NFL Preview: NFC West

The NFC West is one of the worst divisions in Football, yet it is so hard to choose a winner. For years this division has been full of mediocre teams and the Seahawks have preyed on that. Entering 2008 it will be interesting to see if a team can overthrow the team from Seattle or if Mike Holmgren will lead them to their 5th division title in a row.

Here is how it will play out....


4. San Fransisco 49ers (Bodog Over/Under 6.5)
Under. I mean REALLY under. Under 6.5 is a close to a sure thing as you can get. The franchise with 5 Super Bowl titles has not been good since Steve Mariucci left in 2002 and this year will be business as usual. The biggest hole in this team is clearly at the Quarterback position, and there is no way to fill it. When a team has a battle for the QB position in camp, it usually means that they have 2 players who shouldn't be starting and are forced to pick the lesser of two evils. In the 2008 49ers case there are three players who should not be leading an NFL team and whoever they pick I am sure will not last 16 games.

To improve the offense, they went out and hired Mike Martz as their Offensive Coordinator. I think Martz is one of the better offensive minds in the game, but is not a miracle worker. He will look to use Frank Gore like he did Marshall Faulk and that will benefit Gore. Look for Frank to have a big season and be the only bright spot of the offense.

On defense there is really nothing to talk about except for second year Linebacker Patrick Willis. He was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year last season as well as a Pro Bowler and led the league in tackles. This kid is an absolute beast in the middle and will have another monster amount of tackles in 2008.

They will go through many Quarterbacks this season and fans should look for another disappointing season from the 49ers and a last place finish in the NFC West.

O yea....Head Coach Mike Nolan wears a suit on the sidelines!!! HAHAHAHAHAH

Prediction: 3-13


3. St Louis Rams (Bodog Over/Under 6.5)
Under. This is a close one to pick because I think they are better than they played last year. They were destroyed by injuries and still have a lot ofweapons at all the skill positions with Bulger, Jackson and Holt. The only problem is one of those weapons may not be playing come opening weekend. Steven Jackson has not yet reported to camp in his contract year and it seems like there is no end in sight to his holdout.

If the Rams start the 2008 campaign without Steven Jackson, they are going to be in a lot of trouble on offense. In what has become a 2 back league, the Rams do not have a backup for Jackson. As of right now Antonio Pittman and Travis Minor are battling for the starting Tailback spot while Rutgers alum Brian Leonard will look for touches out of the Fullback position. The longer the Jackson holdout lasts, the worse things will get for QB Marc Bulger. Even if Jackson does come back it is going to take him a few weeks to really hit stride. Don't expect the 2008 Rams to look anything like the "Greatest Show on Turf" teams of a few years back.

The defensive side of the ball will be the story in St Louis this year. The Rams used the 2nd overall pick to select stud DE Chris Long from Virgina in this year's draft and everyone is excited to see baby Howie will play. Playing with Long veteran Leonard Little is looking to bounce back from an injury last season and will be counted on to rush the passer. Also in the middle of that line is another veteran who can rush the QB in La'Roi Glover. The D line will be the strength of this unit and will put a lot of pressure on the QB. This will help a weak secondary and should make the Rams Defense a sneaky group to deal with.

If Steven Jackson does not play or does not return early enough, it will not matter how good the Defensive Line plays. They are in a rebuilding year, but have enough talent and an easy enough schedule to pull out a few wins.

Prediction: 6-10

2. Arizona Cardinals (Bodog Over/Under 7.5)
Under. I have been going back and forth for a while about how I feel about this team. On one hand they have an explosive offense and one of the best up and coming coaches in NFL. On the other hand they are the Arizona Cardinals. After some deep thought, I realized that the Arizona Cardinal side will rear its ugly head once again in 2008. However this year it will not because they do not have the talent to win games, but instead will be because of a very tough schedule. They have to play 4 of the 6 NFC playoff teams from last year (including the Seahawks twice) and will also have to make the trip to Massachusetts to play the Patriots. They will face other tough games going on the road to play the Eagles, Panthers and Jets and taking on the Vikings at home late in the year.

We know what they have at the Wide Receiver position is going to be very good again in 2008. What we do not know is what kind of play they are going to get from the QB position. After breaking his collar bone 5 games in last year, Matt Leinart is facing the most important season of his career. Posting solid numbers in his rookie year, Leinart had a major setback with that injury last season and needs to show the coaching staff he has the talent to be the QB of the future. The good news is Whisenhunt displayed confidence in his young QB by giving Leinart the job heading into the season. The bad news is the ageless Kurt Warner looms behind Matt, ready to take the job at anytime. I think Leinart has talent and will step up to the pressure this season. Whisenhunt also realized that Edgerrin James is not the same back that he had with Jerome Bettis in Pittsburgh and will look to utilize him better in 08.

Last season the defensive side of the ball may have been what cost the Cards a playoff birth, but this year thing should be different. Pro Bowl Safety Adrian Wilson played only 9 games last season and that was a big reason for their struggles. Healthy and motivated in 08, Wilson will bounce back and rise to the top again as one of the best safeties in the NFL. The line is anchored by DT Darnell Dockett, but after him there is not much to get excited about with the front 7. They will be better than they were last year, but this still is the weaker side of the ball for Whisenhunt's squad.

Boldin and Fitzgerald are rocks on offensive, but all eyes are pointed on Matt Leinart. If not for a tough schedule, I would say this is the year the Cards get to relive the glory year of 1998. Instead they will look to have another strong season and build for the Matt Leinart era.

Prediction: 7-9

1. Seattle Seahawks (Bodog Over/Under 8.5)
Over. Dominant home play is what makes this team good every season. Coming into 2008 they have won this division 4 years in a row going a 25-7 at home during that streak. In that time, the rock that has held in all together has been QB Matt Hasselbeck. Taking out 2006, a year which Matt missed 4 games, he has thrown for 3,000 yards and 20 TDs in every years since 2002. There is no reason to think Hasselebck can't keep this up in 08 and continue his play as a top tier NFL QB.

The real question on offense is in the backfield. After an injury filled 2007 season, the Seahwaks decided it was time to part ways with their 30 year old RB and head in another direction. That other direction was made clear in the off season when they threw a ton of money at Julius Jones and signed veteran TJ Duckett. These two, along with Maurice Morris, will make up Seahawks backfield in 2008...but how successful can they be? If I could answer that question I would be standing next to Mike Holmgrem, but for now I will say that answer to that question will play a huge role in their upcoming season.

The defnese is anchored by one of the greatest names in sports...Lofa Tatupu. Playing MLB for the 'Hawks, Lofa is an a sideline to sideline guy who has a nose for the ball. Tatupu is starting his fourth season and he heads up a linebacker group that is very strong with vet Julian Peterson on the outside. In the secondary Marcus Trufant has become one of the leaders of the defense, and will look to build off his Pro Bowl 2007. This defense is strong and has become the strength of what used to be an offensive team.

If they can figure out the running game they will coast to the NFC West crown. If they cannot they will still win the division, but may be playing important games right into week 17. The defense and great home play will lead this team to another division title.

Prediction: 10-6