2011 NFC West Predictions
Written by Jack Jones
The NFC West has been the laughing stock of the NFL in recent years. This division is the reason why there is an argument to be made that a team with a losing record should not be in the playoffs, or at least not host a first-round game. Then again, the Seattle Seahawks won the division with a 7-9 record in 2010, and went on to pull off a huge upset over the New Orleans Saints 41-36 in the Wild Card Round.
While the NFC West has the least talent of all the divisions, it is arguably the most competitive. That’s because from year to year, there just hasn’t seemed to be a clear-cut favorite. That’s the scenario again in 2011, as you can make a case for every team as to why they will win it. Here is a look at my predictions on this division for the upcoming season.
1. St. Louis Rams – This team is the most complete of any in the division. The Rams won just six games from 2007-09, but finished with seven victories last year and narrowly missed the playoffs. This is the only team in the West with a proven QB under center in Sam Bradford, the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2010. Management has surrounded him with more playmakers, and their defense it one of the most underrated in the league. It features Ends Chris Long and James Hall (19 combined sacks 2010), and MLB James Laurinaitis (129 tackles) who is the leader of the defense. No team is more ready to take the next step and win the division than the Rams in 2011.
2. San Francisco 49ers – The 49ers made the biggest splash this offseason by going out and signing the hottest head coach on the market. Jim Harbaugh, the former NFL quarterback and brother of Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh, looks to bring the winning tradition back to San Francisco. Harbaugh has signed Alex Smith to a one-year contract, giving the former No. 1 overall pick one last chance at quarterback. He’ll have a plethora of weapons to work with on offense, including Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Braylon Edwards. The defense is led by All-Pro MLB Patrick Willis, but there are many concerns outside of him. This team is as talented as any in the division, but as we’ve seen with the 49ers over the past decade, talent alone doesn’t win the NFC West.
3. Arizona Cardinals – Arizona had the best offseason of any team in the NFC West after their last-place finish in 2010. They traded for Kevin Kolb to be their franchise quarterback, and added the most NFL-ready player in the draft in CB Patrick Peterson. While I like the additions, there are still too many question marks surrounding this team. On offense, their O-line is suspect, Beanie Wells cannot seem to stay healthy, and they don’t have a proven playmaker at WR to take attention away from Larry Fitzgerald. Defensively, the Cardinals have done little to address their need for a better pass rush. They should improve upon last year’s 5-11 campaign, but not by more than one or two wins.
4. Seattle Seahawks – I have the Seattle Seahawks going from first to worst in the West. I like Pete Carroll’s attitude as far as he doesn’t care what other people think, but frankly, I disagree with many of his moves. He seems to be stuck on former USC players, and with the exception of Mike Williams, it hasn‘t panned out. I do like that they brought in WR Sidney Rice from the Minnesota Vikings to help out the passing game, but they still have no proven QB under center. In fact, I believe they have the worst QB situation in the division with Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst battling it out. The defense is suspect in all three phases, from an injury-plagued defensive line, to unproductive outside linebackers, to two new and unproven starters in the secondary. It all adds up to a finish in the basement of the NFC West for Seattle in 2011.
Individual Team NFL Season Predictions
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