It wasn’t long ago that the NFC West was the laughingstock of the NFL. Who can forget the 2010 season when the Seattle Seahawks limped past the St. Louis Rams via tiebreaker and into the playoffs with a lousy 7-9 record? To make matters worse, the nationally televised playoff play-in was sloppy and confirmed that the best the NFC West had to offer that season was pretty darn terrible. In fact, the Seahawks’ Pete Carroll, who was in his first season in 2010, is the only head coach in the division still standing in 2013.
Along with the influx of coaches over the past three seasons, the NFC West has also seen an influx of young talent, which has vaulted every team’s stock from laughing- to rising. Whichever team escapes the loaded field will have a shot at reaching the Super Bowl.
Arizona CardinalsÂ
In another division, the Arizona Cardinals might be poised for a breakout year. The post-Kurt Warner QB era in Arizona has been atrocious, but they finally have a live body behind center. Carson Palmer, who passed for more than 4,000 yards with the Oakland Raiders last season, will take the reins this season. While Palmer is entering the twilight of his NFL career, the two-time Pro Bowler still has enough juice to get the ball into the hands of the great Larry Fitzgerald.
The Cardinals’ defense is led by “Mr. All-Pro Everything” Patrick Peterson and rookie “Mr. I Smoke Everything” Tyrann Mathieu. The strong unit should once again finish in the top half of defenses in the NFL, giving them the opportunity to stick with big boys on any given Sunday.
Sadly for the Cards, their offensive line is about as stout as paper mache and it’s very likely that Palmer will spend a fair amount of time on his butt or on the sidelines due to injury. If that happens, the Cards’ chances to compete in the West will dry up faster than the desert heat in Arizona. Â
San Francisco 49ers
The defending NFC Champions return to action with their roster still nearly intact from their incredible run a season ago. Furthermore, standout quarterback Colin Kaepernick has now gone through his first full offseason as the starter. Kaepernick seemingly has all the tools to become one of the greats in 49ers QB folklore: a rocket arm, dynamic speed and scrambling ability and heady play.
He will undoubtedly miss WR Michael Crabtree (Achilles) but Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis are well-suited to pick up the slack. Additionally the debilitating rushing attack behind Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and Kaepernick will surely open up passing lanes in San Fran.
Defensively, the 49ers are just as impressive. Justin and Aldon Smith form one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the NFL. Meanwhile, linebackers Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman will give running backs bad dreams. All things considered, the 49ers have one of the best defenses in the NFL and must be considered the favorites to win the division, and maybe the Super Bowl.
Seattle SeahawksÂ
While the 49ers defense is considered to be one of the best in the league, many consider the Seahawks’ to be the best. The unit allowed the least amount of points during the 2012 season, yielding just 15.3 ppg. Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner and Antoine Winfield is a shutdown defensive backfield. In a pass-happy league, the Seahawks have the tools to give opposing quarterbacks the blues. Second-year standout middle linebacker Bobby Wagner will be a monster in the middle and this defense should be firing on all cylinders.
Offensively, QB Russell Wilson and RB Marshawn Lynch will be a problem for opposing defenses. Like Kaepernick, Wilson is a remarkable dual threat who is just as adept at finding receivers downfield as he is scrambling for big runs. Lynch punishes defenses, plain and simple. The injury to explosive but injury-prone wideout Percy Harvin will hurt the offense. The WR crew is solid, but unremarkable without Harvin. His hip injury could cost the team the conference crown, or the outstanding defense could make his absence a moot point.
St. Louis Rams
The Rams are the real X-factor in the NFC West. Second-year coach Jeff Fisher’s team make remarkable improvements last season. This season, all eyes will be on QB Sam Bradford, but the play of his young skill players will determine if the team continues its rise. WR Chris Givens and TE Jared Cook look to be the goods. However, only time will tell if Tavon Austin and Brian Quick will develop as quickly as the team needs them to in order to contend for the playoffs immediately.
Defensively, the Rams are strong. There’s little doubt that Chris Long and Robert Quinn will get to opposing QBs. James Laurinaitis and Cortland Finnegan could reach the Pro Bowl. The rest of the defense is young, exciting and explosive. If they can be consistent, they could shock a lot of people.
The biggest asset of the defense is its ability to contain dual threat quarterbacks like Wilson, Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III. Last season, the unit performed admirably against the trio. Are the Rams a Super Bowl contender? No. However, with the Seahawks and 49ers on the schedule twice, the team’s greatest strength could help it pull off the greatest surprise – a division title.
