theScore's NFL Awards Roundtable: Coach of the Year
The NFL Awards will be handed out on Jan. 31, but theScore's NFL Editors are making a case for the players whom they feel deserve to take home the hardware this season.
theScore's NFL Awards
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Offensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Most Valuable Player
Coach of the Year
Coach of the Year
Bruce Arians, Cardinals
11 wins, 2nd in NFC West
Arians lost five of his ten best players to injury, free agency or suspension (Carson Palmer, Darnell Dockett, Daryl Washington, Karlos Dansby, Andre Ellington) and still dragged his team to 11 wins. Bill Belichick is a better coach and could reasonably win this award annually. But in our narrative-driven world, Arians checks the most boxes and deserves to take home the hardware this year. - David P. Woods
No team faced more adversity this season than the Cardinals and yet, through it all, they managed to finish with one of the best records in the NFC and secure a playoff spot. They didn't make it far in the postseason, but that doesn't erase the tremendous job Arians did in his second year with the team. He was not only able to get the most out of an injury-ridden lineup, but laughed in the face of those who doubted his team. Arizona is in a good position to win the NFC West next season, and Arians is a big reason for that. - Caitlyn Holroyd
What Arians and the Cardinals were able to do despite losing two quarterbacks to injury - in addition to a number of other key players on the roster - was nothing short of incredible. Arians is getting the most out of his players in every phase of the game, and that's what the best coaches do. Had Palmer not gone down, the Cardinals easily could have become the first team in NFL history to reach a Super Bowl played on their home field. - Dan Wilkins
Most teams can't survive losing one starting quarterback, but Arians helped the Cardinals advance to the postseason even when they lost two. The Cards managed 11 wins in tough NFC West after losing an army of significant players to injuries. You could make a case for Jason Garrett or Bill Belichick as well, but no one did more with less than Arians. - Michael Amato
Bill O'Brien, Texans
9 wins, 2nd in AFC South
O'Brien's first year with the Texans was a resounding success, winning seven more games than the two-win Texans did the previous year with largely the same personnel. First overall pick Jadeveon Clowney did next to nothing, but the Texans saw marked improvement, winning four of their last five games. Houston was slated to make the playoffs until Baltimore exploded for 17 points in the fourth quarter of a decisive win against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. O'Brien should be rightfully rewarded for taking the league's worst club to the verge of the playoffs, utilizing a cringe-worthy quarterback carousel. - Arun Srinivasan