Every Tuesday, MDS and I hand out a variety of awards for the week that was during an extra-long episode of #PFTPM. The prizes include a pair of coaches of the week -- and for Week Seven they are Saints coach Sean Payton and Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
MDS selected Payton, who has pushed the Saints to a 5-0 record without franchise quarterback Drew Brees, presided over a New Orleans annihilation of the Bears absent Brees or running back Alvin Kamara or tight end Jared Cook. For a Saints team that previously struggled to win away from home, this year’s pelts on the wall include those earned in Seattle and Chicago.
Belichick was my choice, for a few reasons. First, because he’s the greatest coach of all time in any sport, he rarely gets short-term, specific praise (not that he cares). Every year, the officially-recognized coach of the year is a coach who would have a very long way to go in order to even begin to compete with Belichick. Second, Belichick put together the code-cracking game plan that turned Jets quarterback Sam Darnold into Cole Sear. Third, even with Monday night’s game easily in hand, Belichick was still actively and aggressively coaching. Fourth, he exploited yet another loophole in the rules to help expedite the conclusion of a game that desperately needed to end.
Whether you agree or disagree with our picks, chime in below with your thoughts. And check out #PFTPM every Tuesday for the players of the week, rookies of the week, coaches of the week, and calls of the week.