Breaking Down the 2020-21 NFL Coach of the Year Contenders
Despite all that has happened in 2020, it seems (tentatively at least) that the NFL season will happen on schedule. And this means that we can all officially begin our speculation about which players will thrive, which will slump, and anything else happening in the football season.
One topic that is already gaining discussion is which coach will wind up being the Coach of the Year. It isn’t just about having the best team; it is about who gets the most out of their team by the end of the year.
The odds below are presented by Unibet Betting New Jersey and are set based on how things ended last season and how the offseason went for each coach and their team.
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots (+1000)
The early favorite for Coach of the Year has taught us time and again not to doubt him. This year will be his first without Tom Brady since 2000 as the Hall of Fame quarterback has gone south. Still, Belichick has made his name out of getting the most out of players who don’t catch the eye so doubting him still may be an unwise decision to make.
With questions about how good new quarterback Jared Stidham will be, there is a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the New England franchise. Still, if anyone is going to lead them to surprising results, it will be Coach Belichick.
Bruce Arians, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1400)
Meet everyone’s new favorite. With the acquisition of former Patriots Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski, the Bucs seem poised to make a leap in 2020-21. Arians will be heading the ship and is known to work well with quarterbacks.
It will be interesting to see if Brady, who is over 40, still has the magic or if this will be a last hurrah that burns out before it gets started. If anyone is going to get a couple of good last years out of Brady, it will be Arians.
Kyle Shanahan, Washington Redskins (+1600)
Seemingly every year, the Redskins appear to be one of the worst teams in the league on paper. Yet last season, they were a tough out and rarely went down without a fight, surpassing the low expectations set forth.
This year, Shanahan has young quarterback Dwayne Haskins back and now has a franchise edge-rusher in Chase Young to bolster an already strong defense. The NFC East continues to be the division that is seemingly always up for grabs and a hot streak from the Redskins could see them make a surprise run.
With expectations low for this season, Shanahan and the Redskins could sneak up on people and make a late-season push for a playoff spot, especially with the league adding another playoff spot in each conference.
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills (+2000)
The hopes are the highest in Buffalo that they have been in nearly 25 years. Coming off of their second playoff appearance in three years after missing for 17 straight years, the Bills are the clear favorites to win the AFC East with Brady leaving New England.
McDermott, a defensive specialist, returns a top-five defense largely intact and adds a few strong pieces to the mix. With the addition of a legitimate #1 receiver in Stefon Diggs, quarterback Josh Allen now has all the tools that he needs to make a huge leap forward in year three.
The Bills are one of the bright young teams in the entire league and with McDermott leading them, could be ready for big things in 2020-21. That could mean Coach of the Year honors for McDermott when it’s all over.
