NFL Playoff Predictions: Which Coaches Give Teams the Best Playoff Odds?

With four weeks left in the season, the playoff picture has begun to take shape.

The NFL often lays a lot of the blame, and gives a lot of the credit, to coaches during the course of the season for the various highs and lows. If the team makes the playoffs, good coaching often is cited as a reason, while a team that comes up short usually has a coach being made the scapegoat.

Quarterbacks figure into this argument as well, but that's a different column.

As the last month of the season winds down, here's a look at some teams that could be bound for the playoffs and how their head coach helps or hurts them.

Green Bay Packers

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GREEN BAY, WI - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers calls an offensive play against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field on December 5, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the 49ers 34-16. (Photo by Jonathan D

If the playoffs began this week, the Packers wouldn't even be in the postseason, but that can all change over the next month if Mike McCarthy does his job.

McCarthy has been the head man for the Packers since the 2006 season, and the Packers have been to the playoffs twice in that time. McCarthy moved on from Brett Favre and never looked back. He's helped nurture Aaron Rodgers into one of the league's best quarterbacks, and his only flaw involves penalties.

The team commits far too many penalties, but they're still in the playoff hunt despite a rash of injuries at the beginning of the season that killed their running game.

McCarthy has the talent and knowledge to get the Packers into the playoffs, but he has to get better on-field discipline.

Chance the Packers get in: 65%

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Raheem Morris of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers walks the sidelines during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on November 21, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Imag

Raheem Morris is in his second year as a head coach in the NFL, and while his team has played surprisingly well, Morris still is very new at this job, having served only one year as a coordinator at the collegiate level. He spent most of his career as an assistant coach for the Buccaneers.

Morris lacks the experience to take this team to the next level, and their record against teams with winning records isn't very good.

Plus, they play in the same division as the Saints and Falcons.

Chances of getting in: 5%

Oakland Raiders

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OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Tom Cable of the Oakland Raiders walks the sidelines during the closing minutes of their loss to the Miami Dolphins at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 28, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw

Tom Cable has proven to be a lot better of a head coach than most outsideres would've thought when he got the job a few years ago.

That being said, Cable still works for Al Davis and the Raiders still have a lot of holes, especially at quarterback.

With this being a quarterback-driven league, and Cable's short tenure so far, the Raiders playoff hopes are pretty dim.

Chances of getting in: 5%

San Diego Chargers

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 28: Norv Turner the Head Coach of the San Diego Chargers watches play during the NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 28, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Norv Turner is an experienced coach with a record of winning in San Diego. However, his teams also seem to get off to slow starts before charging into the back half of the seasons with a lot of wins.

Turner has playoff experience and this team seems to have all the tools it needs to make the playoffs—except on special teams. The special teams unit of San Diego has been killing them all season.

Turner's job is to turn that around, which hasn't really happened, and after the loss to the Raiders on Sunday, there's not a lot of hope left. Their chances of making the playoffs now are very slim.

Chances the Chargers get in: 15%

St. Louis Rams

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GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Steve Spagnuolo of the St. Louis Rams watches from the sidelines during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Rams defeated th

Steve Spagnulo won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 2008, and has helped reshape the St. Louis Rams from one of the worst teams in the NFL to a possible playoff berth with rookie quarterback Sam Bradford at the helm.

Spagnulo knows what playoff pressure is like and has instilled a culture of winning in St. Louis. The Rams also play in one of the worst divisions in the league, so they don't have to be excellent to get in the playoffs.

Their only competitioin is the Seahawks, who have been inconsistent to a fault this year.

Chances the Rams get in: 65%

Seattle Seahawks

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SEATTLE - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks gestures during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Qwest Field on December 5, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks won, 31-14. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Pete Carroll's history is long and tangled, filled with drama, and it certainly has had its ups and downs.

Whatever his legacy at USC eventually will end up being, he took the team he had on the field and won with it consistently. Whatever he did to get to that point is moot. If Carroll has talent, he wins with it.

Carroll's firing from New England in 1999, was reportedly very tough on owner Robert Kraft, so again, Carroll wins when he has talent.

The Seahawks don't have a lot of talent.

Chances of the Seahawks getting in: 35%

Indianapolis Colts

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 10: Jim Caldwell of the Indianapolis Colts looks on against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

Notice the blank, vacant stare on Jim Caldwell's face. He just watched Peyton Manning throw a touchdown. He has no idea how that happened because he has no idea what he's doing.

Between the front office deciding to blow up Manning's offensive line and the horrendous amount of injuries to key offensive players, now is the time the Colts need a strong, decisive coach to guide them through the rough waters.

Caldwell is not that coach.

Manning has played very poor the last few weeks, and that wouldn't have happened under Tony Dungy's watch. Dungy just wouldn't have allowed it.

Caldwell went into the Super Bowl last year completely unprepared, and was totally outcoached in the second half. Now his team is one more year removed from Dungy and combined with the injuries, it shows.

The Colts may still make the playoffs, but it will be because Manning pulls his head out of his butt, not because Caldwell did anything remarkable.

Chances the Colts get in: 50%

Jacksonville Jaguars

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars watches on against the New York Giants at New Meadowlands Stadium on November 28, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Jack Del Rio is behind the wheel of one of the more surprising teams of the 2010 NFL Season. The Jaguars were supposed to be around a .500 team this season, so that shows you how much analysts really know coming into the season.

While it was thought that the Jaguars would be about where they are at the moment, it was thought they'd still be chasing the Colts, who currently are fading fast.

Del Rio has been in the playoffs twice, losing both times to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

With the way the Jags are playing, and how the Colts are falling, making the playoffs no longer is a longshot, and Del Rio appears to have the smarts to get the team back into the postseason.

Chances the Jaguars get in: 50%

New Orleans Saints

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CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 05: Sean Payton the Head Coach of the New Orleans Saints gives instructions to his team during the NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Saints won 34-30. (P

Sean Payton just won a Super Bowl with the Saints, beating the Indianapolis Colts who are one of the best AFC teams of the last decade.

So to think Payton can't get the Saints back into the postseason is being short-sighted. Right now, the Falcons clearly have the better team, so it's likely the Saints will get in the postseason as a wildcard, but once in the playoffs, anything can happen.

Chances the Saints get in: 80%

New York Giants

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants looks on agianst the Washington Redskins on December 5, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the Redskins 31-7. (Photo b

Tom Coughlin has already won a Super Bowl with this team, and Eli Manning behind center. The Giants offense isn''t always consistent, but their defense is rock solid.

Coughlin knows how to win games, and he knows how to keep an edge in the playoffs. He takes advantages of other team's mistakes and makes his own luck.

The NFC East is going to be a battle to the last week to determine a winner, and the loser isn't guaranteed a wildcard spot with the way the Packers and Saints are playing.

Chances the Giants get in: 75%

Baltimore Ravens

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BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 05: John Harbaugh head coach of the Baltimore Ravens looks on while playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter of the game at M&T Bank Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Larry Fr

John Harbaugh is in his third year as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He has made the playoffs in his first two years, losing to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game and the Colts in the divisional game last year.

Harbaugh is one of the smartest coaches in the league and he knows how to draw up a good gameplan. He adjusts to the game well and his teams rarely lose badly.

Harbaugh lost a tough game to the Steelers this week, but his team is by no means out of the playoff race with a wildcard berth likely.

Chances the Ravens get in: 75%

New York Jets

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Rex Ryan of the New York Jets talks to his players on the bench during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Chris Chambers/G

Rex Ryan had made the most impact in the league of any new head coach in the last decade. No one has commanded the spotlight like he does, and the Jets win close games. The truest test of a good head coach is how they handle close games, the good ones win them, the bad ones lose them.

Ryan had his butt handed to him Monday night, but that's the first time Ryan ever has been beaten like that in his almost two years as head coach of the Jets.

Ryan took a lot of credit for making the playoffs last year, even though it was the Colts dive in the last two weeks that made it possible, but the Jets record this year speaks for itself, and Mark Sanchez is a much better quarterback than he was 14 weeks ago.

Even with the beatdown the Jets suffered against the Patriots, that series is tied 1-1, and there's no guarantee the Patriots do that again if they played this Sunday.

Chances the Jets get in: 70%

Chicago Bears

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears watches as his team takes on the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on November 28, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Eagles 31-26. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Lovie Smith's tenure in Chicago has had a lot of ups and downs, and there has been more than one occassion where it seemed like the Bears were going to move on and dismiss the coach.

But here he is, still standing, and the Bears would have a first round bye in the playoffs if they began today.

Smith has had various problems over the years, but his teams generally are competitive, even if they aren't very good. For example, his offense this year has no line, gives up sacks like they're going out of fashion, and Jay Cutler throws a lot of interceptions.

Yet other than a few bad weeks in October, this team has managed to stay on top of the NFC North, and pretty much looks like a lock for the playoffs at this point.

Chances the Bears get in: 80%

Philadelphia Eagles

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Andy Reid of the Philadelphia Eagles watches as his team takes on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on November 28, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Eagles 31-26. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Andy Reid's biggest problem the last decade was thinking Donovan McNabb was going to win the big game for him someday.

Granted the Eagles came close a few years ago before McNabb got sick in the second half.

Reid knows better now, and even though Kevin Kolb had the big contract, once it became apparent Michael Vick was better, he didn't hesitate to play the best guy.

Reid and the Eagles are legitimate threats to win the Super Bowl as we sit here in early December.

Chances the Eagles get in: 95%

Kansas City Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Todd Haley of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on from the sidelines during the game against the Denver Broncos on December 5, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Todd Haley may be the smartest guy in the NFL right now because he was smart enough to take a job that has Scott Pioli as the general manager. This general manager then brought in Charlie Weiss and Romeo Crennell as the coordinators.

Haley is facing new ground as a head coach, but he's surrounded by enough talent that while he may make some mistakes, he'll persevere and press on.

Chances the Chiefs get in: 70%

Pittsburgh Steelers

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BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 05: Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the first quarter of the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images

Mike Tomlin already has one Super Bowl with the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger, and this team may be even tougher than the unit that one the Super Bowl in the 2008 season.

The Steelers won their toughest contest of the year against the Ravens on Sunday, and there doesn't seem to be much that can stop them from getting a first round bye at this point.

Chances of the Steelers getting in: 95%

Atlanta Falcons

All Mike Smith has done since he got to Atlanta is win. He's won Coach of the Year, and he's leading what arguably is the most complete team in the league at the moment.

The Falcons seem like they're not only a lock for the playoffs, but the team to beat in the NFC. Smith has coached Matt Ryan into a very good quarterback, and he has both the offense and defense running like well-oiled machines.

Chances the Falcons get in: 95%

New England Patriots

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on after the Patriots won 45-3 against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

There is no better coach than Bill Belichick in the league right now, and you'd have a tough time finding anyone to agree with that.

Despite allegations of cheating, and one proof positive incident with Spygate, no one adapts to the game as it happens and in the bigger picture like Belichick.

He hasn't lost to the same team twice in one season since 2000, and he almost never loses two games in a row.

Chances the Patriots get in: 95%