NFL Odds: Did DeMeco Ryans Win Coach of the Year Last Night? - originally posted on Sportslens.com
The Houston Texans were one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2022. At one point during that abysmal season, they were 1-12-1 and appeared directionless, with Davis Mills leading them from the quarterback position and Lovie Smith as the head coach. But that bottom-end finish gave Houston the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 Draft, and they paired rookie quarterback CJ Stroud with the leader who might be named Coach of the Year, and are now sitting at the doorstep of their first division title since 2019.
NFL: Texans Coach Has Strong Case For The Award
The #Texans locker room with CJ Stroud and DeMeco Ryans running in together is awesome.
(h/t @JomboyMedia) pic.twitter.com/4HvW00lXAq https://t.co/elrLLiDKD5
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 7, 2024
DeMeco Ryans spent some of his most productive years as a player in a Houston Texans uniform. He took a couple of years off from the game when he retired in 2015, but found his way onto the 49ers’ coaching staff in 2017 and worked his way up to defensive coordinator by 2021. He lasted two years at the position, as he became one of the hottest names in NFL head coaching circles after bringing San Francisco’s defense up to being one of the best in the league.
It was the Texans who chose Ryans to be the leader of their franchise, and they are sure glad that they did.
In just his first year at the helm, Ryans has helped Houston improve their record by 7 wins. With their Week 18 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans assure themselves a spot in the AFC playoff picture, and would even be named the winners of the AFC South should the Jaguars come up short against the Titans on Sunday.
It is quite the impressive turnaround, and has Ryans as the outright leader to win the NFL Coach of the Year award for 2023.
Two Man Race Between Stefanski And Ryans
BREAKING
The Houston Texans have made the playoffs in the first year of DeMeco Ryans pic.twitter.com/3QWrv4URGk
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) January 7, 2024
He was always in consideration, he just was never the favorite. Guys like Dan Campbell, Mike McDaniel, and Kevin Stefanski have graced the top of the odds leaderboards at different times throughout the season, thanks to their team’s successes at different points in the schedule. But it now appears to be a two-man race, as the award will be given to a leader of an AFC team.
Campbell led his Detroit Lions to their first division title since 1993, but his number is all the way back at +2500. Instead it is Stefanski and Ryans who are at the top of the board as the season comes to a close, and which is the favorite has flipped multiple times in just the last hour.
At the time of writing, the Browns’ head coach was listed as the favorite at -130, with Ryans coming in not far behind at +100. Just twenty minutes prior, Ryans was the outright odds’ leader.
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