For the second season in a row, Brad Holmes has been named the NFL's Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association of America.
The general manager of the Lions built a team that won a franchise-record 15 games and claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time ever despite several major injuries on defense.
The Lions had an NFC-best four first-team All-Pros in safety Kerby Joseph, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, right tackle Penei Sewell and punter Jack Fox, the former three Holmes draft picks. They also had two second-teamers in center Frank Ragnow and punt returner Kalif Raymond.
And they had an NFC-best seven Pro Bowlers, with quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and safety Brian Branch joining St. Brown, Sewell, Ragnow and Fox.
The team's success, however, was not enough for Dan Campbell to win Coach of the Year. The PFWAA gave that award to Kevin O'Connell, who led Sam Darnold and the Vikings to a 14-3 record -- despite two of their losses coming to Campbell's Lions.
Campbell, though, has been named a finalist for the more traditional AP NFL Coach of the Year, for the second season in a row. The other nominees are O'Connell, Dan Quinn of the Commanders (12-5), Sean Payton of the Broncos (10-7) and Andy Reid of the Chiefs (15-2).
The winner will be announced at the NFL Awards the week of the Super Bowl. Goff has also been named a finalist for MVP, along with Josh Allen of the Bills, Lamar Jackson of the Ravens, Saquon Barkley of the Eagles and Joe Burrow of the Bengals.
Former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the PFWAA after Detroit scored the most points in the NFL and accrued the second most yards. The Lions were the first time in NFL history to have four players with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in St. Brown, Gibbs, Jameson Williams and David Montgomery.