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Last night, aggressive “sell the team!” chants rang out at Soldier Field while the Bears (4-12) found another way to lose. Their 6-3 defeat to the Seahawks (9-7) included eight punts by Tory Taylor, who now has the second-most punts in the NFL. April was a long time ago:
New Bears punter Tory Taylor said he got this text from Caleb Williams: “Hey, you’re not going to punt too much here.”
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) April 27, 2024
Below: Deion Sanders, Howie Long, superlatives since midseason and a Week 17 watch guide. But first, Dianna shares what she’s hearing on a Super Bowl-winning head coach:
Pete Carroll wants to coach again. The question is, after Bill Belichick struggled to gain traction in the NFL coaching market, will there be a team that sees itself as a fit for a 73-year-old head coach?
I can’t tell you if I know of any teams that, at this point, are having serious conversations about Carroll, though much is going to change over the next few weeks.
As far as the right fit goes, he’s been connected to the Bears, but I wonder about the Jets, three decades after his one-year stint as their HC. They might not want a first-time head coach because of the difficulties, and there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to land a coveted candidate who has head-coaching experience. So what about tapping into a longtime winner like Carroll? He went 137-89-1 with a title in Seattle.
🎧 The latest from the “Scoop City” podcast: at the 20-minute mark, what Tom Brady’s role in the Raiders’ offseason might look like.
Back to you, Jacob.
At the very top, little has changed in the latter half of the season. Kansas City (now 15-1) and the Lions (13-2) still lead their conferences, while Buffalo (12-3) remains the No. 3 contender.
But as Bears fans know, everything is different. Let’s quickly look at nine big trends since Week 10 began (all stats per TruMedia):
🔥 Record: Vikings (7-0). The NFL’s only undefeated team since midseason, their streak will be tested by the Packers and Lions in the final two weeks. Minnesota’s playoff position will come down to five key components — like preventing explosive plays — that they must address in order to secure the No. 1 seed for the first time since 1998.
🥶 Record: Bears (0-8). It’s why Chicago’s holiday wishlist includes the right head coach and an offensive line for Caleb Williams, who just took part in his 10th straight loss and has been sacked a league-high 67 times (already the fourth-most in a single season).
🔥 MVP: The strongest case is still for Josh Allen, who has led Buffalo on a 5-1 run while winning against the Chiefs and Lions, all despite his defense allowing 26.3 points and 413.5 yards per game. Don’t forget that he played with an injured throwing arm during an underwhelming Week 16 win against the Patriots.
🔥 MVP No. 2: In this same span, Lamar Jackson threw 19 touchdowns to two interceptions (compare to Allen’s nine TDs and four INTs), sported a league-best 122.8 passer rating and rushed for more yards per game (49.6) than De’Vone Achane, so MVP odds have narrowed. (I still give the edge to Allen, who has willed Buffalo to victory, and whose Bills have led the NFL in scoring since Week 10.)
🥶 Rushing: In those weeks, the Raiders had just 470 rushing yards on a pedestrian 3.6 yards per carry. Their total rushing yardage through all 16 weeks ranks 785th of 798 seasons since 2000. At this point, there are not many players worth holding onto in Las Vegas.
🔥 Rushing: The Eagles ran for 1,420 yards in their last six games, a league-best 202.8 average. That’s just shy of the 2014 Seahawks and 2019 Ravens for the best post-midseason stretch since 2000.
🥶 Offensive line: The Patriots. Rookie QB Drake Maye’s impressive season and quick release (seventh-fastest time to throw) have overshadowed an offensive line “so bleak that just about anyone would be an upgrade over what they’ve been trotting out,” per beat reporter Chad Graff’s list of New England’s offseason priorities.
🔥 Receiving: Ja’Marr Chase and company. The Bengals’ 330.8 yards per game pace the NFL since midseason, despite a scheme in which their average separation at target is the league’s sixth-lowest.
🔥 Most improved offense: The Dolphins saw their offensive EPA improve by 11.5 points since midseason, the largest jump in the NFL. That’s the value of a starting quarterback. Remember, Tua Tagovailoa missed Weeks 2 to 7.
Every Friday, I share some stories that you might have missed.
When he was in college at Florida State, Deion Sanders drove to a game in a white stretch limo, was “known for his flashy suits and alligator shoes” and told the media that rival receivers “must think I’m God.” For nearly 40 years, Sanders has had the football world’s attention.
Ahead of tomorrow’s college finale by his two potential No. 1 NFL Draft picks, The Athletic asked 10 former colleagues if Prime’s success as a coach surprised them. Their answers might surprise you.
A defensive lineman drafted in the second round of 1981, Howie Long played his way into the Hall of Fame. He’s since spent 30-plus years as a standout in broadcasting. But his life away from football is just as impressive: “Howie might be the best human being I know,” said one colleague. “It’s just who he is, 24/7, and he’s not 1 percent fake.”
Wednesday’s Christmas special began with audio issues (viewers could not hear studio host Kay Adams’ voice during the first 20 seconds of the broadcast) but was otherwise relatively smooth. Richard Deitsch shares his perspective on the streaming giant’s $150 million NFL Christmas.
This weekend’s circle-your-calendar matchup comes Sunday night, with a rookie duel between first-round QBs Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr.
The Commanders are four-point home favorites, per BetMGM, in a game with playoff implications for both Washington (10-5) and the Falcons (8-7). For the former, a win clinches a playoff berth and their first 11-win season since … 1991, when Joe Gibbs coached them to a Super Bowl.
Full playoff scenarios here, and here’s the schedule:
Saturday (NFL Network):
Sunday at 1 p.m.
Sunday evening
Monday at 8:15 p.m.
You can stream games on Fubo (try for free). See you Monday!
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(Photo: Bryan M. Bennett / Getty Images)
