LOS ANGELES -- It was so much more than a win. The Los Angeles Rams' 42-7 dismantling of the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on Sunday was also, well, historic. It was the Rams' largest road win since 2001 and the Seahawks' worst home loss since 1997, 13 years before Pete Carroll became their head coach.
It might have also altered the course for three major awards.
Todd Gurley ran for 152 yards and scored four touchdowns, thrusting himself into the MVP conversation. Aaron Donald recorded three sacks and 10 quarterback pressures, strengthening his case for Defensive Player of the Year. Sean McVay put the Rams on the brink of a division title and led his team to its fourth win by at least 30 points, matching a franchise record set in 1950. It seemingly catapulted McVay as the favorite for Coach of the Year honors.
Here's a look at where the three stand for top billing.
McVay: Coach of the Year?
Case for: McVay has taken the controls of a franchise coming off 10 consecutive losing seasons -- including a 4-12 showing just last year -- and has led it to double-digit victories in his first season. At 31, he is the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. And through his first 14 games, he has his team ranked first in the NFL in point differential and defense-adjusted value over average. The Rams are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFL lead in points, one year after finishing dead last in the category. Only the 1965 San Francisco 49ers have ever gone from last to first in points from one season to the next, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The last time a coach younger than McVay won at least 10 games? That would be 1929, when 29-year-old Bull Behman led the Frankford Yellow Jackets to a 10-4-5 record, according to NFL Network's research. McVay is doing it in the modern era, in the nation's second-largest media market, for a team that seemed hopeless before he arrived. He has changed the culture for an entire franchise.
The field: Doug Pederson might be McVay's biggest threat. The second-year Eagles coach is guiding the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and he's now doing it without franchise quarterback Carson Wentz. The Eagles have been the best team in the conference basically the entire season. Then there's Mike Zimmer, who leads a Minnesota Vikings team that sits as the No. 2 seed in the NFC despite being led by a man who began the season as the third-string quarterback (Case Keenum). Don't forget Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone, who took over a 3-13 team and has it 10-4. And Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who has never won the award despite leading his eighth playoff team in 11 years. Or Bill Belichick, who hasn't won it since 2010. His New England Patriots won the Super Bowl last year and are quite good yet again.
Quotable: "This is a reflection of our entire coaching staff. ... The game plan, their ability to communicate. I think those guys giving clarity to our players, understanding how to put those guys in good situations and making sure that it's not what we know as coaches, it's what the players know. Their ability to go play decisively, know what's expected of them. I think it's been a key, and really a great coaching staff is the only reason why you even get a chance to go compete for a division championship this year." -- McVay, asked Monday about getting consideration for Coach of the Year
Gurley: MVP?
Case for:: Gurley doesn't just lead the NFL in touchdowns scored; his 17 are at least five more than anybody else. And he has done it as a true dual-threat running back. Gurley ranks second to only the Steelers' Le'Veon Bell with 1,817 scrimmage yards. Bell has only 32 more scrimmage yards, even though he has 76 more touches. Gurley has rushed for 1,187 yards (third most in the NFL) and has caught for 630 yards (second among running backs). He's doing all this after one of the worst seasons ever for a running back. Last year, Gurley's 885 rushing yards were the fewest in history for someone with at least 278 carries. Gurley has gained the NFL's second-most rushing yards before first contact (705) and ranks fifth in yards after contact (482). He's getting a lot more help, but he's doing plenty on his own, too.
The field: This has narrowed quite a bit. Wentz was squarely in the running, but then he tore his ACL in Week 14 against the Rams. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was in the mix, but he struggled Sunday in a loss that might have evaporated his team's playoff hopes. Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was among those getting love, but he tore a calf muscle and could sit out the final two regular-season games. The favorite still appears to be Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, even though he has thrown only two touchdowns and four interceptions over the last three weeks. Brady, 40, ranks first in passing yards (4,163), third in touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.00) and fourth in Total QBR (70.5) for a team that looks like a Super Bowl favorite. A quarterback has won this award nine of the last 10 years.
Quotable:: "I might be a little biased, but I think he's the best running back in the league. He's the most complete running back. He can do it out of the backfield, he can do it in the passing game, he can do it in the pass-protection game. Obviously, the way he runs is special. He deserves everything coming his way. I think the best thing about him is he could care less about that." -- Rams quarterback Jared Goff, asked after Sunday's game if Gurley is a deserving MVP candidate
Donald: Defensive Player of the Year?
Case for: Not too long ago, the question surrounding Donald was whether someone who led the league in quarterback pressures but wasn't among the league leaders in sacks could ever win Defensive Player of the Year. Then Donald tossed the narrative aside like a feeble offensive lineman. Over his past three games, the star defensive tackle has accumulated five sacks. He still leads the NFL in pressures -- even though he held out all summer, missed the first game and plays the interior, which makes him more prone to double-teams and thus makes it a lot more difficult to reach the quarterback. But now Donald's 11 sacks tie his career high and are tied for sixth in the NFL. He also has 27 quarterback hits (ranked third), four forced fumbles (tied for third) and 15 tackles for loss (tied for fifth).
The field: Look no further than defensive end Calais Campbell, who has 14 1/2 sacks, 28 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles for a Jaguars defense that is widely considered the very best in the NFL. The only one ahead of Campbell in sacks is Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones, with 15. Then there's New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, who has 10 sacks and has disrupted an NFL-leading 4.0 percent of dropbacks. Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward, with four interceptions and an NFL-leading 15 pass breakups, may also garner consideration. So might Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, the No. 2-graded defensive player this season by Pro Football Focus. Behind Donald, of course.
Quotable: "I don't think I've ever seen somebody impact the game the way he does. There's not a lot of them out there that are able to do what he does. The pressure he gets on the quarterback is really just as good as a sack. You might not get the sack for seven yards. But if he gets that pressure and it causes an incomplete pass, what's the difference, really, other than 7 yards? Down's over. A lot of times it's on third down, and we're off the field. As long as we get off the field, I'll take either." -- Rams outside linebacker Matt Longacre, on Donald's impact even when he is not recording sacks