One things for sure this division has talent and its matchups are always good to watch so with 2 days to go until the rest of week 1 gets underway let us take a look at all four teams to see where they'll end up come the end of the regular season:
St. Louis Rams
When you look at the Rams you have to say that although they are in a rebuilding process you can see they actually have a plan for the future. They finished 7-8-1 last season and only lost 1 game to a division rival which is impressive considering they have the Niners and Seattle competing with them. On offense they are led by 4th year quarterback Sam Bradford who had his best year to date in 2012 throwing 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for 3,702 yards. The rest of the offense is also young and many people are predicting a good future for this group of young men but after improving from 2-14 to 7-8-1 it is being suggested by some that they have a shot at making it in to the playoffs as a wild-card team.
Now I like the job the franchise is doing on all fronts I mean both of the Rams first round picks from this year's draft class have great potential and will benefit them on both sides of the ball for years to come. Tavon Austin was the number 8 overall pick and the wide receiver will fit nicely in to the St. Louis offense and then there's Alec Ogletree who despite some run ins with legal issues has the potential to be a very good linebacker if he keeps his head screwed on and is managed in the right way. The Rams may have lost franchise running back Steven Jackson but Zac Stacy may have been a major steal in the 5th round as he impressed in the combine and made the Dan Walker Award watch list in 2012. He also was a two-time West Alabama Player of the Year and ended his career in college with 5,863 rushing yards and 76 total touchdowns.
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| How will Jeff Fishers Rams fair in 2013? |
Now despite the good work Jeff Fisher has done the Rams need to be realistic in 2013 in the sense that they may take a step back in terms of their season record but if they can keep this group together they have reason to be optimistic for the future. Their downfall will be that the NFC West faces the NFC South which is another division with two front runners and two other teams looking to be that surprise package so the schedule is tougher for the Rams than last year. When you add that together with the fact that they will find it very hard to only lose one game within their division again, I have them winning just one NFC West matchup this year and losing the other 5, then you have to say that 2013 will be another learning experience for this franchise.
Season prediction: 6-10. 4th in NFC West.
Arizona Cardinals
After a surprising 4-0 start in 2012 the Cardinals lost 11 of their last 12 games which meant they finished 5-11 as well as bottom of the NFC West. Following the disappointing season Ken Whisenhunt was fired and replaced by Bruce Arians after he guided the Colts to the playoffs during his time as interim head coach. With Arians now given the opportunity of head coaching his home team he will look to revive the fortunes of Larry Fitzgerald whilst developing the likes of Michael Floyd and Andre Roberts who together create a wide receiver trio that could produce results for Arizona.
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| Will Fitzgerald put up big numbers this season? |
The Cardinals have potential on offense but on defense is where there season chances lay as they still have pro bowl calibre players in the shape of Calais Campbell, Patrick Peterson and Darnell Dockett despite losing an experienced leader in Adrian Wilson. As mentioned before Cardinals are enduring a lot of changes this year which isn't always ideal but I feel the players and coaching staff will embrace the challenge which will result in a productive year in terms of progressing forward and rebuilding the franchise.
Season prediction: 7-9. 3rd in NFC West.
San Francisco 49ers
After going 13-3 and defeating the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 the 49ers reached their first Super Bowl since 1994 under the guidance of Jim Harbaugh. Unfortunately for San Francisco they fell short of winning the Lombardi trophy by a mere seven yards as a Baltimore redzone stand clinched the win for them. For the Niners it was heart breaking but they had a lot of positives to take from the 2012 season and will look to become the first team to lose a Super Bowl then go on to bounce back by winning it the next season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins; 7/12 Super Bowl loses since 2000 have failed to even make it back to the playoffs after defeat in the big game!
The Niners defense is crucial to any success and even though they endured some playoff woes last season, especially in the Super Bowl against the Ravens, we know that the likes of Justin Smith, NaVorro Bowman, Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks are all top notch defensive players who can all be difference makers in their own right. They've added rookie free safety Eric Reid who will be beneficial to this secondary along with the veteran cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. It's scary to think that the 49ers defense could improve when you consider they were in the top 3 for defensive categories such as takeaways, points allowed per game, third down conversions and total yards allowed which overall made them the best defense in 2012; watch out for rookie outside linebacker Corey Lemonier who forced his way on to the roster and could make a big name for himself. The 49ers have a star-studded roster even when you take out a wide receiver like Michael Crabtree who underwent surgery to repair a torn achilles tendon this past May so he won't return for at least 6 months plus Anquan Boldin isn't exactly a bad replacement!
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| Colin Kaepernick is a real star in the making |
The NFC West division is the only one which has given me a headache on deciding who will win it because to choose between San Francisco and Seattle may as well come down to the flip of a coin but personally it comes down to the fact that the 49ers have Colin Kaepernick. With this young man as their QB it makes me think they'll have a great 2013 and progress to the postseason as NFC West champions. He managed to beat out Alex Smith who had a 104.1 passer rating before his injury but Jim Harbaugh saw a unique and dynamic talent in Kaepernick; even in his first start he tore apart a highly rated Bears defense completing 16 of his 23 pass attempts for 246 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the 32-7 win. In Kaepernick's 10 starts he threw 10 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions and he threw for 1,608 yards whilst on the ground he rushed for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now that Kaepernick has had a full offseason to learn the offense you can expect greater success from him in 2013 especially under Jim Harbaugh's guidance as he has full trust in his young QB and will give him the freedom he needs. In the playoffs alone you could see how he had improved in such a short amount of time especially when he tore the Packers to shreds along with leading the Niners to a comeback against the Falcons in the NFC title game. His postseason numbers were impressive and even in the Super Bowl considering it was only his 13th start in the league he more than held his own; 798 passing yards in playoffs, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 264 rushing yards with 3 touchdowns and a combined passer rating of 100.9. Kaepernick can tear it up in the air and on the ground as he possesses fantastic arm strength with good accuracy, great speed and has great scrambling ability. There's so much you can say about the 49ers and their talented young quarterback but I'll finish by saying expect big things from the 49ers especially in the regular season as they'll be looking to prove many people wrong who are suggesting the Seahawks will take their divisional crown. Despite some tough challenges ahead it's safe to say that although it is a long season the 49ers are one of the standout Super Bowl contenders.
Season prediction: 1st in NFC West. 12-4
Seattle Seahawks
In three years Pete Carroll has taken the Seattle Seahawks to new heights. In his first year as head coach they won the NFC West with a 7-9 record then in 2011 they posted a 7-9 record again but finished 3rd. Last season was the turning point as Carroll started to build his own team and prove to the players they had the potential to succeed with the team finishing 11-5 and making it to the divisional round of the playoffs where they lost by the narrowest of margins 30-28 to the Falcons. Their 11 victories was the third best record posted in franchise history and they went undefeated at home for the third time ever.
The expectations have risen in Seattle and now it is the job of the players and coaching staff to rise to the occasions and make this talent count. Now while many people are predicting either the Seahawks or 49ers will dip personally I don't see a dip from either but I do see Seattle not meeting their own expectations which will be to win the NFC West. The only good news for them on this front is that they are a definite playoff team regardless of what happens in the division and it's what you do after January that makes you great so Pete Carroll just needs to keep his players focused and ensure that they get the job done. The reason I don't see them winning the division is due to their schedule as it was home form which helped them last season as the team only managed 3 wins out of 8 on the road. It will be success on the road which determines their fate this year as they travel to Carolina on week 1 which is no easy game then they also have matchups against the Texans, Colts, Falcons and Giants on the road to look forward to. Their home form will be fine and they'll win at least 6 games but I have just mentioned 5 hard road games so let's say worst case scenario was they lost all 5 and won the other 3 that puts them at just a 9 win team which in the NFC may not be good enough.
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| Can Wilson, Carroll and co go all the way this year? |
Thankfully for Pete Carroll he knows how to manage talent and the likes of superstar running back Marshawn Lynch will ensure the Seahawks don't dip drastically. Their defense is arguably the best in the league with the team ranked 1st in points per game only allowing 15.3 along with being tied 4th for turnovers forced with 31; helped by the talented secondary of cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner along with strong safety Kam Chancellor and free safety Earl Thomas. Now I don't believe sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson will have a sophomore slump but if he did they better hope the defense comes up big once again which I believe they will. Thankfully for Seattle they have near enough ever piece in their jigsaw in place for success and will have one coming back when Percy Harvin returns from injury later on in the season which will be a great boost for them. Wilson won't slump as 2012 saw him tie Peyton Manning's rookie touchdown record with 26 and the fact he only threw 10 interceptions was impressive especially when you consider Manning threw 28 picks in his rookie season. Wilson had a regular season passer rating of 100.0 and from two playoff games had a rating of 102.4 with 3 touchdowns and one interception so it is clear to see this kid has a bright future. His talents helped Sidney Rice produce the second best season to date in his six year career and could help fellow wideout Golden Tate have a breakout year in 2013. When you consider their potential on offense along with an established defense which has added Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril as pass rushers, sacks being maybe the one weak spot for the Seattle D considering their total of 36 ranked 18th, despite the fact I believe they'll finish 2nd in the West with an 11-5 record you have to say considering they're a sure bet for the postseason that this Seattle are a genuine early season Super Bowl contender.
Season prediction: 11-5. 2nd in NFC West.
