BREAKDOWN – NFC West

By Steve O’Reilly

The NFC West is a Division that is wide open and depending who you ask, can be had by anyone. The Cardinals have the most talent, arguably, followed closely by the 49ers. The issue with the Cardinals however is Kurt Warner is gone and the new starter, Derek Anderson, leaves some a bit nervous as to how far he can take them. The Niners are young but made strides in 2009 and if they continue along that path they should be tough to beat, the issue with them is the same as the Cardinals, how much do you trust their QB. In their case it’s former 1st Overall pick Alex Smith. For the Seahawks, they brought in a new Head Coach from USC and some new players to boot but of all the NFC West teams they have the best Quarterback…when he’s upright! The St. Louis Rams also have a #1 Overall pick on their roster and he too plays Quarterback, his name is Sam Bradford and the kid from Oklahoma has been turning some heads. What lies ahead for all these West Coast squads? Let’s take a spin around the Division and break it all down!!

San Francisco 49ers – It’s important to note that picking the Niners to win the West is not definitive by any means but I am leaning towards them slightly over the Cardinals. The reason is because Mike Singletary has done a nice job at filling needs over the last few years. He needed a playmaker at Wide Receiver and drafted Michael Crabtree, who should much better without the holdout distractions and with some game experience under his belt. The Niners needed a Safety and they nabbed Taylor Mays who fits Singletary’s style of in your face football. They needed to shore up the O-Line and they used two 1st Round Picks in the 2010 Draft on a Left Guard (Mike Iupati) and a Right Tackle (Anthony Davis). Couple this with the veteran talent at the skill positions, i.e. Frank Gore and Vernon Davis and the Niners have a nice unit that mashes the football physically and speed and diversity for big play potential. The key to the car however is Alex Smith. He’s got some needed continuity now and is playing in the same offensive system from a year ago, which is the first time in his career that this has happened. Teammates Frank Gore and Vernon Davis both have said that Smith is embracing the leadership role more and is clearly taken control of the Offense. So where are the questions aside from the QB? Well, you never know how good Rookies are going to play until you see it so while Iupati and Davis look great on paper and have been solid in Preseason, it’ll bear watching how they play when Blitzes start coming from every angle. Another big concern was the Secondary. Cornerback Nate Clements is very good but Shawntae Spencer has emerged as the better Corner out in the Bay. Clements has rededicated himself and has been working hard to get back to where he once was. The problem is he lacks top end speed and gets beat deep too often. Safety in 2009 was also a concern with Michael Lewis and Mark Roman but Roman is now gone and Dashon Goldson takes over at the other Safety spot. Taylor Mays is waiting in the wing and his freak athleticism might get him on the field sooner rather than later. The one thing about Mays however is he can hit but not really known for his cover skills. The Linebackers are great, Patrick Willis is one of the top LB’s in the game and Takeo Spikes adds a very solid veteran presence. The Front 3 in the 34 Defense that San Fran runs is not highly decorated but they are very good and if you watch game tape on them you see they penetrate well and allow the Linebackers to run free. All around a solid team but not overly spectacular.

Player to Watch – Alex Smith – If he can come out and be an above 60% Completion Percentage QB than the Niners could be in business. In 2009 he was at 60.5% which was the best in his career, a few more completed passes here and there makes all the difference in the world. With their running game and TE threat of Davis, Smith really has all the weapons at his disposal.

Schedule: Wins: Seahawks, Cardinals, Rams, Rams, Chiefs, Panthers, Bucaneers
Loses: Chargers, Saints, Eagles, Seahawks, Cardinals
Could go either way: Raiders, Packers, Falcons, Broncos

Prediction – 9-7 (1st Place NFC West)

The Skinny: The Niners are the most complete team in the West right now with solid players and a few Superstars. Patrick Willis is a stud as is Frank Gore and Vernon Davis. If the Secondary holds up and the O-Line jells quickly than this is a bonafide Playoff team. If Alex Smith is hurried too often and the D’ allows big plays in the passing game than they will be a middle of the road ballclub.

Arizona Cardinals – Not too many other teams have had the turnover that the Cardinals have experienced in 2010. Gone is the leader of the Offense and this retirement can not be understated for the team and Division. Kurt Warner’s ability to sling the rock took this offense, along with the exceptional talent at Wide Receiver, to the Super Bowl in 2008. The Cardinals relied so heavy on the passing attack that they ranked near or at the bottom of the league in Rushing. The brass in Arizona saw this day coming however and they prepared for it by drafting Running Back Chris “Beanie” Wells in the 1st Round of the 2009 Draft. The team brought in Alan Faneca, the Veteran O-Lineman who will help open holes in the running game. Matt Leinart never worked out for the Cardinals and was released this offseason when his inability to move the ball was apparent. The Cardinals acquired Derek Anderson after his release from the Browns and he is now the signal caller in the desert. With nice depth at Wide Receiver, the Cards traded Anquan Boldin to the Baltimore Ravens for draft picks and it’s apparent the change in talent leads us to believe this team will go in a different direction in their Offensive strategy. Defensively, the Cardinals lost a host of starters. First to depart via Free Agency was ballhawking Safety, Antrel Rolle who is now with the New York Giants. Next to depart was Linebacker Karlos Dansby who is now a Miami Dolphin. They didn’t sit idle however, they acquired Safety Kerry Rhodes from the Jets and Linebacker Joey Porter from Miami. They resigned Darnell Dockett to a long term deal and drafted Defensive Tackle Dan Williams from Tennessee with their 1st Pick in the 2010 Draft. Up front, the Cardinals have enough talent to get after the QB and Linebackers have experience. The Secondary has an up and coming talent at Cornerback in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and one of the better Safeties in the league in Adrian Wilson. The Defense should be solid enough but the questions at QB with Derek Anderson is the big question mark. If he plays like he did in 2007 when he went to the Pro Bowl, than the Cardinals win the West and Larry Fitzgerald has a monster year. If not than they go 8-8 and no postseason.

Player to Watch – Derek Anderson – The stage is set and this is Anderson’s best chance to prove his worth. He takes over a team with a very nice offense and exceptional talent at Wide Receiver. The Running game behind Hightower and Wells should be solid and the Defense should keep in them ballgames for the most part. Anderson must produce.

Schedule – Wins: Rams, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Raiders, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Broncos
Losses: Chargers, Vikings, 49ers, Seahawks, Saints
Could go either way: Cowboys, Falcons, Panthers

Prediction – 8-8 (No Playoffs)

The Skinny: While this team potentially could be good there is too much turnover to believe that they will jell enough to win the Division. The Defense has new faces who’ve never played together and the Offense has a new QB who is no where close to the talent of the old one. They should change their philosophy by becoming more of a running, ball control style team and allow their Defense to keep them in games. The problem with that is it requires no mistakes or turnover. Wells has had a penchant for dropping the rock and Anderson has been known to throw a few INT’s. Larry Fitzgerald is still one of the best in the game and anything is possible but it’s hard to imagine that this team will be better than a year ago with less talent and in a Division that got better all around.

Seattle Seahawks – Pete Carroll has left the College ranks and is back in the NFL. The former New England Patriot coach finds himself staying on the West Coast right up the coastline from his former job at USC. Carroll has his hands full in retooling a team that went 5-11 in 2009. Carroll has made some changes already, notable the hiring and subsequently quitting of Alex Gibbs and the release of TJ Houshmanzedah. Gibbs was brought in to teach the Zone Blocking techniques that made the Broncos running game of yesteryear click. His style teaches small athletic lineman how to move in unison, cut the backside pursuit and open running lanes for the Back. Surprisingly, Gibbs has decided to retire (again) right before the season started however it’s safe to assume that his blocking methods will remain in tact, which is good news for Justin Forsett. The Seahawks have been a busy team bringing in a magnitude of different guys. None more surprising however than Mike Williams. The dramatic turnaround by Williams definitely shouldn’t go unnoticed. A standout at USC, Williams sat a year out of the NFL while a pending lawsuit took place as to whether or not he was old enough to play in the league. Upon his return he fizzled with 3 ball clubs and found himself out of the league for 2 full seasons. After a rededication and focus, Williams finds himself at the top of the Depth Chart in Seattle and played well enough thus far for the Seahawks to cut Houshmanzedah even though they still owe him 6.2 Million dollars. Matt Hasselbeck remains at QB and in addition to Williams has a nice speedy WR in the form of Golden Tate to throw to. The Rookie from Notre Dame was an exceptional playmaker in college and he joins veteran Deion Branch to round out the top of the WR corps. 1st Round pick in the 2010 Draft, Russell Okung figures to weigh heavy in the success of the offense as the O-Line struggled in 2009 and the great Walter Jones has now retired. Defensively, the other 1st Round selection and natural ballhawk Earl Thomas, the Safety from Texas joins veteran Lawyer Malloy and Cornerbacks Kelly Jennings and Marcus Trufant. Jennings was in a battle with Josh Wilson for the starting spot but after Wilson was traded to the Ravens, it became a moot point. Hard hitting Chris Clemons comes over from the Eagles to fill the shoes of retired Patrick Kerney. Darryl Tapp has moved on to the Eagles and the D-Line has a bunch of fresh faces. The key for Seattle is protecting the QB and limiting teams from scoring. In 2009 they ranked 25th in scoring Defense and allowed 390 Points, way too many to be considered a contender for the postseason.

Player to watch – Aaron Curry – The Linebacker from Wake Forest needs to step up and take control of this defense. Lofa Tatupu has for a long time been one of the most underrated Linebackers in the NFL but he can’t do it alone. He needs some help and it starts with Curry. To improve the Defensive ranking the Hawks need to tackle better and get after the QB more, especially now with Kerney gone. Curry was a surefire, can’t miss prospect that needs to make his way to the Pro Bowl!

Schedule – Wins: Rams, Bears, Chiefs, Giants, Cardinals, 49ers, Buccaneers
Losses: Chargers, Cardinals, 49ers, Rams, Saints
Could go either way: Broncos, Panthers, Raiders, Falcons

Prediction – 8-8 (No Playoffs)

The Skinny: The Seahawks appear to be a confident bunch even after having a bad year in 2009. The Pete Carroll era enters and brings his USC success and the confidence gained by that with him. The Seahawks have a good a chance as anyone, save the Rams, to win the NFC West due in part to a pretty easy schedule. If they can get the O-Line to play at a fairly high level and let Hasselbeck find his weapons they should be alright. Forsett takes over full time at Running Back and has a nice upside. Mike Williams might be the Comeback Player of the Year and the Defense has been upgraded where it needed it, at Free Safety and along the D-Line. If Curry steps up his game and plays at a very high level alongside Tatupu, than the Defense should be better and you never know, Seattle could squeak out 9 wins!

St. Louis Rams – The team on the rebuild has finally gotten it right and when you get it right, the rebuild process is that much faster. The Rams Front Office really wanted to ensure that they didn’t strike out with the 1st Overall pick in the 2010 Draft and if the Preseason performance of Sam Bradford is any indication then the Rams hit a Homerun!! Granted the Preseason is very vanilla and Defenses hardly show the full gambit of blitzes and packages but you still have to be impressed with Bradford’s accuracy and presence behind Center. He wowed Rams fans in every outing and looked more like a veteran than a rookie. The question is how will he handle NFL Defenses when the bullets fly, calling audibles and taking the time to go through his progressions. Many young QB’s get too quick with their initial read and if that guy isn’t open they tend to force the ball or hold onto it too long. The Rams have added a nice Veteran presence to help out the WR corps with a trade for former Ravens WR Mark Clayton. Clayton offers a solid possession receiver and an excellent character guy to show the youngsters how to be a professional on and off the field. Another Rookie with good potential is WR Mardy Gilyard. Not quite a starter Gilyard is a Yards after the Catch type guy who can make you miss and make things happen after the catch. Some of the biggest question marks for the Rams is their Offensive Line play, especially Rookie Left Tackle Rodger Saffold. The University of Indiana stud was taken 33rd Overall and provides an athletic body holding down the Blind Side. The unit is now without former 1st Round pick Alex Barron who was traded to the Cowboys for Linebacker Bobby Carpenter. The most glaring stat from the 1-15 Rams of 2009 has to be two things that are tied together, Points Differential! The Rams were dead last in the league in scoring, posting only 175 points and allowing 436. A differential of -261 was the worst in the NFL and it’s clear to see why they didn’t win that many games. Defensively, the Rams have some young talent that is ready to mature into a solid unit. Guys like Chris Long, James Laurinaitis and Larry Grant join veterans like Ron Bartell, Fred Robbins, Oshiomogho Atogwe and Na’il Diggs. Gone is longtime Defense End Lenard Little but the hope is James Hall and Georgie Selvie can fill his void. For the Rams it’s going to be tough but they have a last place schedule in 2010 and Sam Bradford, paired with perennial All Pro Steven Jackson should give fans hope. If Bradford plays as well as he did in the Preseason than this team will rally around their guy and could string together some wins. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will the Rams but Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo has experience in building a quality Defense like he had with the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. This team is adding some nice pieces and should show improvement in 2010!

Player to watch – Sam Bradford – The #1 Overall pick is always a dicey proposition because if you miss it can really set your franchise back a few years, just ask the Raiders. However, if you hit the nail on the head it gives you something to build around for the future and I believe that Bradford was the best Quarterback prospect to come out in a few years. He has the moxie and tools you look for and if the O-Line gives him some time, he could really turn some heads in 2010.

Schedule – Wins: Chiefs, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Lions
Losses: Raiders, Seahawks, Niners, Niners, Seahawks, Chargers, Falcons, Saints
Could go either way: Panthers, Redskins, Broncos

Prediction – 5-11 (No Playoffs)

The Skinny: The Rams are rebuilding but so far so good. They have their Franchise QB and Running back and look for them to get Bradford a legit #1 Wide Receiver in the first round of the 2011 Draft. The Defense needs to make some stops and the Offense has to control the ball, use the running game to dictate games and keep the D’ off the field for as long as possible. They have some young talent that will take time to mature but they have hope and Bradford will energize the fans and the locker room. Things are heading in the right direction out in St. Louis!