It remains to be seen if the 2020 NFL season will be played in its entirety, as the coronavirus pandemic can throw a wrench in the league’s plans at the drop of a hat.
But as it stands, the NFL is set to play a complete 16-game regular season with a full playoff schedule and a Super Bowl. Assuming this plan stays intact, there will be awards handed out for the upcoming season and wagers will be placed on said honors.
Let’s take a look at one of the more under-the-radar awards: NFL Coach of the Year. Below are the prices on all 32 coaches to take home the hardware, followed by the best bet in each conference.
Bruce Arians, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +1200
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots: +1200
Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys: +1300
Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers: +1600
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns: +1800
Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins: +2000
John Harbaugh Baltimore Ravens: +2000
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills: +2000
Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints, +2000
Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts: +2000
Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs: +2000
Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans: +2000
Vic Fangio, Denver Broncos: +2500
Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals: +2500
Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams: +2500
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers: +2500
Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks: +2800
Anthony Lynn, Los Angeles Chargers: +2800
Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles: +2800
Zak Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals: +2800
Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings: +2800
Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers: +3000
Ron Rivera, Washington Football Team: +3000
Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears: +3300
Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons: +3300
Jon Gruden, Las Vegas Raiders: +4000
Joe Judge, New York Giants: +4000
Bill O’Brien, Houston Texans: +4000
Matt Patricia, Detroit Lion: +4000
Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers: +4000
Adam Gase, New York Jets: +5000
Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars: +5000
AFC: Doug McDemott, +2000
The Bills took a nice step in the right direction last season, posting a 10-6 regular-season record that earned Buffalo a Wild Card spot. It marked the first double-digit win total for the Bills since 1999, and the Houston Texans needed overtime to take down Buffalo this past January.
There’s no reason to believe the Bills won’t build off that success in 2020. The bulk of its stout defense is returning this season, and the front office went out and got Josh Allen a new top-flight target in Stefon Diggs, who’s logged over 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. Allen also is entering his third NFL season, which is often when quarterbacks make “the jump.”
An AFC East title would put McDermott in great position to win Coach of the Year, and that’s a distinct possibility. The New England Patriots, who’ve won the division in all but two seasons dating back to 2001, underwent significant changeover to both its roster and coaching staff over the offseason. This facelift, of course, was highlighted by the departure of Tom Brady, and there are plenty of question marks surrounding new projected starting QB Cam Newton.
The Bills have the pieces in place to be one of the better teams in the AFC this season. Should they live up this potential, McDermott very well could be recognized.
NFC: Doug Pederson, +2800
Pederson probably should have been in the mix for Coach of the Year last season. The Eagles managed to overcome a slew of critical injuries and win the NFC East title for the second time in three seasons.
Barring another bombardment of ailments, Philadelphia is shaping up to be a playoff contender once again in 2020. The Eagles have the advantage of a manageable regular-season schedule, as only five of their opponents on the docket reached the playoffs in 2019. Philly also is set to play some of those tougher opponents — the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints — at home.
We probably should expect to see a highly motivated Carson Wentz this season. Despite Wentz being largely impressive over his first four campaigns when healthy, the Eagles still elected to use a second-round pick on Jalen Hurts. But even if Hurts, for whatever reason, replaces Wentz during the season, Pederson’s Coach of the Year prospects could be heightened if the Alabama product performs well.
So if you’re looking for good value with a wager for this award, the guy who led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history — in just his second year on the job, no less — probably is worth a look.
