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Vikings vs. Rams could crown Coach of the Year

Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams are the perfect representations of a paradoxical 2017 season.

Head coaches Mike Zimmer and Sean McVay have turned teams that missed the playoffs in 2016 into division leaders through the first 10 weeks.

The Rams lead the league in points per game and rank third in points against, while the Vikings allow fewer yards per game and points than all but four teams, and rank 10th in average points scored.

Zimmer has helped turn Case Keenum - a Rams castoff - into a legitimate starting quarterback. Meanwhile, McVay has resurrected the young career of former Keenum predecessor Jared Goff, the league's seventh-best quarterback in terms of passer rating.

Goff was ridiculed throughout the 2016 season after being selected by the Rams with the No. 1 overall pick. He served as Keenum's backup for much of his rookie year (occasionally as the third-string option) and completed just 54.6 percent of his passes in seven appearances, throwing five touchdowns against seven interceptions.

In his first year with the rookie head coach McVay, he's completing 61.2 percent of his passes at 8.49 yards per attempt with 16 touchdowns and four picks. He owns a passer rating of 101.5 - up nearly 40 points from his catastrophic rookie season.

Despite a league-wide need for quarterbacks - both backups and starters - teams weren't lining up to sign Keenum as a free agent this past offseason. This allowed the Vikings to steal him on a one-year, $2-million contract to serve as the backup for Game 1 starter Sam Bradford. When Bradford fell to a knee injury, Keenum was inserted as a placeholder until Teddy Bridgewater returned from the physically unable to perform list.

With Bridgewater active and on the sideline, Keenum is coming off one of his best games of the season under Zimmer in Week 10, completing 21 of 29 passes with four touchdowns against the Washington Redskins. He remains the starter for at least Week 11.

Both the Rams and Vikings have gotten the most out of strong receiving groups. The Vikings' top duo of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs rank third and T-27, respectively, in receiving yards. The Rams have used a trio of new additions in Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, and rookie Cooper Kupp, providing Goff with a variety of weapons.

On the ground, the Vikings lost rookie running back Dalvin Cook - their second-round pick in the 2017 draft - after just four games. Zimmer had to reinsert fourth-year running back Jerick McKinnon as the primary ball-carrier over an inefficient Latavius Murray. McKinnon's playing at the highest level of his career behind an improved offensive line.

McVay has taken advantage of the talent of third-year back Todd Gurley, who ranks fourth in rushing yards and shares the league lead in scores on the ground.

Credit is due to Doug Pederson of the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles, Doug Marrone of the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars, and Sean Payton of the NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints, but it's McVay and Zimmer who have overcome more obstacles, with less help, to turn their teams into legitimate contenders.

The winner of their marquee Week 11 matchup will help one team strengthen its grip on an unlikely division lead, and could give voters enough confidence to pencil in their Coach of the Year selection early.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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