Sean Payton Has to Be Frontrunner for Coach of the Year as Saints Keep Winning Shorthanded

With the 2019 NFL season reaching near the halfway mark, there's plenty of talk of who will win the prestigious year-end awards. In the "Coach of the Year" category, names such as Bill Belichick and Kyle Shanahan are at the forefront as the favorites.

We're here to tell you that New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is the real frontrunner for the award.

Quarterback Drew Brees went down in Week 2 due to a torn ligament in his throwing thumb. Given how important a role Brees plays in the offensive success, Payton didn't panic, knowing he had a more than suitable backup to fill in for the veteran, and that's Teddy Bridgewater.

While Bridgewater isn't lighting up the stat sheets like Brees, he's doing just enough to keep the Saints in games and more importantly, win. With Bridgewater as a starter, New Orleans is a perfect 5-0, and that's due to the coaching of Payton.

Just look at this week against the Chicago Bears. New Orleans entered without Brees, running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Jared Cook to face a tough Bears defense. Yet, the Saints finished with 424 yards of total offense and picked up the 36-25 win.

Most teams would falter with their star players out with injury. The same can't be said for the New Orleans Saints, and it's due to the play-calling and game-planning by Payton, the true favorite for NFL Coach of the Year.