I know what you are thinking: Where is Matt Venuto? Well, like so many other small business we had to layoff the aspiring sports writer in order to use the money we paid him for the bagels and smear for the weekly staff meeting. Not really, but Venuto is in the search for quality job from a quality employer, and quite frankly The Sports Union is neither.
So, picking up where he left off we will take an in-depth look at the NFC West, the cellar dwellers of the NFL.
The NFC West will be another closely contested division but not because the teams are great and evenly matched, but because they are equally horrid and believe defense is something talked about in team meetings–although the ‘Niners are making an effort to sure up that side of the ball.
As I said last year, there will be no chance for a Super Bowl team to come from this weak division … err … well, I wouldn’t put any money on it and here is why…
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have done everything to build up their offense and give quarterback Matt Hasselback the weapons to keep the team close, but the defense will struggle and force the offense to score often.
Hasselback’s offensive line will be a real concern for Seattle as they are injury prone and will need to give the aging quarterback time to pick out his weapons. The receivers will be the second-best core and maybe the oldest in the West with the likes of Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and rookie Deon Butler.
One would think the off-season addition of Edgerrin James would be a boon to the Seahawks’ running game, but James will find himself once again standing on the sidelines with a team who doesn’t like and can’t afford to play smash mouth football.
The defense of the Seahawks has holes all over, even though they took a huge step during the draft by picking up the linebacker Aaron Curry. He will struggle early with the speed and momentum of the NFL game, but by mid-season he will hit his stride and a whole lot of opposing players. Give him a couple years and he will be a young Brian Urlacher.
The Seahawks will finish at the bottom in the NFC West and look forward to another top three pick in the draft.
Best Case: 7-9. Worst Case: 2-14. Most Likely 4-12
Fantasy Focus: Matt Hasselback has the weapons around him and the defense that will force him to put up big numbers. Unfortunately, the guy breaks down more than my Ford Taurus so he might be the best choice when your great quarterback is on his bye week and someone already has the quarterback going against the Seahawks.
St. Louis Rams
During the off-season the Rams released everyone from receiving great, Torry Holt, to Jack Mehoff, the water boy. It was a fire sale and many fans were wondering if they would even have enough players to field a team come preseason. Well don’t worry Rams fans, they put the players names on the back of the jersey so you can figure out who they actually are.
The returners that will make the biggest impact are quarterback, Marc Bulger, and running back, Steven Jackson. To help these two individuals have bounce-back seasons the Rams focused on closing the holes on the offensive line so they could open the holes for Jackson and protect their fragile quarterback.
The defense will struggle for the Rams and they will cause most visiting offenses to be labeled as “The Greatest Show on Turf.” Rookie linebacker, James Laurinaitis, will be called on to anchor the defense and he is not strong enough or quick enough to do it. Look for teams to put up big numbers in the running game and the passing game, and give their punter the day off.
The Rams will have another disappointing year and the fans of St. Louis will call for their savior, Albert Puljos, to don a jersey and pads and bring back respectability to the organization. [sidenote: if you are hoping a baseball player would move over to football to bring “respectability” to your team, you are in deep trouble.]
Best Case: 8-8. Worst Case: 3-13. Most Likely 5-11
Fantasy Focus: Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson are the safe choices, but if you would like a flyer pick then choose wide receiver, Donnie Avery, as he will be roaming free if the line can give Bulger time and with defenses cluing in on the running game.
San Francisco 49ers
The best thing the ‘Niners did in the off-season is keep Coach Mike Singletary. He will be the key to returning the ‘Niners to the glory days of past. The worst thing the ‘Niners did in the off-season was not to go after an upgrade to solve their quarterbacks issues. Shaun Hill and Alex Smith are not the answer to the offensive struggles embedded in the golden team by the bay, and evidently Michael Crabtree isn’t either.
Singletary lives and dies by defense and the additions to strengthen the troubled secondary of last year. The cornerbacks with Nate Clemens and Dre Bly will shore up the pass defense giving the linebackers an opportunity to run to the ball like their coach made a living doing.
On the offensive side of the ball, the ‘Niners are in trouble. A weak quarterback without leadership skills is opposite of the archetype of the previous ‘Niners dynasty (you might be asking which current quarterback I am talking about … yes, all of them). The potential shot in the arm will be the signing of Crabtree, and the sooner the better. This will solve all the offensive struggles of the 49ers, not really. However, this would give a #1 receiver for Hill and it will relieve a sole focus running back, Frank Gore. If Gore can stay healthy and chew up time and yards, this team has a chance to challenge the Cardinals for a playoff spot.
If Singletary can get his guys to play the way he demands this team can be the shining point of the NFC West.
Best Case: 11-5. Worst Case: 6-10. Most Likely 9-7
Fantasy Focus: Vernon Davis will have an outstanding season now that he has left the childish ways of last season. He is on board with Singletary’s plan and will meet the expectations placed on him when he was chosen with the sixth pick of the 2006 Draft.
Arizona Cardinals
There is no way in hell the Cardinals make it back to the Super Bowl this year. And I will go one step farther and say that there is no way in hell Kurt Warner makes it through the season with his aging hip.
That being said, the Cardinals should win the division and make it back into the playoffs, but will not make deep. They have the offensive tools and the best receiving core in the West and maybe the whole NFL, with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. There will be no question whether they are offensively superior to the other teams in the division, but the question is whether or not they can stop any team defensively.
The interesting thing to watch will be the running back committee of Tim Hightower and rookie and oft injured, Beanie Wells. If Beanie can stay healthy they will not miss Edgerrin James, but we all know Beanie is a pansy.
Arizona will win but it will come down to the final week and it will be an amazing race until the end, especially if you enjoy watching shitty cars race.
Best Case: 12-4. Worst Case: 9-7. Most Likely 9-7
Fantasy Focus: Steve Breaston will be a great late round pickup in your draft because he will be the forgotten child of the receiving core. The double teams and focus will be on the big two and Breaston will come into his own and will give you good points as the third receiver. And we all know that the Cardinals love to throw the ball around the field and that will benefit all the receivers.
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J.David has never won an award for his writing, but he is a former collegiate athlete for a small college where everyone makes the team.Currently, he is a grad student at the University of Southern California studying the archaic form called, Print Journalism.J.David points to Flutie’s Hail Mary as the birth of his love for college football, and Lloyd Carr’s tenure at Michigan as the beginning of his love of strong drink.
Related posts:
- ⊚ NFL Preview: Week 1-AFC West
- ⊚ NFL Preview Week 5 – NFC East
- ⊚ NFL Preview-Week 3 AFC North
- ⊚ NFL Preview Week 4 – AFC East
- ⊚ NFL Preview-Week 2 AFC South
[...] NFL Preview Week 7 – NFC West I know what you are thinking: Where is Matt Venuto? Well, like so many other small business we had to layoff the aspiring sports writer in order to use the money we paid him for the bagels and smear for the weekly staff meeting. Not really, but Venuto is in the search for quality job [...] [...]
[...] NFL Preview Week 7 – NFC West I know what you are thinking: Where is Matt Venuto? Well, like so many other small business we had to layoff the aspiring sports writer in order to use the money we paid him for the bagels and smear for the weekly staff meeting. Not really, but Venuto is in the search for quality job [...] [...]
Well Done.
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