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Brian Daboll
Chicago Bears

Is Brian Daboll Bears Fans’ Top Choice For Head Coach?

  • Bryan Perez
  • January 18, 2022
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It shouldn’t be surprising that Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has jumped to the lead in the eyes of public opinion as the top candidate to fill the vacant head coaching position for the Chicago Bears. After the Bills’ thrashing of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in the NFL wild-card round, Daboll’s stock is as high as it's ever been. Buffalo won the game, 47-17, in what was essentially a showcase of the superstar that quarterback Josh Allen’s become. And for Daboll, it’s the first and most persuasive exhibit in his case for the Bears gig. Allen, much like Chicago’s Justin Fields, entered the NFL as a high-profile first-round pick who was viewed as a raw but supremely talented player. Under Daboll’s tutelage, Allen has become arguably the league’s most impressive quarterback. https://twitter.com/BryanPerezNFL/status/1482530478842392579?s=20 So, of course, it makes sense that Bears fans want Daboll to do for Fields what he’s done for Allen. I decided to run a poll on Twitter to gauge whether Daboll was, in fact, the fan base’s top choice, and to no surprise, he is. Believe it or not, Daboll is a significantly more desired coach than Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and former Miami Dolphins coach, Brian Flores. https://twitter.com/BryanPerezNFL/status/1483091494554767370?s=20 Daboll was named the Bills’ offensive coordinator in January 2018, the same year the team drafted Allen with the seventh-overall pick. Allen started 11 games his rookie season and produced numbers comparable to what we saw from Fields in 2021. Allen completed just 52.8% of his passes and threw 10 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions. Fields, meanwhile, completed 58.9% of his passes this season with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 10 starts. Eerily similar, right? What Allen’s been able to do since 2018 is nothing short of remarkable. His completion percentage improved every season before this year’s slight regression, and over the last two years, he’s thrown for nearly 9,000 yards and 73 touchdowns. The Bills’ offense has taken advantage of Allen’s athleticism too, using him as a legitimate rushing option. He’s scored 31 rushing touchdowns in just four seasons, all of which Daboll’s been calling plays for. It’s easy to get excited about the potential Fields has in Daboll’s system. It’s true he doesn’t have the same kind of arm talent Allen possesses, but it’s also accurate to say he may be a better pure runner. The only thing Fields is lacking is a play-caller who can put him in a situation to take advantage of his rare blend of passing and rushing ability. Daboll’s already proven he’ll be able to do that. Is it possible the Bills put up a stinker on offense in the divisional round against the Kansas City Chiefs? Of course. And in the ‘not for long’ nature of the NFL, it’s also possible that Bears fans jump from the Daboll bandwagon if that happens. But much like one game doesn’t make or break a player’s career, it doesn't make or break a coach’s, either.  The evidence and history of success Daboll’s had with Allen is all the Bears should be focused on because let’s face it: this coaching decision is all about Fields. And that’s why Daboll continues to trend as the candidate who will eventually rise above the rest.

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Bryan Perez