Examining Broncos' Outlook for Coach of the Year Awards

Sean Payton and Vance Joseph should figure into the Coach of the Year awards, but who are the favorites?

Oct 8, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Peyton interacts with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in fourth quarter against the New York Jets at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos are having a better season than most predicted before the season started. Las Vegas set its over/under on Broncos wins set at 5.5, and Denver is already sitting at 6-5 with six games left, hitting the over.

The Broncos have players to thank for that success, and also coaches. Sean Payton has played a large part in getting the Broncos where they are and ahead of their rebuilding schedule, even though he hasn't been perfect his year. Vance Joseph also deserves enormous credit for what he has done with the defense, which has been one of the best units in the NFL this season.

So, the question arises: can Payton win the Head Coach of the Year award, and Joseph bring home the Assistant Coach of the Year accolade? 

For Payton, the answer is unlikely. Other coaches are having a great season, and Mike Tomlin is the front-runner, according to DraftKings, and for good reason.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' performance has been one of the biggest surprises this season, even as they couldn’t go with their original starting quarterback to start the season. The Steelers are tied for the second-best record in the AFC with the Buffalo Bills. 

Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions is the second favorite. His Lions look like the best offense in the NFL and have overcome a significant injury to their defense.

Campbell has his team leading the NFC at 9-1, tied for the best record in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, where Andy Reid currently holds the seventh-best odds for Coach of the Year. 

Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings, Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers, Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals, and  Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders rank No. 3 through No. 6 in the odds of winning the award. Payton comes in with the eighth-best odds, and while that could change, it'll be unlikely for him to jump to being the favorite. 

Oct 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph calls out in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

As for Joseph and the Assistant Coach of the Year award, he has a good shot at it. While I couldn't find any odds for the award, there are a few other names that seem up there for the prize.

The award has only been around for 10 years, and six of the winners have been defensive coordinators. So where does Joseph stand?

Well, he should be the third favorite for the award. Jesse Minter, the defensive coordinator for the Chargers, and Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Lions, should be the two frontrunners. 

Minter has turned the Chargers defense from a laughing stock to one of the best units this season. The Chargers have stepped up significantly, no matter the quality of the quarterbacks they play.

The Chargers have just one game where they allowed more than 21 points, with four games allowing more than 14 points. Even as L.A. has dealt with some injuries over the season, it has continued to step up and play stout defense. 

Johnson is the favorite for the job, though. His Lions offense is the best in the NFL, and things are clicking in every phase.

Detroit has more games scoring 50-plus points than it does scoring under 20. The Lions lead the NFL in average points per game, ahead of the second-place team by 3.2 points.

Bottom Line

Joseph's work has been outstanding this season, and he should be in the running for the award. However, he likely falls short through no fault of his own.

Minter and Johnson have done a better job with their respective units, and while they have more talent to work with than Joseph does, that gets ignored when the votes are cast. It's a shame because if that were factored in, it would be hard to argue against Joseph being the favorite, and the same goes for Payton. 

---

Follow Denver Broncos On SI/Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!