The 2021-22 NFL playoffs feature five Super Bowl championship coaches and four rookies.
Bill Belichick and Andy Reid are at the top of our NFL postseason coaching rankings, of course, and it’s hard to argue with 36 playoff appearances and eight Super Bowl wins. Belichick is a default setup at the top, but the rest of the list has some interesting discussions.
Should Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur qualify ahead of Los Angeles’ Sean McVay? Try the same question with Sean McDermott from Buffalo and Mike Vrabel from Tennessee. Of course, Mike McCarthy is also back in the playoffs.
It will be interesting to see which rookies from Kliff Kingsbury, Zac Taylor, Nick Sirianni and Rich Bisaccia can get their first win.
With that in mind, here’s a look at Sporting News NFL playoff coaching rankings:
290-143 (31-12 playoffs)
Belichick tied Don Shula with an NFL-record 19th playoff appearance in leading New England to a 10-7 record this season. Belichick has won six Super Bowls as a head coach and two more as coordinator, and his presence in the playoffs alone makes the decider with Buffalo interesting. Can Belichick lead a playoff race without Tom Brady? We’re about to find out.
: 233-135-1, (17-15)
Reid is fourth all-time with 17 playoff appearances. There’s a strong case for putting Reid at No. 1 based on the “right now” factor. The Chiefs are seeking a third straight trip to the Super Bowl, and the Reid-Patrick Mahomes combo is 6-2 in the postseason. Reid is 7-6 in the playoffs since taking over in Kansas City.
154-85-2 (8-8)
Tomlin has two Super Bowl appearances, and the Steelers have never had a losing record since he took over in 2008. However, Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. The Steelers led a last-minute playoff run. to extend Ben Roethlisberger’s Farewell Tour, but a matchup with the Chiefs won’t be easy. That said, Tomlin might have a few tricks to make him competitive.
: 80-48-1 (5-2)
Arians joined the Super Bowl-winning fraternity last season and has a chance to lead the Buccaneers to back-to-back championships. Tom Brady helps, but Tampa Bay has dealt with injuries and the fallout from Antonio Brown’s release after Week 17. Still, the pieces are in place for another run, and if anything, not enough is being talked about. Tampa Bay right now.
39-10 (2-2)
LaFleur has led the Packers to the best record in the regular season, and that includes back-to-back appearances in the NFC North championship. Green Bay is poised for another run as the No. 1 seed, and the drama will be high given last year’s offseason with Aaron Rodgers. LaFleur was questioned for the late field goal against Tampa Bay in last year’s NFC championship game. He responded well, but now it’s time for a Super Bowl run. That won’t be easy.
55-26, 3-3
McVay has led the Rams to four 10-win seasons in five years, and has one Super Bowl appearance. However, LaFleur won heads-up in the playoffs last year and in the regular season this year. The Rams have the star power to make another run, but it’s up to McVay to lead it now.
144-92-2, 10-8
McCarthy also has a winning record at Green Bay with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. He’s the fifth coach on this list with a Super Bowl championship, and he’s back in the playoffs after leading Dallas to a 12-5 record. McCarthy is making his 10th playoff appearance and his teams have won at least one game in six of those 10 seasons. He hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2016. We’ll make him prove it again.
41-24 (4-2)
Vrabel has four straight winning seasons, and the Titans are the No. 1 seed in the AFC despite Derrick Henry’s injury. Tennessee was unique last season, and they will have a tough matchup in the second round. Can Vrabel get this team back to the AFC championship, this time with home court advantage?
49-32 (2-3)
McDermott is on a roll in the regular season. The Bills are 34-15 in the regular season, which is tied for the third-best record in the NFL for that stretch. McDermott led the Bills to the AFC championship last season, and the talent is there on both sides to make another playoff run.
39-42 (2-1)
Shanahan has a Super Bowl run, and the 49ers made an impressive late playoff run this season. That said, Vrabel and McDermott have been more consistent in the regular season. Shanahan can prove that one more time by leading San Francisco to an upset win in the high-profile matchup against the Cowboys.
24-24-1 (0-0)
Kingsbury is making its first playoff appearance and there have been ups and downs for the Cardinals this season. Kyler Murray was the right choice to build the franchise, and injuries got in the way this season. Still, Arizona won 11 games in a division that produced three playoff teams.
16-32-1 (0-0)
Taylor’s first two seasons produced a 6-25-1 record, but he silenced most critics by guiding the Bengals to a 10-7 record and the AFC North Division title. The Bengals have a top-10 scoring offense at 27.1 points per game, and Taylor proved he’s the right coach for a team built around offensive stars Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. If the Bengals snap a postseason win drought dating back to 1990, then that will bring that point home.
9-8 (0-0)
Sirianni is one of six rookie coaches to start the season, and is the only one to make it to the postseason. The Eagles ranked 12th in the NFL in scoring (26.1), and Sirianni has maximized the talents of quarterback Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia has also won six of its last eight games.
7-5 (0-0)
This is by no means a blow to Bisaccia, who led the Raiders to the playoffs as interim coach following Jon Gruden’s resignation. The 61-year-old coach has been a lifetime assistant in the college and pro game since 1983. Bisaccia deserves consideration for the Raiders’ job, especially if they can beat Cincinnati in the AFC wild-card round.