Rings Of Power? - Tami B

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

This is our first non-football question in our Midweek Mailbag series. 

With San Jose State having a player named Elijah Wood on the roster, I think it was only fitting to address questions about the new Lord Of The Rings show on Amazon, "The Rings Of Power." 

I think it has a ton of upside. At the time of writing this, there are only two episodes and the groundwork has been laid with the direction being able to go anywhere. 

Who is the bro who fell from the fireball and why? 

Who will be Sauron? 

What's in Durin's special box? 

I hope they make all of these storylines fun but I fear that they're trying too hard to be Game Of Thrones. Even the opening theme looks similar. 

I'm skeptical, but I'll watch it, for Frodo. 

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