In the famous words of Jacobim Mugatu, "That damn NFC West is so hot right now!" Ok, maybe that's not exactly what he said, but it's close. The NFC West is the closest thing we have to a Hansel in the NFL world, and they are taking the the league by storm. Two hot young QBs along with some studly defenses and mastermind coaches. It feels like just a fortnight ago this was by far the worst league in the entire NFL. What happened? I still have no idea. Let's see how these teams stack up.
4. The St. Louis Rams-I want to believe in this team. They've been trying to get over the hump ever since drafting Sam Bradford, but it just hasn't happened. It doesn't help that the Niners and Seahawks have turned into perennial favorites. It's probably the worst thing that could have happened. Regardless, this team always plays their division tough, going an unheard of 1-0-1 against the Niners last year and 1-1-0 against the Seahawks. However they lost to the likes of the Dolphins and Jets, so consistency is still missing. They added a nice piece in Tavon Austin, but lost Danny Amendola and Steven Jackson. Isaiah Pead might come into his own, but I think it will take two years to really figure it out. As long as they are in this division the Rams are going to suffer as a third or fourth place team. This year, I believe it is the latter.
3. The Arizona Cardinals-Arizona had the fifth best passing defense in the entire league last year, and the 28th best rushing defense. Talk about Jekyll and Hyde. Their offense last year was abysmal, but I'm willing to blame it almost entirely on the quarterback situation. John Skelton and Kevin Kolb may be the worst QB tandem to ever be assembled, and Carson Palmer marks an incredible improvement. Larry Fitzgerald will still miss Kurt Warner, but I think he is going to have a top 5 WR year. Palmer is a great talent, and he loves to throw A LOT. They also added Rashard Mendenhall who can help at running back, although I am skeptical he will. I think this team will rely on passing and defending the pass. They started out hot last year and then fell off the face of the Earth losing every game but one (including a thrilling 6-7 loss to the Jets). I believe they "bounce back" and have a 7-9 or 8-8 season.
2. The Seattle Seahawks-I wanted to put this team in the one spot, especially after their drubbing of the Niners (42-13) in week 16, but the Niners just went to the Super Bowl. You have to earn the crown, and the Niners haven't done enough to lose it. The Hawks added Percy Harvin, the best receiver of the offseason, and he will certainly help them in every aspect of their offensive game. They were the 3rd best rushing attack last year, and that was without the versatile Harvin. The defense is arguably the best in the game, although they will be suffering some suspensions early on in the season. I look for this team to do big things, but it's impossible to know if Russell Wilson can follow up his miraculous season. I guess we will find out week 1 when they annihilate my Panthers. Ugh.
1. The San Francisco 49ers-What do I have to say? Super Bowl last year and NFC Championship the year before, and now they've added Nnamdi Asomugha to an already stout D and Anquan Boldin, the Super Bowl sweetheart, to a versatile offense. They have one of the best defensive players in the game in Patrick Willis, and Jim Harbaugh has proven that he is currently the best coach in the league. They only complaint here is the loss of Michael Crabtree. I don't think it will hurt too much, but you never know. They will remain at number one on my list until they are brought down, but until then they are a juggernaut. Colin Kaepernick is the real deal, and is the fastest run threat QB now that RG3 is limping. Look for big things again this year, but don't be surprised if they get a wildcard and the Seahawks win the division. Oh the horrors you perennial playoff teams have to deal with.
No comments:
Post a Comment