Liam Coen has his Jaguars absolutely cooking right now, sitting at a shocking 6-2 record after nine weeks and leading the AFC South. This isn’t just a flash in the pan either, with Jacksonville ranking second in scoring defense and fifth in rushing defense, showing they’re built to win tough games. If you’re looking at who’s making noise for Coach of the Year, Coen’s name is surging big time, totally blowing past preseason expectations.
The Surprising Starts: Jags Dominate, Browns Grind
It’s not just Coen making an unexpected splash. Over in Cleveland, Kevin Monken’s Browns are rocking a 5-4 record in his first year, which is flat-out surprising given they only average 17.4 points per game. But don’t sleep on them, they’re 2-1 in the division with huge wins over Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Yeah, they dropped one to the Steelers in their second meeting, but for a team not putting up huge points, finding ways to win is what matters. These guys are showing that coaching really does make the difference when you’re exceeding expectations like this.
Niners Rolling Over Everyone, Including Our Hawks
While other teams are surprising, some are just flat-out dominant. The 49ers, through nine weeks, look like the best team in the league. They’re sitting pretty at 7-1, and yeah, that includes wins over the Rams, Broncos, *and our very own Seattle Seahawks*. That stings a bit, but you can’t deny their play. Brock Purdy is playing at an MVP level, slinging 17 touchdowns so far, and San Francisco is third in points per game with 29.4 while only giving up 19.5 points, good for sixth in the league. They’re a machine, and the entire league has definitely noticed what they’re doing on both sides of the ball.
Harbaugh Back in the Lead, Bears Find a Spark
Meanwhile, John Harbaugh opened the season as the +600 favorite for Coach of the Year, and after some shifts, he’s back on top, with his odds shortening all the way to +135 from +1200 over the last three weeks. Over in the NFC East, the Giants are actually sitting atop the standings with a 5-2-1 record, even after losing starting quarterback Jaxson Dart for the season early in Week 2. Talk about overcoming adversity! And for Johnson’s Bears, they were struggling big time without Caleb Williams, but now he’s back, and they’ve totally turned it around. Chicago is on a four-game winning streak going into Week 10. This award usually goes to coaches who engineer major turnarounds or take a franchise to the next level, and these guys are making strong cases as the season heats up.
With November in full swing, these coaches aren’t just putting up good records, they’re defining their teams’ seasons. Every snap, every game, it’s all about building towards something bigger. You know we’ll be watching every step of the way to see who keeps their momentum going.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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