NFL Coach of the Year 2020: 5 Best candidates after 11 weeks

If the Las Vegas Raiders had swept the Chiefs for the first time since 2012, I’d have considered putting Jon Gruden at No. 1, but instead, he’s third on this list. A lot of people raised their eyebrows when the Raiders brought Gruden in on a 10-year deal despite him not coaching in over a decade, but he’s showing that it wasn’t a boneheaded decision.

The Raiders had mostly disappointed in Gruden’s first two years, but we’re seeing now in year three what a Gruden-led Raiders team can look like and the answer is pretty dang good. Vegas narrowly knocked off the Chiefs for the second time this past weekend and if they had been able to do so, would have moved within a game of the AFC West.

Instead, the Raiders lost and they’re likely looking at a Wild Card berth, but that’s still a big win for Gruden. He’s made Derek Carr look MVP-worthy this year and has an incredible offensive line, which paves way for Carr to throw from a clean pocket and for Josh Jacobs to run roughshod over opponents.

Once Gruden gets a defense to his liking, the Raiders will be a really good team. It doesn’t look like this team is far from figuring it out and if they make the playoffs, Gruden most definitely deserves to be considered for Coach of the Year.