Coach of the Year a wide-open race

Four Downs while looking out my window and wondering why anyone would go to tonight's Vikings game ...

FIRST DOWN:

So who do we give NFL Coach of the Year to? The field of candidates seems wide open to me. Here's a look:

. The Chiefs have gone from 4-12 and last in the AFC West to 9-5 and first in the AFC West under Todd Haley. This isn't a fluke team, either. This is a team with a solid foundation and a good quarterback.

. The Rams have gone from a one-win team to 6-8 and tied atop the NFC West under Steve Spagnuolo. Granted, the NFC West is awful, but the Rams have matched their combined win total from the previous three years.

. The Jaguars lost at Indy Sunday, and Jack Del Rio made some bad decisions (like going for it on fourth-and-one at his own 39 while trailing only 14-10 in the third quarter. The Jags botched the play and the Colts went up 21-10 two plays later.) However, Del Rio still has a chance to win the AFC South. Personally, I wouldn't vote for Del Rio because of Sunday's game and the fact the Colts' decline has more to do with the Jaguars still being in the race.

. What about Bill Belichick? I know he's supposed to win every year because he's got Tom Brady. But his perfectly-timed dumping on malcontent Randy Moss unified the team. And Belichick also has worked his defensive magic, turning a young, struggling defense and turning it into a unit that's more than capapble.

. Mike Smith is 12-2 with an eight-game winning streak in Atlanta. Can't forget him. The Falcons were 9-7 last year, missing the playoffs because of several injuries.

. Lovie Smith was supposed to be fired in Chicago. But he's going to be the surprise winner in the NFC North. The Bears aren't the best team in the league, but Lovie will deserve credit for finishing ahead of the Packers and Vikings.

. Remember when Sean Payton and the Saints were criticized for their lengthy Super Bowl celebration. Well, they're back with a 10-4 record. I'd say Payton handled the Super Bowl hangover pretty well.

. Mike Tomlin was without his starting quarterback for the first four games, yet he went 3-1 en route to 10-4 and clinching a playoff spot on Sunday. Mustn't overlook him.

. And, finally, remember when trading Donovan McNabb to a division opponent was going to get Andy Reid fired? Well, turns out it was a brilliant move. Not only did Reid get a second-round draft pick and either a third- or a fourth-rounder from the Redskins, he also turned his offense over to Michael Vick, who's looking like one of the top two candidates for MVP.

SECOND DOWN:

In what has to be a hopeless season for one of the league's best receivers, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald Jr. has become the youngest player in NFL history to reach 600 catches. The Minneapolis native had nine catches for 125 yards in a loss to the lowly Panthers on Sunday. Fitz now has 601 catches, but is 4-10 in his first year without Kurt Warner.

THIRD DOWN:

It's official. DeSean Jackson did become the first player in NFL history to return a punt for a game-winning touchdown as time expired. The Eagles trailed 31-10 midway through the fourth quarter. In winning 38-31, they became just the ninth team in NFL history to trail by at least 21 points in the fourth quarter and win the game. The Eagles' 28 points in the fourth quarter were a franchise record.

Jackson has now had touchdowns rushing, receiving and on punt returns in each of his first three seasons. He joins Dick Todd (Washington 1939-41) as the only players in NFL history to do that.

FOURTH DOWN:

The Packers have had their special teams' woes in recent years, but Sunday night had to be the low point. How in the world did Green Bay allow a 313-pound guard (Dan Connolly) run 71 yards with a kickoff return?

On a night when QB Matt Flynn played well enough to beat the best team in football on the road, the Packers botched a kick coverage so badly that a GUARD was able to run 71 yards and set up a touchdown in a game the Patriots won by four points.

The Packers (8-6) are still in OK shape for a wild-card spot. They play the Giants (9-5) at home on Sunday.