The San Francisco 49ers became the first team to clinch their division title in 2022 when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in a 21-13 rout on Thursday Night Football.
In doing so, the 49ers improved to 10-4 on the season and currently stand one game behind the Minnesota Vikings for the second seed in the NFC West, which would guarantee at least two home games in the playoffs, while playing with their third-string quarterback Brock Purdy.
With the impressive seven-game winning streak, despite turnover at quarterback and several injuries, talk has risen about Kyle Shanahan potentially being in the mix for the Coach of the Year award, which would be the first of his career.
Let's evaluate the potential candidates and Shanahan's case for the award.
Potential COY Candidates
Alongside Shanahan, there are several coaches with intriguing cases to win the Coach of the Year(COY) award, with Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni and Dallas's Mike McCarthy leading the charge.
Some coaches, such as New York's Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll, as well as Seattle's Pete Carroll have seen their cases fallen due to team record, while Detroit's Dan Campbell and Jacksonville's Doug Pederson could be late bloomers with recent success.
As for Sirianni, the second-year head coach has been vital in the development of Jalen Hurts, who has become a potential MVP candidate in 2022, bolstering a multi-faceted Eagles offense.
McCarthy maneuvered through a five-game stretch without his starting quarterback, winning four of those games with Cooper Rush as the signal-caller, while holding a strong 10-4 record to date.
Then come the names normally in the mix, such as Kansas City's Andy Reid and Buffalo's Sean McDermott, who have shown continued success despite some roster turnover and injuries.
Minnesota's Kevin O'Connell could be a potential candidate as well, given the team's successful year, but the Vikings have generated just a +2 point differential on the season, despite their 11-3 season.
Shanahan's case
However, while all of those names are certainly ones to watch in the Coach of the Year race, none have experienced the changes that Kyle Shanahan has encountered, specifically at the quarterback position.
Shanahan has been a successful playcaller all season, but his team struggled to execute at times, leading to inefficient and stagnant offensive performances. However, with the addition of Christian McCaffrey, the six-year head coach has delved deep into his arsenal, dialing up creative looks and scheming open receivers better than ever, potentially, while dealing with a rookie seventh-round pick at quarterback.
As always, Shanahan has dealt with a flurry of injuries this season, but has adjusted accordingly, especially of late, which is why his team overcame a slow 3-4 start to win seven straight games and secure a playoff spot.
In the offseason, Shanahan convinced former NFL quarterback Brian Griese to join his staff, who appears to have been integral, not only in the development of Brock Purdy, but with the increased efficiency of Jimmy Garoppolo, who has significantly cut down his turnover rate.
This season, the offensive guru has begun to prove how effective his offensive playcalling can be, having worked through three quarterbacks and seeing success with each in periods of time, while making the necessary adjustments to work through each player's skillset.
Now, the former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator is leading the charge for one of the NFL's hottest teams, with his case for Coach of the Year increasing by the week.
Verdict
At the moment, it appears the race is fixated on five coaches: Nick Sirianni, Kyle Shanahan, Mike McCarthy, Andy Reid, and Sean McDermott, which comes as no coincidence, given the records of their respective teams.
It seems that Sirianni is currently the favorite for the award, given the significant jump from a fringe playoff contender in 2021 to a likely No. 1 seed in 2022, as well as the development of Jalen Hurts.
But, there's certainly a case to be made for each of the five coaches listed, with their respective teams having a strong chance to make playoff runs in January.