Schrager's Cheat Sheet: A Chicago Bears' dark-horse head coach candidate
Every week, FOX Sports NFL Insider Peter Schrager opens his notebook and opines on three of the biggest storylines around the league. Here are his takes heading into Week 14, including how the 2024 Bills compare to recent iterations (and those from the early 90s), Saquon Barkley's historic run, and a surprise candidate to keep an eye on in the Bears' head coaching search.
2024 Bills: Best Buffalo Team Ever?
The best Buffalo Bills team ever was probably the 1990 one. That Marv Levy-led squad went 13-3, was undefeated at home, absolutely dominated the AFC East, and crushed the Raiders 51-3 in the AFC Championship Game. Parcells, Belichick and the '90 Giants got the best of them in the Super Bowl, and you know how the next three years went after that. If that '90 squad was the best Bills team of that era, we might have our team from this one.
I think the 2024 Bills are not only the best Buffalo team of the Sean McDermott/Josh Allen era, but could challenge any of those early '90s teams. I know it's still early, but what they're doing right now is historic. With their 35-10 thrashing of the 49ers, the Bills have won seven straight games, and in that winning streak, are beating teams by an average of 13.6 points. Furthermore, they've won their fifth division title in a row, and have done so in truly historic fashion. Get this: The Bills have won the division before even playing the Patriots this season. It's just the third time in NFL history a team has clinched a division before playing all three division opponents.
Since Buffalo doesn't play New England until Week 16, this year's Bills are the first team in NFL history to clinch its division at least two weeks before playing one of its division rivals for the first time.
The Bills' two defeats came months ago and both games — losses to the Ravens and Texans — came amid a rash of injuries and questions about chemistry. They've since gotten healthy, including the return of All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano, and traded for Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper. The beauty of this team, though, is that nobody outside of Buffalo saw it coming. The Bills let Stephon Diggs and Gabe Davis walk out the door. Team leaders Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer were no longer on the team. In recent years, the Bills have lost six different team captains.
At the 2024 draft, there were eye rolls when they traded back with the Chiefs (of all teams) and "allowed" Kansas City to get Xavier Worthy. The initial thought was that Kansas City got Buffalo's guy — a wide receiver, a position of need. But sources told me (then and now) that Keon Coleman — the Bills' second round pick — was a highly coveted first-round graded prospect on their board.
Watching Buffalo dismantle San Francisco — with smiles, with laterals, with postgame snow angels — it almost seems as though the Bills needed everyone to get off their bandwagon for them to play truly free. And what's Josh Allen say after the win? "We're chasing the 1 seed."
The Rams, who've lost their past two home games, are up next, Sunday in L.A. I earnestly think this Bills team has a special feeling. They are the franchise's best squad in this era, and depending on how things go in December and January (and maybe February?) — they can end up being the best ever.
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Marcus Freeman to the Bears?
When I say something on FOX NFL Kickoff as outside the box as the Bears sniffing around on Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, take it to the bank. I don't throw things at the wall, and I rarely ever give a "report" unless I have some knowledge on the situation. Keep an eye on Freeman. The search is being run by Bears team president Kevin Warren, a former Big Ten Commissioner who knows the college game and its coaches inside and out. The Bears also are reportedly looking for a "leader of men" type coach.
I always laugh at that phrase — because which person gets into coaching at this level and can't lead? But I think what they're saying is that they don't just want a hot coordinator or famous name. They want a true CEO-type, a man the players universally respect, and who can run the room and oversee all three facets of the game with authority. Freeman, of course, was a stud Ohio State player, who had a cup of coffee with the Bears. The son of an Air Force man, Freeman played for three different NFL organizations in one season, and then climbed the ladder as a college coach at Ohio State, Kent State, Purdue and Notre Dame. He's worn hats as a player and a coach, and has been the face of one of the biggest college programs for four years now.
Notre Dame's success this year is, of course, noteworthy. Despite a head-scratching loss to Northern Illinois, Notre Dame is 11-1 and headed to the College Football Playoff. Freeman's an outside-the-box name, but one worth watching.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 30: Head coach Marcus Freeman reacts after his team stops USC Trojans on fourth down during the first half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, Californi
Saquon, the Closer
Sunday's Eagles win over the Ravens felt like an old school boxing match. Two great, proud franchises, slugging it out for four quarters. And with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton lining up on the other side — the Eagles were the last ones standing. After falling behind 9-0 on the road, the Eagles got going after a Justin Tucker missed extra point, and didn't look back after Dallas Goedert's TD in the second quarter.
Philly hasn't lost since its Week 5 bye, and the one common thread to all of these games has been Saquon Barkley's ability to put games away in the second half. He's been the ultimate closer and seems to be getting better every week, as the weather gets colder. In this boxing analogy, he's the one giving you body blows and just wears you down until you can't punch anymore.
Consider this: Saquon leads all players in second-half scrimmage yards (1,125), rushing yards (982), and yards per carry (7.6). Over the past 30 years, Saquon is currently averaging more second-half rushing yards (81.8) than anyone. Lastly, if you were to take just Saquon's second-half rushing total from this season (982), that number would rank fourth overall in the NFL for 2024.
Saquon's not going anywhere, and neither are the Eagles.