A playoff win was followed by an interview with the Chicago Bears. For Buffalo Bills attack coordinator Brian Daboll, this is the definition of ‘attack while the iron is hot.’

If the Chicago Bears were to do exhaustive research to find a new head coach and general manager simultaneously, perhaps their Saturday night homework should end with browsing interview rooms. at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY

Start with Bill Belichick. Legendary coach of the New England Patriots. Defense mastermind. Six-time Super Bowl winner. As his night drew to a close, however, Belichick was humbled, subdued, clearly frustrated. His top-five defense was decimated by the Buffalo Bills, smashed to pieces like a rotten squash in a 47-17 loss in the knockout stages of the AFC playoffs.

“We couldn’t keep up with them tonight,” Belichick said. “They definitely deserved to win. Well trained. They’ve done well and we just can’t do much.”

Belichick’s blank expression and curt delivery are hardly new. He often reacts this way even after impressive wins.

But his level of humiliation was certainly rare. Belichick’s 11 losses from last season with the Patriots averaged 9 points. On Saturday, the Patriots performed well after first possession of the game and lost 30.

Thirty!

Somewhere in the Lake Forest, the leadership team guiding the Bears’ searches should have jotted down notes with Belichick’s impressions of the Bills breach by coordinator Brian Daboll, who had been on the scene. Bears interview itinerary on Sunday.

Bears President George McCaskey should have had a legitimate pen and pad to record Belichick’s frustration.

We can’t do much.

“They were too much for us tonight,” added Belichick.

Around the bend below Highmark Stadium, Bills quarterback Josh Allen was a little more emotional. Sitting next to the Devin Singletary rerun, Allen was visibly pleased with the outcome of that night. How could it not happen after such a trouble?

Allen noted how well prepared the Bills were when playing a familiar opponent.

“Everybody has been called in,” he said. “We trained hard. We put together a really good game plan. And Daboll lit it up.”

You don’t have to be a connoisseur of football to understand what the Bills did on Saturday night is extraordinary and rare. They own the ball eight times and put together an eye-catching spurt: touch down, touch down, touch down, touch down, touch down, touch down, touch down, “win formation”.

The Bills accumulated a total of 489 yards and the first 29 kills. Their attack did not turn the situation around, never poked holes and did not concede a goal. 15 of their 54 plays were at least 15 yards. Only two negative yardage were produced – a pair of Mitch Trubisky knelt down to kill the last minute of the clock.

All of this in a playoff game. Against a stingy defense, led by Belichick.

For some of the Bills’ most influential leaders, the timing of the race couldn’t have been better. Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier has two head coach interviews scheduled – one with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, with his meeting with the Bears pushed back to this weekend. Bills assistant director of human resources Joe Schoen was also set to meet with the Bears about their GM opening.

Beat while the iron is hot, right? This is the definition of that. And especially for Daboll, who had Saturday’s offensive masterpiece to present to the Bears as proof that he has the gift and vision to catalyze a long-awaited awakening in… Chicago.

Daboll’s work with Allen over the past four seasons has to be Exhibit A in his pitch for a head coach contract, especially as it relates to his ability to play to the good. the best of a young, talented quarterback.

The Bears’ quest to grow Justin Fields into a star is at the heart of this latest reboot. Nothing is more important to an organization’s long-term prospects than working to enable Fields to reach its full potential.

In Buffalo, Daboll has found the answer for the past four years to a similar challenge. Allen was the third quarterback selected in the 2018 draft, which was placed in ninth place after the Cleveland Browns picked Baker Mayfield first, and the New York Jets followed the latter two picks by taking Sam Darnold.

Like Fields, Allen didn’t excel as a rookie. He started 11 games and had 10 touchdown passes, 14 goal passes and a passing index of 67.9. Fields has started 10 games this season with seven TD passes, 15 passes and is ranked 73.2.

However, three years later, Allen had climbed to the top of the NFL quarterback while pushing his team into the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season. He throws 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2020. Both points would break the Bears’ single-season record. Allen follows this season with 4,407 yards and 36 TDs.

At this stage, no one in the league would be surprised if the Bills attended the Super Bowl in four weeks — especially after Saturday night’s game against the Patriots.

Daboll’s fingerprints are all Allen developed. Around the NFL, there was praise for how Daboll not only exploited his quarterback’s greatest strengths, but also worked to polish Allen’s weaknesses, develop his touch and improve improve his understanding in seeing the pitch.

The connection between the two was evident, with Daboll helping Allen build command and ownership over the Bills’ offense while also understanding how to use the team’s weapons to his liking. by Allen.

Allen has praised Daboll as a leader he holds dear. And he has followed Daboll’s upbringing in a way that has produced unbeatable results. The Bills have won the AFC East two years in a row and will face the Cincinnati Bengals or Kansas City Chiefs for a spot in the conference title game on the wire.

Lots of things were on display on Saturday. Bills show how they can be calculated using play action; how can they combine in an effective screen game; how can they establish a reliable running game and stress even a top-level NFL defense in so many different ways. Allen threw 308 yards with 5 touchdown passes. The Bills added 174 yards with Singletary scoring twice.

Now add this to that set of legal notes at Halas Hall: Prior to 2020, the Bills hadn’t won a playoff game since 1995, and for a while it’s been 18 years between playoff appearances. They’ve now had three playoff wins in the past 13 months and seem to have an open window of opportunity to chase a Super Bowl for at least the next four or five years.

Sounds fun right?

Certainly the conversations with Daboll, Frazier and Schoen will provide the Bears with valuable insight into the kind of change they are trying to make again.

But if those Zoom interviews weren’t enough, there’s now a 2 hour 56 minute fireworks show that Halas Hall leaders can watch.

Bill 47, Patriot 17.

Touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, “winning squad”.

“Coach Daboll is tweaking it,” Singletary said.

For what it’s worth, Daboll’s first NFL job was as a quality control coach in New England during Belichick’s first season coaching the Patriots.

So yes, Belichick is a little more than familiar with the man who piloted Saturday’s Bills explosion. Over the years, Belichick has publicly praised Daboll for keeping his offense basically, for understanding the personnel he has to work with, for finding creative or sometimes inventive ways. basis for creating a nonconformity.

On Saturday, Belichick witnessed what it all looks like when it all comes together. And Daboll had a new opportunity to strike while the iron was hot.