Some years it’s easy to pick the best players and personel in the league. In 2007 we could look at the league and say, hey, the Patriots are 16-0, Tom Brady threw 50 touchdowns, and Adrian Peterson rushed for 1,341 yards as a rookie, so, you know, I think Bill Belichick should win coach of the year, Brady ought to be MVP, and Peterson is certainly rookie of the year.

But few records are being broken this season and undefeated teams are nowhere to be found. We have surprises everywhere (exhibit A: Atlanta Falcons) and several worthy candidates for all three major awards.

This article examines the five coaches who, in my opinion, have demonstrated they are worthy of being hailed as the best this season.

Bill Belichick (New England Patriots)

Everyone loved to look at the Patriots and say, “As long as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are there, this is a dangerous team.” Less than a week into the regular season and part one of that equation was lost for the season. But an absent Brady hasn’t been enough to deter Belichick’s Patriots, a hodgepodge of starters and reserve players making a serious run at the postseason. New England has started 40-odd different players this season (translation: lots of injuries). There may be no coach in the NFL better at handling injuries, and Belichick proved so again this season when his MVP quarterback was taken away.

Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts)

A rusty Manning, an absent running game, a Swiss cheese-like defense, and the loss of Bob Sanders during the first half of the season left the Colts at 3-4, several games behind an undefeated division rival. Eight weeks and as many wins later and the Colts clinched the postseason. One can argue Manning was a key reason, but it’s ignorant to suggest Dungy had little to do with the turnaround. He proved once again this season he’s in the ranks of Bill Belichick as one of the NFL’s greatest coaches, not only in recent memory, but also in pro football history.

Jeff Fisher (Tennessee Titans)

Jeff Fisher is winning the old-fashioned way: with a stellar defense and uncontainable running game. His Titans clinched the number one seed this weekend with a major victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers and are the team to beat this postseason. Perhaps most impressive is his doing all this without a great quarterback. Kerry Collins is certainly serviceable, but one can’t help but wonder whether he’d be a starter anywhere else in the NFL. Regardless, Fisher is making it work this season with the best team in the AFC.

Mike Smith (Atlanta Falcons)

The Atlanta Falcons were in turmoil last season. The Michael Vick debacle, loss of team morale, and absence of fan support led the Falcons to a state of irrelevance. But look at ‘em now! There’s still a shot they win the NFC South, and they’ll be doing it with a rookie quarterback and a running back who hadn’t started a game since 2004. Smith has turned the Falcons into winners. They’ve won four of their last five and six of their last eight, clinching the postseason after a big victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Smith’s group may be the biggest surprise in the league this season, and much of the credit should go directly to him.

Tony Sparano (Miami Dolphins)

The coach of another team shocking fans this season, Tony Sparano has taken a Dolphins franchise that was in shambles and turned it on its head. There are no elite stars on this team (though Ronnie Brown has been impressive much of the season and Chad Pennington is quietly reviving his career in a big way), but it flat out wins. After a slow start he shook things up on offense and introduced the “Wild Cat,” but that’s more hype than anything else. His entire team is playing at a high level right now. In its four game win streak, the Dolphins kept opponents at 12 points or fewer in three victories.

Never doubt a team coached by Tony Dungy and led by Peyton Manning. That’s a lesson the rest of the NFL is quickly getting reacquainted to. Just over four weeks ago it would have been easy to discard the Colts in the same vein as San Diego. Stumbling to 3-4, on the heels of two consecutive losses, and in a division in which the leader was 7-0, this was hardly a team worth considering for the postseason. But four weeks and as many wins later, it may be worth jumping back on the Colts bandwagon.

Indianapolis isn’t winning in the fashion of a rout. On the contrary, the Colts are hanging with their opponents - among them, New England, Pittsburgh, Houston, and San Diego - until the very end before pulling ahead with little time on the clock. Against San Diego last weekend the Colts fell behind with 1:35 showing on the clock. Eight plays and ninety seconds later and the Colts regained the lead. Manning drove his offense down the field as he has so often this season to set up Adam Vinatieri for the game-winner.

Looking at the Colts now, with three relatively easy games in succession next on the schedule (Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Detroit), and it’s not hard to imagine ten or more wins. Is that enough to make the postseason in the AFC? It very well could be. The AFC West certainly won’t more than the division winner (Denver currently leads with a 6-5 record), leaving Indianapolis to basically contend with two others: New England and Baltimore, both of which have a more difficult remaining schedule.

Then again, one can’t necessarily rule out Indianapolis winning the AFC South. Understand that it’s a long shot, but Tennessee, which was proved vulnerable this weekend in a blowout defeat at the hands of the New York Jets, could potentially lose its final three games (at Houston, vs. Pittsburgh, and at Indianapolis). If that does happen and the Titans fall to 12-4 and the Colts win out (to improve to 12-4), the Colts hold the tie-breaker. Because Tennessee would slip to 8-4 in conference and the Colts would improve to 10-2, Indianapolis holds the NFL’s fourth tiebreaker: the best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.

Is it likely? No, of course not. Is it possible? Absolutely. The NFL always sees something crazy happen down the stretch. You can count on it happening every season. And what would be crazier than a 10-0 team with a four game division lead dropping four of its last six, including one against the team four games behind, to ultimately lose the division due to the NFL’s fourth tie-breaker?

Of course, it’s far more likely Indianapolis makes it as a Wild Card team. What does that mean? Basically, to make the Super Bowl the Colts would need three road games and a game played on neutral turf. The Colts have actually won more often on the road this season (4-2) than they have at home (3-2). More interesting is Peyton Manning’s progression this season over the course of three months. His passer rating in September was a very un-Manning-ish 73.1. But in October it improved to a more respectable 84.0. And in the month of November he began putting up numbers you’d expect: his rating hit 100.9 and he threw 9 touchdowns and 1 interception in four games.

Obviously the Colts have weaknesses. The running game is laughable, averaging less than 80 yards per game and ranking 32nd in the NFL, whilst the defense continues to struggle stopping the run. Of course, it’s worth pointing out that Indianapolis has allowed only two opposing backs to break 100 yards since its week four bye and only one in the last five weeks. Again, this is a team that has dealt with injuries at key positions this season (Manning in preseason, Joseph Addai and Bob Sanders during the season, to point out the most notable) and still has a pulse. I still believe that Tony Dungy is in the same company as Bill Belichick when it comes to dealing with injuries; both coaches have an uncanny ability to accept what they can’t control, get the team to accept it, and push forward without losing too much footing.

Eight weeks into the season, I wouldn’t have faulted someone for writing off the Colts. Now, just four short weeks later, I can hardly blame that person if he or she is ready to jump back on the bandwagon. Note to the rest of the NFL: heads up; the Indianapolis Colts are not going to walk quietly into the night.

Is this Tony Dungy’s last season?

Dungy has been asked this question so many times and there has been so much speculation that it’s reminiscent of the Favre-frenzy that captured media attention for so many years before he called it quits this offseason (or did he? as so many Packerland fans would like to know). Here’s my guess: this will be his last season wearing a headset in the NFL. Dungy loves to coach and he’s one of the best in the league, but he’s also the type of person who can just as easily walk away to be with his family. That being said, I hold out hope each offseason that he does return so we get to see him coach one more season.

Is Peyton Manning the best fantasy quarterback?

Manning is, year in and out, a top three fantasy football quarterback. In fact, dating back to 1999, he’s never been finished out of the top six at his position (as a rookie in 1998 he was 9th). That’s incredible consistency and it’s why I have him as my number one fantasy quarterback. I wouldn’t fault you for taking Brady first, but I’d also be ecstatic to see Manning fall to me.

Where does Joseph Addai fit in among running backs?

Addai is a top five fantasy running back for a few reasons. First, he’s an immensely talented back who finds the endzone a lot (he scored 15 times last season). Second, he’s still developing - this will be his third season - and reaching his prime. And third, he’s the featured back in the Colts offense. Thanks to the Colts top-notch passing offense, Manning can open up the running game for Joseph Addai by spreading out defenses. Expect another great season for Addai and project for at least 1,175 rushing yards, 45 receptions, 400 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns.

Is Reggie Wayne on the same level as T.O. and Randy Moss?

Wayne is definitely a first-tier wide receiver, along with Owens and Moss. What is amazing about Wayne is that his number of receptions has increased steadily since he entered the league in 2001, peaking last season when he hauled in 104 catches as Peyton Manning’s go-to receiver. This season he’ll see more great production. And though he might not break 100 receptions, he should still be the third receiver to come off your draft board. Project for at least 90 receptions, 1,400 yards, and 12 touchdowns.

What should I do about Marvin Harrison?

Harrison’s 2008 projections and health concerns dictate that he should be drafted as a WR3. He’s also dealing with the distraction of his alleged involvement in a shooting at a bar he owns. Project for around 60 receptions, 800 yards, and 5 touchdowns.

Will the Colts win the Super Bowl this season?

Indianapolis is definitely talented enough to win, especially if the team can stay healthy for an entire season. Plus, I think it would be one great sendoff for Tony Dungy if the Colts win a second Super Bowl in three years. My vote is “yes.”

Of course, things have been going the Chargers’ way as of late. The team is on a seven game win streak. During the span the defense has allowed less than 12 points per game while the offense has hit a groove, scoring nearly 29 points per contest. Not to rain on the Bolts parade or anything, but those games were against fairly weak opponents. Only one playoff team (they beat the Titans twice) in the bunch, while the rest (Baltimore, Oakland, Denver, Kansas City, and Detroit) were in the midst of disappointing seasons.

Still. A seven game win streak that dates back to late November is never a bad thing when entering the postseason. In fact, teams like San Diego that get hot this time of year often see success in the postseason.

Too bad their oppononent is Indianapolis, in most everyone’s mind, the second best team in the NFL. In the minds of a few, the best. But wherever you put the Colts on your power ranking, at least one thing is certain: they are dominant, especially at home. Thanks to the rabid crowd noise of the RCA Dome (falsely accused without evidence of pumping extra noise), the precision of Peyton Manning’s passing attack, and the brilliant coaching of Tony Dungy, the Colts are the clear favorites to win Sunday’s game. In a poll of fans on ESPN.com, the Colts took 81% of the votes questioning who will win the game, over a dozen percentage points higher than votes going to New England in their matchup.

Regardless of how well the Chargers play Sunday’s game, the Colts will win if they bring their best game to the table. And with the return of Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis only looks stronger than ever.

Scary, isn’t it?

The Prediction: Colts win easily, 31-17