With good cause, Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings is the front-runner to earn the NFL Coach of the Year title this season.
Few predicted the Vikings would have a genuine chance of qualifying for the playoffs going into this season, particularly after rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy had a season-ending injury before Week 1.
With a 12-2 record, the Vikings suddenly have a chance to win the NFC North title when Sam Darnold, who had been written off as a bust, took over as quarterback and played brilliantly.
On “The Dan Patrick Show,” O’Connell stated that if he were unable to vote for himself in the Coach of the Year voting, he would support either Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers or Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions.
With 3,530 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, and a 104.9 passer rating through 14 games, Darnold has produced the kind of season that few believed he was capable of. In a Week 14 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, he also threw five touchdown passes.
The addition of running back Aaron Jones, a former Green Bay Packers regular who has ran for 979 yards and five touchdowns and added 39 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns, has also helped Minnesota.
On defense, where it is currently ranked fourth after finishing 13th in that metric the previous season, the club may be even more unexpected.
The NFC North has changed from appearing to be a one-team race to a two-team contest between the Lions and Minnesota due to the Lions’ major injuries to players on both sides of the football field. If the Lions win the contest, O’Connell might earn Coach of the Year.