2014 NFC West Preview

In reviewing each NFL division this summer, it seemed logical to start with the NFC West, which pretty clearly is the best division in the league.

Between the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, the team that they not only replaced as NFC West and NFC overall champions, the San Francisco 49ers, the rising Arizona Cardinals (who, people forget, enjoyed a solid 10-6 record last season, normally enough to qualify for the playoffs), and the possibly up and coming St. Louis Rams, a team that probably would have been a playoff contender at least in some recent seasons if they played in a lesser division, you have four quality clubs here that each have a realistic hope of making the playoffs, at the very least. In the case of the Seahawks, they have a realistic hope of qualifying for a second straight Super Bowl, and of winning a second straight title, at that - a feat that has not been accomplished in a decade, since the New England Patriots did it in consecutive seasons in 2003 and 2004.

So, how does each team stack up (at least according to me)?

Here's the breakdown of my predictions, and why I went the way that I did with these predictions):



1. Seattle Seahawks (projected NFC West winners) - They are just too good. Seattle's defense is the best that we have seen in over a decade, and they kept the core unit more or less intact. They are very physical, and so good, that they do not even need to disguise their intentions, almost daring teams to find a way to beat them. That's intimidation, and it worked for them last year. No reason why it cant work for them again this season. The offense is pretty solid as well, with more of an emphasis on ball control and not committing errors. Sometimes, that offense can show glimpses of explosiveness. The special teams are solid, and this team is well coached, with Pete Carroll at the helm. The Seahawks are not too old, but they are very physical and tough, conditioned for success. They are very tough at home, and not too shabby on the road, either! This is a franchise that seems more capable of repeating than any we have seen in some time. Recent champs, such as the Ravens and Giants, were more grateful for their championship success in those single seasons, and were not even remotely a factor in the championship race the season following after the title run. But Seattle looks primed to be a top contender for years to come, because they were built for long-term success. And if they are going to cash in on that, then it is hard to imagine them not enjoying serious success this season. Of course, things can go wrong. They got lucky by remaining relatively healthy last season, and that could go against them (and anybody, really) at any given moment. Also, they will have to remain focused, and that usually comes harder in the season following a championship. They have a big "X" on their chests right now, and everyone is going to take their best shot at them as last year's champs, in particular. But still, I expect them to overcome and succeed, at least enough to clinch this, the toughest division in the league, this season. 

2. San Francisco 49ers (projected second place) - This is a solid team, that was nipping at the heels of the superior Seahawks last season, and will likely be right there again this season. If Seattle slips up even a little bit, the 49ers will likely pounce on the opportunity, and most likely, will seize it. Yes, they are that good (poor preseason so far notwithstanding). They have a defense that is not far behind Seattle, and their offense, while at times erratic, still can be quite explosive. In many ways, they are a mirror image of the Seahawks, and many people felt that the NFC Championship last season was the "real" Super Bowl, to determine who the best team truly was. It very well may be the same contest between the two franchises this season, as well. The thing is this: the 49ers have not fared well in Seattle in recent seasons. It is a tough place to play, granted. But if the 49ers want to elevate their play enough to truly contend for the Super Bowl title this season, I believe that they will have to find a way to beat the Seahawks in Seattle. Failing that, they likely will fail to win this division, or get past the Seahawks in the playoffs, because a meeting would likely be, once again, in Seattle. Now, I am not saying that the entire fortunes of the 49ers rests on that one game or anything, because that would be minimizing the significance of their other regular season contests. But if the 49ers are going to rise above and meet the challenges to be crowned champions, they are going to have to figure out a way to win in Seattle. Whether they can or not, should go a long way in determining whether the 49ers will have another strong season where they ultimately fall short, or if they truly have the stuff that championship teams are made of. 

3. Arizona Cardinals (projected third place team) - The Cardinals are a solid team heading into this season, but they play in such a tough division. There are literally no easy games out of the six that they play within the division, even including the Rams, the team that has been at or near the bottom consistently in recent seasons. Last year, the Cardinals managed to make it to 10-6, a record that usually is good enough to qualify for the playoffs, although it was not enough last year. Ten wins in the NFL's toughest division is saying something, and the Cardinals are a talented team that can look forward to a good season this year, as well. Of course, quarterback Carson Palmer is going to need to play at least as well as he did last season. But the most important thing for Arizona to do this season is pull off a big win or two, surprises though they may be, against the two top teams in this division. Yes, they need to beat either the Seahawks or the Niners, or preferably, both. Not sweep them, necessarily. But they need to get at least one solid victory, if not two, against these teams if they hope to have a chance not only at the NFC West division title, but even the playoffs. They are good enough to sweep St. Louis, but owning a 2-4 record within the division would put them at a serious disadvantage to qualifying for the playoffs. Especially when they have games at Denver, at the Giants, and at Atlanta, as well as home games against Kansas City (a playoff team last season) and opening the season against San Diego, a team that won a playoff game last year. So, they need to beat either Seattle (and they did last season) or San Francisco, and preferably both, if they really hope to reach as far as they can go this season. There really is no margin for error for the Cards this year, and that means right from the get go, they need to be in top form. The question is whether or not that is too tall of an order for Arizona.

4. St. Louis Rams (projected third place team) - The Rams have been in rebuilding mode for some time now. But they seem to be on the right track lately, especially under coach Jeff Fisher, who was solid in his long years at the helm of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. A couple of years ago, they looked like they were improving by leaps and bounds, although they struggled more last season. But with some major improvements on the defensive end, the Rams looked liked they could make a true push for playoff contention this season. However, the recent season-ending injury to Sam Bradford really throws a monkey-wrench into that rosy scenario. He was their starting quarterback, and without him, it will be a tough road. To succeed in this division, the Rams need many breaks to go their way. Yet, before kickoff on opening day, the Rams already unfortunately had a worst case scenario come true, and that does not bode well for them. I really respect Jeff Fisher, but it will take nothing short of his greatest coaching job ever to make things work in the Rams favor this year. Improvements or no, everything has to be complete for a team to truly compete in this division, and even though it may be sad, the fact of the matter is that St. Louis just does not look like a team with momentum on their side. Not with a schedule that, automatically, has them playing the Seahawks, the 49ers, and the Cardinals, twice each. So, I cannot see them escaping the basement in the NFL's toughest division.