Kevin Stefanski’s Coach of the Year Odds Steadily Improving – Can He Get Enough from Browns to Win the Award?
- Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns is currently getting +1600 odds to win the NFL Coach of the Year Award
- Stefanski opened at +2000. Should you get action on him before the price goes any lower?
- Analysis of the contenders for this award and tips on which way to play this wager follow in the ensuing story
There’s plenty of buzz in NFL circles about Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns, which immediately brings up a salient point.
Hasn’t everyone been there and done that where the Browns are concerned? Wasn’t it just a year ago that they were pegged destiny’s darlings, only to do a Week 1 pratfall and continue to persistently underachieve all season long?
What’s that you say? These are the new-look Browns? Everything’s going to be different this time around.
Oh, okay.
What was it that George W Bush said? Something about fool me once, fool me twice, and you won’t fool me again?
Evidently, W wasn’t a Browns fan. No surprise there, though. There generally aren’t a lot of Ws associated with the Browns.
Browns fans are once again gulping the Kool-Aid where the city’s football team is concerned.
There’s big hype building about new Cleveland head coach Stefanski and the NFL Coach of the Year Award. Already, since opening odds were released in early April, Stefanski’s average betting line across leading sportsbooks has improved from +2000 to +1600 in the NFL COY odds.
Stefanski is at odds of +1800 in the table below.
Bruce Arians of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots are the +1200 co-favorites to win this award.
2020 NFL COY Odds
| Coach (Team) | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Bruce Arians (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) | +1200 |
| Bill Belichick (New England Patriots) | +1200 |
| Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys) | +1300 |
| Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers) | +1600 |
| Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns) | +1800 |
| Brian Flores (Miami Dolphins) | +2000 |
| John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens) | +2000 |
| Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills) | +2000 |
| Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints) | +2000 |
| Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts) | +2000 |
| Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs) | +2000 |
| Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans) | +2000 |
Odds as of Aug. 13
The only Browns head coach to win NFL COY honors was Forrest Gregg in 1976.
Stefanski Rocks Browns
Everyone associated with the Browns is saying the right things. Stefanski is being billed as a great communicator and a much better play caller than Freddie Kitchens.
Let’s be honest. Calling plays better than the constantly confused Kitchens is a low bar to clear.
Kevin Stefanski with high praise for @bakermayfield 💪 pic.twitter.com/KOsgPnmYKl
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 8, 2020
Stefanski journeyed to Austin, Texas to meet with Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. He later talked up Mayfield as having done the work. Last season, Mayfield was 14th in passing yardage (3827), 17th in touchdown passes (22) and second in interceptions (21).
One or Done
Stefanski faces a tall task to fill a coach of the year order. Since 2009, there have only been two paths to follow to the NFL COY. Either guide your team to a division title, or be Arians.
To win the AFC North, Stefanski’s Brown must topple the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL’s best regular-season team a year ago at 14-2. Granted, one of those losses was to Cleveland, so there’s that.
Bruce Arians says making this season happen is going to take a lot of discipline. He personally plans to spend all of his time in the office and at home.
— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) July 28, 2020
As for Arians, he won the NFL COY with the Arizona Cardinals (2014) and Indianapolis Colts (2012) while earning wildcard postseason spots with both teams. As Tom Brady’s coach in Tampa Bay, if Arians can get the Buccaneers to the playoffs, he just might join Chuck Knox as the only coaches to be NFL COY with three different teams.
Don’t count the hoodie out of the reckoning. If Belichick guides the New England Patriots to another AFC East title minus Brady, he can officially put the title of genius on his business cards.
To Be Frank, This Is The Play
A team coming off a bad year and a coach and taking them to great heights is the tried and true formula to win NFL COY. It worked last season for Baltimore’s John Harbaugh, for Chicago’s Matt Nagy in 2018 and for Sean McVay of the 2017 Los Angeles Rams.
Class is in session. 📚 #ColtsCamp pic.twitter.com/xxiuJbw9yB
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 11, 2020
Sure, Stefanski fits this mold but you know who else works as a value play? Frank Reich. Coming off a 7-9 season, the Colts upgraded at QB (Philip Rivers) and along the DL ( DeForest Buckner).
Indy could win the AFC South. If the Colts do that, then Reich rules as NFL COY.
Pick: Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts (+2000)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
