How Does Detroit Lions Coaching Staff Rank in the NFC North?

Coaching can change everything.

The Detroit Lions went from a middle-of-the-pack defense (23.5 points allowed per game in 2013) to a top-tier unit last year (17.6) with largely the same talent. The only difference was a new defensive coordinator and strong safety.

That was enough to catapult Detroit's win total and secure a playoff spot. The division is tougher this season, with an upgraded Chicago Bears coaching staff taking over for the only weak link, creating an upward fight for another postseason trip.

Since knowing is half the battle, let's see which NFC North team holds an intellectual edge on the sideline.

Defensive Coordinator

Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and now Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin are household names, but George Edwards is a name you need to know.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

The Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator engineered a defense that shaved 8.6 points per game off its mark from the previous year (30.0). That's impressive. However, he does have defensive-minded head coach Mike Zimmer, who steals enough shine to lock Edwards in the basement.

And we can dispense with Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers. Despite the invigoration of his unit with the Clay Matthews move, there have been too many up-and-down performances over the years.

Thus, it all comes down to the top two.

Austin employed his players in creative fashion to manufacture pressure. His team gave up 10.5 fewer rushing yards per game than anybody else and picked off just three fewer passes (20) than the amount of touchdowns it allowed (23), the fourth-best such rate in the NFL. His star is rising fast:

"

#Lions DC Teryl Austin at No. 8, but No. 1 head coaching candidate --> Ranking the top 20 coordinators across the NFL http://t.co/8hbZIQ3GId

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) June 24, 2015"

But Fangio's defenses in San Francisco were dominant. His unit was the second-best scoring defense and gave up the fewest rushing yards over his four years as defensive coordinator.

It's hard to ignore that type of run, especially considering last year's version was the 10th-best scoring defense in the league.

Ranking: 1) Fangio, 2) Austin, 3) Capers, 4) Edwards

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Offensive Coordinator

Let's go ahead and allow Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi to leave this discussion on his own accord. Maybe his complicated scheme will sink in this year and dramatically improve on last year's 20.1 points-per-game output. Or maybe he'll take too long to make adjustments again.

And Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase is too difficult to peg. The Denver Broncos' recent offensive dominance had plenty to do with Peyton Manning. We can't be sure if it had anything to do with Gase—yet.

But this race doesn't end in a two-man showdown. The Packers' combination of first-year associate head coach Tom Clements and offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett is the clear winner. A single paragraph of Clements' biography on Packers.com highlights the entire argument:

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During his nine seasons on Green Bay’s staff, the Packers have ranked in the top 10 in scoring and total offense eight times. Since Clements took over as offensive coordinator in 2012, the Packers rank No. 3 in the league in scoring (27.8 ppg), No. 5 in total offense (381.9 ypg), No. 3 in giveaways (54) and No. 5 in first downs (1,048).

"

That makes this easy, with the Clements-Bennett pairing beating out Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

Ranking: 1) Clements/Bennett, 2) Turner, 3) Gase, 4) Lombardi

Head Coach

The NFC North boasts a nice coaching resume.

Lions head coach Jim Caldwell went to a Super Bowl with the same career-making quarterback as Gase. Zimmer didn't snag a head gig easily, though he presided over defenses that finished in the top 10 (total yards) four times in six tries.

But neither has had enough personal success as the headman in charge. Caldwell gets a leg up here for playoff appearances with two different franchises, even if one was with Manning.

Bears head coach John Fox has a winning record in the regular season and the playoffs. He's also been to two Super Bowls.

He just hasn't won one. Packers coach Mike McCarthy has, and he came an onside kick away from another appearance (at least).

Plus, none of the other candidates has gone mob boss on an iconic quarterback. Again, McCarthy has.

Ranking: 1) McCarthy, 2) Fox, 3) Caldwell, 4) Zimmer

Conclusion

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Lions are a step behind two others on paper. Luckily for Detroit, not a single NFL season—that I've found—has been decided by flicking a paper triangle through an opponent's index fingers.

Caldwell has the bulk of his staff returning for a second year. He returns the majority of his key players. He's in a good situation.

If Caldwell can get better play from his quarterback and return to the playoffs, nobody will care about where he fits with the other coaches anyway.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.