Coach of the year race is wide open

This year, plenty of conversation has focused on the race for MVP, which seems to still have no clear favorite. When it comes to coach of the year, the contest is even more wide open.

There are many candidates who, depending on the final 15 days of the season, could take the prize that, very loosely, goes to the coach whose team most dramatically exceeds its generally-accepted expectations entering the season.

Here's a list of candidates, in no order other than the manner in which the eight divisions of the NFL are wired into my brain.

1. Bills coach Sean McDermott: His candidacy would flow from the idea that the team bottomed out and then he turned it around, sparked by the firing of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. It felt at the time that Dorsey was a scapegoat. It ended up being the best move McDermott could have made.

2. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel: The most authentic coach the NFL has seen since perhaps Jerry Glanville, McDaniel is who he is and he wants his players to be who they. What they are, working under his guidance, is a team that could end up with the top seed in the AFC. Most expected the Dolphins to be good this year; not many expected them to be great.

3. Ravens coach John Harbaugh: With a brand-new offense and not a lot of star power on defense, the Ravens are making a run at the No. 1 seed. If they beat the 49ers on Monday night, Harbaugh might just clinch it.

4. Bengals coach Zac Taylor: His case took a hit last night in Pittsburgh, when backup quarterback Jake Browning's magical run morphed into a pumpkin, like many backup quarterbacks after four or five games. With the playoffs suddenly a longshot, Taylor is an even longer shot to win coach of the year.

5. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski: He's the first Browns coach since Marty Schottenheimer in the 1980s to have a pair of winning seasons. This year, Stefanski has gotten it done not with a wire-to-wire starter but with non-stop quarterback injuries and turmoil. He has started FOUR different quarterbacks this season, winning at least one game with each one. Stefanski also lost running back Nick Chubb in Week 2. His hiring of Jim Schwartz, who wasn't a hot candidate in a cycle that had a few of them, to run the defense was a stroke of genius.

6. Colts coach Shane Steichen: What's wrong with the Eagles' offense this year? They miss Steichen, who had more to do with the performance of the unit last year than Eagles coach Nick Sirianni would ever admit. This year, without quarterback Anthony Richardson, the Colts have kept going and going and they could be going to the playoffs as the unlikely AFC South champions.

7. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans: Before the season, the one team in the AFC that seemed to have no shot at making the playoffs was the Texans. Now, they're 8-6 and in a three-way tie atop the AFC South. He brought a culture of winning and added just the right pieces to turn things around. Dramatically.

8. Broncos coach Sean Payton: He has given the Broncos and quarterback Russell Wilson the shock to the system that both needed. And the Broncos still have an outside shot to get to the playoffs. If they get there, Payton should get some votes.

9. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy: If they take the fifth seed (as expected), that won't be good enough. If they somehow swipe the division title, maybe he gets a little consideration.

10. Lions coach Dan Campbell: He's been the betting favorite for most of the year (and possibly now; I didn't check). Will a division title and the third seed in the NFC be enough to overcome what was expected? If they had gotten the top seed, yes. As third fiddle to the 49ers and the NFC East champion, no.

11. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell: Win the last three, and win the division (if the Lions lose next Saturday in Dallas). That makes O'Connell a fringe candidate, who like Stefanksi has started four different quarterbacks and held it all together, more often than not. Also, the defense is dramatically better than it was in 2022, thanks to O'Connell's faith in Brian Flores.

12. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles: Although the division has a none-of-the-above feel to it, Bowles has stabilized the Bucs in the first year post-Tommy. If the Bucs win the division, ideally by winning out at getting to 10-7, he should at least get a vote or two or more.

13. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan: Shanahan's annual candidacy has been dragged down by the Bill Belichick dynamic. We expect greatness. When he gives us greatness, it doesn't get our attention. This year, it should. The 49ers are the best team in the NFL, largely because Shanahan has finally perfected his formula.

14. Rams coach Sean McVay: This was supposed to be another year of paying the bill for the Super Bowl LVI championship. It could end up being an unlikely run for another Super Bowl appearance. The playoffs are within McVay's grasp. And a memorable postseason run could follow. It would be a dramatic turn of events, given that McVay was considering walking away after 2022.

15. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll: Although he most likely won't win, he needs to at least be mentioned. He has turned the post-Russ Seahawks into competitors. And his latest win over the Eagles has resuscitated Seattle's playoff chances. He needs to at least be mentioned in the list that nearly takes up half of the entire league.