2011 NFL Playoffs: Power Ranking Rex Ryan, Mike Smith and the Playoff Coaches
The NFL season began with 32 teams with one ultimate goal: to win the Super Bowl. The field has been cut to eight teams after the Wild Card playoff round.
On those eight teams are eight head coaches who have taken their teams to or beyond where they expected to be at this point.
Those coaches are Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks, John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens, Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers, Rex Ryan of the New York Jets, Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears, Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Here is a power ranking of the elite eight of head coaches.
8. Pete Carroll
1 of 10
Pete Carroll is the only first-year head coach still left in the playoffs.
He led the Seahawks to just a 7-9 record in the regular season, but in the pitiful NFC West, that was good enough for the division crown. This young Seattle team wasn't supposed to sniff the postseason for at least another year.
Going into their Wild Card matchup with the Saints, the Seahawks were 10-point underdogs. No one but Seattle itself thought they could win.
They ended up pulling the miracle upset over the Saints 41-36. Marshawn Lynch's run was the highlight of the day, but the overall coaching and execution of the calls were what enabled the Seahawks to pull it off.
If they pull off a win against the Bears, somebody in Hollywood better start getting a crew together for a new movie.
7. Rex Ryan
2 of 10
As Jason Taylor put it, Rex Ryan makes some pretty big checks for the Jets to cash.
Ryan told the media in the week leading up to their matchup with the Colts that "it's personal."
The Jets did cash that check though, as they pulled out the victory 17-16 in the Colts' house. Holding Peyton Manning to just 16 points should be noted.
Wherever Ryan goes, the defense prospers. His Baltimore Ravens squads were always elite, and in the last two years the Jets defense has been one of the league's best.
Going into a game against the New England Patriots, they'll need every ounce of that impressive play.
6. John Harbaugh
3 of 10
With new additions of Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Baltimore Ravens set the bar high for the 2010-11 season.
They're approaching that bar after a 30-7 beatdown of Kansas City Chiefs. That victory was fueled by their defense, no doubt.
They forced five turnovers and will look to do the same against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week.
In his three years as the Ravens' head coach, Harbaugh boasts an impressive 4-2 playoff record.
In his first season in Baltimore, they reached the AFC Championship Game. The Steelers won 23-14 against a rookie Joe Flacco.
With much more experience for Flacco, look for this weekend's game to go down to the wire.
.jpg?w=256 "Titans Camp Football")
5. Mike McCarthy
4 of 10
Mike McCarthy and the Packers were able to push through major injuries all season to just sneak into the playoffs as a sixth seed.
The Packers came into the season as a popular Super Bowl pick and despite being a sixth seed are starting to feel the hype again. They are only a two-point underdog as a No. 6 seed heading into No. 1 seed Atlanta's house this Saturday.
Green Bay dealt the Eagles a crushing loss this past Sunday of 21-16 when Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and friends had Super Bowl or bust-like goals.
Coming off wins against two very strong opponents in the Chicago Bears and the Eagles, the Packers will fly to Atlanta with a ton of confidence and momentum.
4. Lovie Smith
5 of 10
Early in the 2010 campaign, Lovie Smith's job security was actually in question. Then the Bears ripped off five straight victories, securing his job and the NFC North.
They once again have one of the top defenses in the NFL, especially in the trenches. Chicago boasts the second-ranked run defense in the league, surrendering only 90.1 yards per game.
Against a Seahawks team that thrived on the ground last week against the Saints, that strength will really come in handy.
This Bears team is Smith's best by far since his 2006 Super Bowl squad and is favored to be playing in the NFC Championship Game next week.
3. Mike Tomlin
6 of 10
Mike Tomlin has the Steelers at the top of their game right now. They were able to lock up the division crown and clinch a bye week after missing the playoffs last year.
Ben Roethlisberger is playing like an elite quarterback, and the Steelers defense is always in that elite category.
They are holding opponents right now to an unfathomable 62.8 yards per game on the ground. The Ravens can forget about making Ray Rice a big part of their game plan this week.
The Steelers and Ravens split the season series, but Pittsburgh came away with the victory when they last met. Since then, Baltimore has ripped off five straight wins.
In a game that features Troy Polamalu vs. Ed Reed, defense will decide the game.
2. Mike Smith
7 of 10
Mike Smith led the Falcons to a 13-3 record, the team's best since their 1998 Super Bowl season. They locked up home field advantage in the final week for the first time since 2004, back when they had Michael Vick.
Smith's teams have always done well in the regular season. The Falcons are 33-15 during his tenure, and that's with a young and still developing Matt Ryan under center.
We'll see if this season the two can take the next step and transition that success into the playoffs.
2. Mike Smith
8 of 10
The Falcons' biggest test between them and the Super Bowl may come this week against the Green Bay Packers. They did beat the Packers this year, but it was only by three points, and it was all the way back in November.
With two weeks of rest and two weeks to prepare for their next game, Smith will have the Falcons ready going into Saturday.
The Falcons have the fifth best scoring offense and defense in the league, and those units should be at full strength with not many injuries to slow them down.
1. Bill Belichick
9 of 10
No Richard Seymour, no problem. No Randy Moss, no problem.
Bill Belichick is a genius.
The Patriots offense is scoring to the point of almost rivaling their undefeated regular season team. They average almost a touchdown more than the Atlanta Falcons, the team with the next best offense that's still alive in the playoffs.
Tom Brady is almost a lock for NFL MVP. He led the league in passer rating with the next best quarterback almost 10 points behind. His touchdown to interception ratio was an incredible 36 to four.
The Patriots defense gives up a lot of yardage, but the only statistic that counts is points, and they're in the top 10 in the league in points given up per game.
1. Bill Belichick
10 of 10
The Patriots should be heavy favorites the rest of the way, and deservedly so.
They are on a seven-game winning streak. During that time frame they've won by multiple scores, sometimes by three or four, in every contest except against the Colts and Packers.
They've been big favorites before and blown it, so don't crown them just yet.
Still, if you had to bet money on one team right now, would you risk it on any other than Bill Belichick and the Patriots?
David Daniels is an NFL Featured Columnist and Writing Intern at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him on Twitter or at One Yard Short.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Titans Camp Football")
.jpg?w=600 "Best NFL Free Agents 📞")
.png?w=600 "NFL Free-Agent Tracker ✍️"){kind=tracking}
.png?w=600 "2027 NFL Mock Draft 🔮")