NFC West Preview

Part six of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions as we approach the start of the regular season. Today, we take a look at the NFC West.

Seattle Seahawks
This may be the closest division in football. The Seahawks are still top dogs, but not by much, and not for much longer. They are no longer the team that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl, but they are not the team ravaged by injury which still won the division. If healthy, the 'hawks will be better than last season, but so will each of the other teams in the division. Matt Hasselbeck should have a bounce back year, as should Shaun Alexander. However, the running game with Alexander has not been the same since losing Steve Hutchinson to Minnesota. Defensively, there are some coverage concerns among the defensive backs. However, the linebacking core is good, led by Lofa Tatupu. The key for this team is health; even more so than every other team. Offensively they rely so much on timing, that when the key players aren't able to get a lot of reps together, the unit sputters as it did last year. Unless Seattle can show a reinvigoration of their offense heading into next season, this may be their last on top of the West for a while. But hey, for this season, they're still the best.
Prediction: 10-6

St. Louis Rams
The Rams are placed ahead of the other two teams in the division simply because of their experience. Them, and the Niners and Cardinals, are basically dead even, so the experience in St. Louis should be the X-factor. They are no longer the Greatest Show on Turf, but the Rams still have a very good offense. Marc Bulger is one of the best QBs in the conference, and he has aging, but still effective, WRs Torry Holt and Issac Bruce to throw to. But this offense has transformed into more of a running offense. Having a back like Steven Jackson will tend to do that. Jackson has quickly emerged as one of the top three backs in the game today, and he should only get better. Defensively, there are some issues that coach, Scott Linehan, continues to work on. In this division, no one really has a strong defense, so the Rams should be able to compete just fine. And this is a team that knows how to win shootouts.
Prediction: 9-7

San Francisco 49ers
The Niners showed great improvement last year, capping the season off with a win against Denver that kept the Broncos out of the playoffs. Their improvement over the past two seasons can be directly linked to the improvement of QB, Alex Smith. And Smith's improvement can be linked to Norv Turner and an improving offensive line. Well, Turner is no longer around, but the line, along with the rest of his supporting cast, continues to improve. First round draft pick, LB Patrick Willis, has a chance to make an immediate impact on a young, aggressive defense. Frank Gore has emerged, like Steven Jackson, as an elite back in the league, and that takes a lot of pressure off of Alex Smith. Look for the Niners to pick up where they left off last season, and if they don't challenge for their own playoff spot, they will certainly make it tough on other playoff contenders.
Prediction: 9-7

Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have a very bright looking future, at least offensively. Matt Leinart, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin form a great core of offensive weapons. And Edgerrin James is still a dangerous running back when given proper running lanes. That's where the questions arise for this team: the offensive line. Levi Brown brings hope to a annual weakness of this team, but can he make the impact they will need right away? That remains to be seen. New coach, Ken Whisenhunt, brings a desire to run the ball like he had in Pittsburgh, and that bodes well for the offense. James finally started to find some running room later last season, so there is hope that the Cardinals can build on that. And, if they can, they could have as good an offense as anybody in the division. But also like everyone else in the division, their defense is spot for concern. If Whisenhunt can bring some of that Steel Curtain defense from Pittsburgh, along with the running game, then the Cardinals could easily leap frog both the Niners and Rams and contend for a playoff spot. That's a lot of ifs at this point however.
Prediction: 7-9