NFL Power Rankings: The Top 6 Candidates for Coach of the Year

Players in the NFL usually get most of the credit for making tremendous plays and racking up wins for their team, but the coaches gracing the sideline deserve a share of the credit too.

The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal, and there are six who have stood out among the rest.

The season is still extremely early and unpredictable, but here are the six coaches who have the best shot at winning the prestigious NFL Coach of the Year Award.

Hue Jackson

Hue Jackson and the Raiders picked up their fourth win of the season against Cleveland on Sunday, but they were also hit with the devastating loss of their starting quarterback Jason Campbell due to a collarbone injury.

Campbell's injury will certainly affect the Raiders moving forward, but Jackson does have a safety net with Darren McFadden and the leagues second best rushing attack.

Jackson will have a terrific chance at winning Coach of the Year if he can guide his team into the playoffs with a backup quarterback.

Marvin Lewis

Marvin Lewis has his young Cincinnati Bengals' team right in the middle of the AFC North divisional race.

The Bengals were predicted by many (including myself) to finish at the bottom of the AFC and as a matter of fact, the entire league.

Cincinnati has a 4-2 record thus far and is led by the league's No. 2 rated defense as far as yards are concerned. Their offense has been extremely productive under rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green while veteran Cedric Benson has contributed nicely on the ground.

Lewis always seems to find a way to save his job when the hot seat reaches its boiling point, and this year is no different.

Mike McCarthy

Mike McCarthy has the defending Super Bowl champion Packers off to a 6-0 start, and there seems to be no signs of slowing down.

The Packers have showed no signs of a Super Bowl hangover, which speaks volumes to the job that McCarthy is doing. 

The team has also outscored their opponents by 83 points, which is the most in the NFL. 

Chan Gailey

Chan Gailey and the Buffalo Bills maybe the biggest surprise in the NFL so far this season. 

The team is 4-2, and they have impressive wins over New England, Oakland, Philadelphia and Kansas City. 

The Bills have the leagues second best offense as far as points per game is concerned, and they have done it all behind a team that was filled with "no-namers" at the beginning of the season. 

Gailey will win coach of the year if the Bills upset the Patriots for the AFC East crown. 

Jim Schwartz

Jim Schwartz and the Lions have brought life back to a city that has been longing for NFL success for years on end.

His defense has become one of the most feared in the league while the offense has proven it that it can score points with anyone.

Schwartz has a strong shot at winning coach of the year if the Lions can keep up this incredible pace.

Jim Harbaugh

The San Francisco 49ers are off to a 5-1 start, and the team is currently first in the NFC West because of it. 

This is a remarkable feat considering that Jim Harbaugh is a first-year coach in the NFL. The coach had just the four weeks of preseason in order to implement his offensive and defensive scheme.

Harbaugh has done wonders with the Niners this season, and he came within an overtime field goal against Dallas to having an undefeated team.