As the Cleveland Browns pummeled the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football in Week 17, it was as if Kevin Stefanski’s odds to win NFL Coach of the Year were shortening in real time.
And apparently, no coach did enough on Sunday to make a dent in his lead.
He started the season at +2300. At the beginning of December, he was sixth on the board at +1100. Before Week 17 kicked off, his odds moved to +150. After the Browns beat the Jets, those odds shortened to -300.
With Week 18 in the books, an 11-6 record and a playoff ticket punched, his odds have shortened to -1000. The Browns’ success has largely been because they signed 38-year old Joe Flacco at quarterback. Flacco, by the way, is surging up the oddsboard in the Comeback Player of the Year race.
Let’s look at the odds.
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR ODDS: *
Kevin Stefanski, Browns: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
DeMeco Ryans, Texans: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Shane Steichen, Colts: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Dan Campbell, Lions: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
John Harbaugh, Ravens: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Sean McVay, Rams: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Mike McDaniel, Dolphins: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Mike Tomlin, Steelers: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)
*odds as of 1/8/2024
After last Thursday’s win, FOX Sports NFL Insider David Helman marveled at what the Browns have done this season amid a rash of injuries at the quarterback position and looked ahead to their postseason possibilities.
“This is the unlikeliest of unlikely stories. The Cleveland Browns are the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs in a year that they needed to start four different quarterbacks.
“The Browns are right up there at the top of the list of teams I don’t think you wanna play.”
Behind Stefanski on the board is Houston coach DeMeco Ryans. His odds to win the award were +1400 last week, but after the Texans defeated the Titans 26-3 on New Year’s Eve, his odds shortened to +900.
Rounding out the top three is Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen, whose odds also shortened after Week 17.
The Colts earned a close 23-20 victory over the Raiders last week, and Steichen’s Coach of the Year odds shortened from +1200 to +1000.
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