NFL Picks Week 6: Rex Ryan's Defense Will Stifle Josh McDaniels' Pass Attack

Many NFL Week 6 picks articles will cover the match-ups on offense and defense, but the one position on the field that's more important than any other isn't even on the field.

Games in the NFL are often equated to a chess match, with each piece strategically moved to maximize its potential and to give the team a better chance to win.

Several of this week's games will feature a meeting of the minds, as many reputable head coaches face off.

Of course, they will influence the outcome of the game, but they will not solely determine it. Other factors come into play, such as having the correct personnel to execute a game plan. So here, I'll take a look at the key head coach matchups in Week 6, coupled with some analysis of what to expect, and what will influence the outcome of the game.

Hot Seat Showdown: Tom Cable Vs. Mike Singletary

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

ATLANTA - OCTOBER 03: Head coach Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers questions a call during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on October 3, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

This coaching match-up isn't one of those revered "meeting of the minds" games I talked about in the intro. This is a game that could determine who keeps their job. The Raiders just handed the Chargers a loss for the first time since 2003, but that doesn't mean Tom Cable is now wearing a cloak of invulnerability. Remember, he works for Al Davis, who fired three coaches at the midway point in the season just last decade.

Mike Singletary appears to be losing the 49ers more and more with each passing week. This was never more apparent than when John Madden called out his coaching tactics with Alex Smith.

The winner in this game is anyone's guess. The 49ers can't run the ball, but the Raiders can't stop anyone from running against them. The Raiders have a hard time getting rhythm in their passing game, but the 49ers have been sitting ducks against opposing quarterbacks this season.

If there was ever a game where the 49ers needed to get back to running the ball (they rank near the bottom of the league in rushing), this was it. Their best chance lies in exposing a weak rush defense for the Raiders.

Advantage: 49ers

5. Norv Turner Vs. Steve Spagnuolo

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 10: Head coach Norv Turner of the San Diego Chargers stands on the sidelines during their game against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 10, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Ima

The defensive mastermind behind the demise of the 2007 Patriots in Super Bowl XLII goes up against one of the most prolific passing offensive coaches in the league.

The question isn't whether Spagnuolo can draw up a game plan that will work. It's whether or not he has the personnel to execute that game plan. They currently rank 22nd in passing defense, and have only faced two quarterbacks worth mentioning (Donovan McNabb and Matt Hasselbeck).

The Chargers have been dominant on both sides of the ball, but their special teams has gotten them into some holes that they can't dig themselves out of. You can't correct technique overnight, but if the Chargers can play sound on special teams, they'll dominate this game.

Advantage: Chargers

4. Jim Caldwell Vs. Mike Shanahan

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 03: Head coach Mike Shanahan of the Washington Redskins looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 3, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Mike Shanahan is coaching his 250th regular season game on Sunday, while Jim Caldwell is going on no. 22. Shanahan spent 14 years in Denver, where he quickly turned the Broncos from a pretender to a Super Bowl contender. Caldwell got his start with quite the set of training wheels, inheriting a house full of stocked cupboards in Indianapolis in taking over for retired Tony Dungy, but things seem to be falling apart for this team as they struggle to find consistency.

The Redskins don't give up a lot of points, but they have one of the worst-ranked defenses in the league against the pass. Peyton Manning will probably air it out at least 40 times to try and take advantage of this.

This may not bode too well for the Redskins, but Mike Shanahan was able to implement a game plan to minimize the effectiveness of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers this past week, but it's hard to expect similar results against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

Still, the blueprint for success against the Colts has been set by the Chiefs, and you have to imagine that Mike Shanahan is tirelessly watching tape to exploit holes in the Colts' offense.

Advantage: Redskins

3. Rex Ryan Vs. Josh McDaniels

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 03: Rex Ryan, head coach of the New York Jets points on the sidelines against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on October 3, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. The Jets won 38-14. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

This game features two former coordinators both in their second year as head coach. Rex Ryan is a defensive mastermind, who specializes in stopping the pass with exotic blitz schemes. Conversely, Josh McDaniels was the offensive wiz behind the Patriots' spectacular 2007 record-breaking year.

The Jets had the top-ranked pass defense last year, but have slipped a bit and currently rank 23rd in the league against the pass. Their redeeming quality has been their ability to stop the run.

The Broncos have all but abandoned the run, with the third-most attempts and the second-most yards in the league to this point. Personally, I don't see many match-ups that favor the Broncos in terms of their pass attack vs. the Jets defense.

The Jets put a big-time beating on Brett Favre last week, and if the Broncos elect to pass every down, they could be playing right into Rex Ryan's hands.

Advantage: Jets

2. Mike Smith Vs. Andy Reid

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

ATLANTA - OCTOBER 03: Head coach Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons questions a flag thrown during a drive by the San Francisco 49ers at Georgia Dome on October 3, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

One of the most successful coaches of the past decade goes up against one of the most promising coaches for the coming decade. While Andy Reid rode high throughout the 2000's with five NFC Championship appearances, Mike Smith has taken the dregs of a 4-12 Atlanta Falcons team in 2007 and instilled a winning tradition in them with their first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history.

Ultimately, this game could come down to the game plans for each team. Kevin Kolb has been far too timid to test defenses over the past few weeks, and will need to regain his confidence and go deep against the Falcons defense that plays a bend-don't-break style of defense, giving up yards at will without giving up the points.

The Falcons run the ball and stop the run very well, and if the Eagles can't get into rhythm, the Falcons could be playing "keep-away" in a game of possession. Mike Smith will probably give the ball to Michael Turner and run him right at the 24th-ranked Eagles rush defense.

The blueprint has been laid out for beating Kolb: high pressure early to throw off his rhythm. That will force his clock into checkdown territory, and play right into the hands of the Falcons.

Advantage: Falcons

1. John Harbaugh Vs. Bill Belichick

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 4: John Harrington of the Baltimore Ravens shakes hands with Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots before a game at Gillette Stadium on October 4, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The coaching match-up surely won't be the talk of the NFL Sunday Countdown team, but could play just as big a role in the outcome of the match as the departure of a certain 33-year-old future Hall-of-Fame wide receiver.

I'm not so sure the Patriots got outcoached in their last meeting, a 33-14 win for Baltimore, as much as they got outmuscled. It appeared as though from the opening whistle, the Patriots were just dominated physically, especially in the trenches. Belichick's been preparing his team in that regard ever since training camp, putting the first-teams against one another to increase competition and toughness among the players.

An added caveat to this game might be that the Ravens have been game-planning for a Patriots offense that possesses Randy Moss, and may not be ready for what the Pats will throw at them without their deep threat.

This will be the third meeting of the two teams in just about a year, so these two are growing increasingly familiar with one another. Bill Belichick is a scary coach when he has a lot of tape on you...really, no pun intended.

Advantage: Patriots