Same Face, New Place: Which NFL Head Coach Will Find the Most Success in 2009?

After being successful during his stint as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo moves on to the St. Louis Rams, a tough situation to be in. After being the second worst team in the NFL last season, they lost perennial Pro Bowlers Orlando Pace and Torry Holt in the offseason.

Losing your top pass blocker on an already weak offensive line, to losing your most talented play maker. Wow, what an offseason for Mark Bulger, who took a beating last year.

The defense? Not much better. Didn't make any improvements via free agency, or a big splash in the draft.

It is going to take a few years to turn it around, and it will be a long season for the Rams.

Prediction: 2-14.

Going from defensive coordinator of the best team in the regular season, to the worst team in one NFL season? Who would have thought of that?

Well, it happened, and Jim Schwartz is now in Detroit. A positive for the Lions is a new, positive style he brings to the table, as they do need a restart.

There is a bit of hope on the offense, with WR Calvin Johnson and TE Brandon Pettigrew bringing offensive power. The defense will show a bit of improvement under Schwartz. It will be a rough year, but hey, better than last year.

Prediction: 2-14

After the great run to the Super Bowl with the Cardinals last year, Todd Haley takes over a Chiefs team that has been looking to move forward for a few years now. They traded for Matt Cassell, selected Tyson Jackson in the 1st round to improve the defense. They still have Dwayne Bowe as a top WR, but still lack talent.

The Chiefs dealt the best tight end in the league in Tony Gonzalez, and the issues on the offensive line are still there. The defense is also still young and improving, but not quite ready to make the leap.

Prediction: 4-12

After failing to take the Jets to the playoffs after their great start, Eric Mangini lands another head coaching job, this time in the Dawg Pound.

Being with Bill Belichick, Mangini is going to have to bring an offensive mind, as that's where the issues are with the Browns. A quarterback controversy that should have been resolved already is going to go through training camp.

Kellen Winslow was dealt, Braylon Edwards is coming off a rough year, and Dante Stallworth is in legal trouble. The defense is still not that productive, and did not make many improvements after trading down in the draft. The offense will show some spark if Brady Quinn is quarterback. Other than that, another rough year in Cleveland.

Prediction: 5-11.

Josh McDaniels landed in Denver after his success this past season with the New England Patriots. His first mistake was forcing Jay Cutler out of town, which greatly hurt this team. He is now giving the nod to Kyle Orton, who showed a bit of promise with the Bears. Can Orton do what Matt Cassel did last season? Give him the same talent and I'm sure he can do so.

The weakness of the team was the defense. They did improve by signing Brian Dawkins, but not enough talent all around to help them win close games. It won't be a total mess up for the Broncos, but no flirting with the playoffs this year.

Prediction: 7-9

After the questionable firing of Jon Gruden, the Bucs looked within the organization and hired Raheem Morris. Morris has showed a great attitude with his team, and has become a liking to the players. The Bucs this year selected Josh Freeman, whom Morris is close to from his days at Kansas State.

They lost Jeff Garcia, which downgrades the offense. There is still no top wide receiver new quarterback Byron Leftwich can throw to. And the defense is aging quickly.

It is the NFC South, however, where everybody competes in the division. They may have a glimpse of .500, but nothing more for this year.

Prediction: 7-9

After creating the great defensive scheme in Baltimore, he comes to New York as the new Jets head coach. Ryan is looking to make the playoffs after the team's collapse last season. He has the talent on defense to make plays, but what about Mark Sanchez?

It is going to be tough for Sanchez to prove he can do what Ryan and Flacco did. Keep in mind, he's also in one of the more competitive divisions in football this year in the AFC East, and the AFC in general will be much more competitive. It is going to be a bit of a disappointment for Jets fans, but they will just miss the playoffs this year.

Prediction: 9-7

A shocker here, but the nonetheless, Jim Mora has the best chance of getting into the playoffs. First, just as a trend has showed, the Seahawks struggled due to injuries to their quarterback, wide receivers, and key elements of their defense.

Everybody comes back fresh, having some to improve under a new head coach. Matt Hasselbeck is a veteran quarterback in this league, and he knows the winning atmosphere in Seattle.

The 'Hawks also made a great signing in wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh, who will be a great No. 1 target. Seattle is also in the NFC West, one of the weaker divisions in football. The 49ers aren't ready to make a leap, and the Cardinals lost a few key players from their run.

It is a good possibility the Seahawks could be the surprise and head back to the playoffs.

Prediction: 9-7/10-6