Harbaugh Now Favored To Win Coach Of The Year, McDermott Closely Trails

While the odds to win the NFL MVP and Rookie of the Year awards seem like clear-cut races, the showdown for Coach of the Year is wide open. Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott actually started the week as the favorite on the Coach of the Year odds but now John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens have moved into the pole position. Even Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers isn’t far behind. Which is the best bet to win this award?

JOHN HARBAUGH, BALTIMORE RAVENS
ODDS: +125

Harbaugh started the week behind McDermott but it’s starting to feel like if the Ravens win-out, which they’ll be favored to do, and the Buffalo Bills lose this weekend at the New England Patriots, Harbaugh will be the best choice.

The Harbaugh candidacy is hurt a little bit by the reality that Lamar Jackson will win NFL MVP. Jackson’s remarkable brilliance is likely to remain the primary source of the Ravens’ dominance and success, so that could chip away here. However, it looks like Harbaugh is going to win the coach of the year award if the Bills lose. The 49ers did their part by losing to the Atlanta Falcons last week. They also have a really tough game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17. Harbaugh seems to have the easiest path to the award.

SEAN MCDERMOTT, BUFFALO BILLS
ODDS: +200

The head coach of the Buffalo Bills had a great Week 15 as his team won in Pittsburgh to nail down both a 10-win season and a playoff spot. The Bills have not won 10 games in a regular season in two decades, so that certainly boosts McDermott’s chances. More than that, however, the San Francisco 49ers unexpectedly stumbled against the Atlanta Falcons, endangering the Niners’ chances of winning the NFC West. It is reasonable to say that if the Bills can beat the New England Patriots this coming Saturday and the 49ers fail to win the NFC West, this is McDermott’s award to lose. The question is can McDermott lead his team to victory? The Bills have never beaten the Patriots at Gillette Stadium (0-15) when Tom Brady plays all four quarters. If they can pull it off this week, McDermott could take the award.

KYLE SHANAHAN, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
ODDS: +500

The real question at the heart of the Coach of the Year race is this: What if the Bills beat the Patriots but the 49ers do beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17 to win the NFC West and get a first-round bye in the playoffs? The Bills and 49ers would have both exceeded expectations and both teams would have climbed higher than anyone could have realistically imagined before the season began. San Francisco’s loss to Atlanta was surprising, but all three of their losses this season were on the last play of the game.

If this team finishes 13-3, it will get the top seed in the NFC due to its head-to-head wins over the Saints and Packers. He’ll have a case but he probably needs the Bills and Ravens stumble in the final two weeks.

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