Sean McVay Part of Crowded Coach of the Year Race
Relative to preseason expectations, not too many teams have been more surprising in 2023 than the Los Angeles Rams.
Granted, quarterback Matthew Stafford and defensive tackle Aaron Donald have stayed healthier in 2023 than they did a year ago. Rookie receiver Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Williams have emerged as stars.
But the Rams are still a top-heavy roster that's being retooled, and coach Sean McVay has them at 8-7 and in playoff position with two regular season games remaining. A year after the Rams went 5-12, it's undeniable how good of a job McVay has done for the Rams.
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However, McVay still faces an uphill battle to win Coach of the Year for the second time in his career from an odds perspective. Entering play Sunday, McVay had +2500 odds to win Coach of the Year, with eight coaches ahead of him. Granted, the Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday, so Zac Taylor -- who had +2220 odds entering Week 16 -- will probably dip below McVay in the next update. But McVay still has to surpass seven other coaches with strong cases.
- Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts (+280): Despite losing first-round pick Anthony Richardson to season-ending shoulder surgery in mid-October, Steichen has the Colts in the thick of things for the AFC South title. Also, it probably doesn't hurt Steichen that the Philadelphia Eagles have badly missed him as offensive coordinator.
- Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions (+300): There were some scoffs after his introductory press conference, but Campbell has effectively built a culture of kneecap biters. The Lions entered their tilt Sunday with the Minnesota Vikings at 10-4, needing only a win over their division rivals to clinch their first division title since 1993.
- DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (+380): Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner C.J. Stroud deserves a ton of credit for Houston being in playoff contention, but so does Ryans. This is a team that's in the AFC playoff race on Christmas Eve, after having won just 11 games the last three seasons combined.
- Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins (+750): Obviously, having receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at his disposal doesn't hurt, but McDaniel has built the perfect offense for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and running back Raheem Mostert to thrive in. Whether he wins this award or not, the Dolphins are on track to win their first AFC East title since 2008 -- McDaniel deserves to be mentioned among the very best coaches in the sport.
- Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns (+800): Stefanski's seat might have been warm entering the season, but he's done a tremendous job to keep the Browns in the playoff picture despite a musical chairs situation at quarterback. Stefanski previously won the award in 2020.
- Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers (+900): The work that Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have done building a team full of superstars might work against his case for this award, but there's a strong argument to be made that he's the best coach in the sport today. He knows what type of player he wants, and how to maximize their potential. The only thing missing from his resume is a Super Bowl.
- John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens (+2000): While there are serious questions about the futures of Bill Belichick in New England and Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, Year 16 in Baltimore has gone swimmingly for Harbaugh. The Ravens entered Week 16 in control of the top spot in the AFC playoff picture. Amazingly, he has never won the award.
Perhaps the biggest issue for McVay's case is there isn't a sexy narrative to this story. McVay is doing a great job, but he was already viewed as one of the league's elite coaches entering the season.
He's arguably gotten the roster to overachieve, but the Rams still have their starting quarterback intact and wouldn't be ending a long playoff drought if they clinch a postseason spot in the coming weeks. Right or wrong, there's a lot of groupthink in voting for these awards, and McVay might not have enough of a narrative around him to gain the momentum needed to win.
