Kevin O’Connell, Sam Darnold and Brian Flores could be heading to New Orleans, after all.
The Vikings head coach, quarterback and defensive coordinator were among the 40 finalists named Thursday for eight of the league’s most prestigious awards, which will be presented on Feb. 6 at the NFL Honors ceremony in New Orleans, site of Super Bowl LIX.
The awards are coordinated by the Associated Press and voted on by 50 members of the media from around the country, including this reporter. Ballots were turned in before the playoffs began.
O’Connell is considered a favorite for NFL Coach of the Year as he shocked the league by overcoming all outside expectations and winning 14 games with Darnold as his quarterback. But the competition is stiff with Detroit’s Dan Campbell, Denver’s Sean Payton, Washington’s Dan Quinn and Kansas City’s Andy Reid also finalists.
• Campbell clinched Detroit’s first No. 1 seed and 15-win season while beating O’Connell twice.
• Payton reached the playoffs with Bo Nix, the last of six rookie first-round quarterbacks selected.
• Quinn went worst-to-first in his division, boosted Washington’s win total by eight and did it all with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
• Reid won 15 games, going 11-0 in one-score games, while under the pressure of trying to become the first coach to threepeat as Super Bowl champion. Reid has never won the award as Chiefs coach.