Three and Out: Coach of the Year reconsidered, Anzalone's impact and marveling at Gibbs' rapid ascension
Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 31-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Re-assessing the vote
Coach of the Year, regardless of the league, has always felt more about exceeding expectations than strictly being the best coach. That's why I felt going into Sunday night Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell was the logical front-runner for the award.
Remember, the Vikings were projected to win seven games this season. And that was before they lost first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy. Regardless, O’Connell worked his magic with Sam Darnold, the QB equivalent of an afterthought after failing to amount to much in five seasons with the Jets and Panthers before serving as a backup in San Francisco the previous season.
The fact O’Connell turned Darnold into a Pro Bowl-caliber passer and squeezed 14 wins out of a team many thought was entering a rebuild is beyond impressive. If I had one of the 50 votes for the award heading into the season finale, I wouldn’t have hesitated to cast my ballot for the Vikings coach.
O’Connell’s status as front-runner left Dan Campbell as the logical runner-up, even though his team had somehow managed to exceed its lofty preseason expectations while navigating unprecedented injuries on the defensive side. Had the Lions faded following the loss of six starters, including the early-season leader for Defensive Player of the Year, fans would have been frustrated but understanding.
But, as the Lions like to preach in their building, the standard is the standard. That was impressed upon the roster — what was left of it after the injury bug feasted — and they answered the bell. Now, following a season-ending thrashing of the Vikings for the division crown and the conference’s No. 1 seed, I’m willing to reconsider.