The Shark's Divisional Review (4)
Up next is the NFC West Division
NFC WEST - Teams : Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St Louis Rams
Last Season :
1. Seattle Seahawks 10-6 (Lost to Green Bay in Divisional Champs Game)
2. Arizona Cardinals 8-8 (Did Not Qualify for Playoffs)
3. San Francisco 49ers 5-11 (DNQ)
4. St Louis Rams 3-13 (DNQ)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Seattle have pretty much had this division to themselves over recent years - notoriously strong in their West Coast fortress called the QWest Stadium in Seattle (try and find some photos of it, or make sure you watch and look at the stadium when Seattle are home on TV - its awesome) the Seahawks have been the NFC's nearly men - but have always found a team or two just a bit stronger than them down the stretch. I suspect this season will pan out the same for the Hawks - they have also lost their stud RB in Shaun Alexander but will continue to be strong offensively with QB Matt Hasselbeck at the helm. Cant see anyone taking the Divisional title off them...but cant see them making the big dance either.
Offensive Rating : 8/10
Defensive Rating : 7.5/10
My Prediction - Another NFC West title to Seattle and playoff football...but not much more.
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Pretty much every year for the last 4 or 5 the pundits/experts have been suggesting that this may well be the season for the usually maligned Cardinals to break out and bring playoff football to Arizona for the first time in....pffftt...pick a number. But season in season the Cards fail to live up to the hype and fail to make the postseason. The nucleus of a good team is there - an aging experienced QB in Kurt Warner mentoring an up and coming young QB in Matt Leinart....a very decent RB in Edgerrin James and a WR corps that is the envy of many a bigger NFL side, primarily thanks to the duo of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald - though there is much speculation about the future of Boldin currently. The Cards just dont get it done on defense though, and whilever they have this Achilles heel, i suspect they will always be close, but no cigar.
Offensive Rating : 8/10
Defensive Rating : 5/10
My prediction : Should be Seattles closest challenger again, but will lose too many games to be a real threat.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ers
The days of Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice et all are long gone in San Fran, and for many a season now they have been almost the whipping boys of the NFL. There are signs of life starting to flicker in this former giant, but there are still way too many holes in both the offense and defense to expect anything much from the Niners. They do have an excellent RB in Frank Gore, but the QB situation is desperate, and they dont have much in the way of a receiving corps either. Defense is better than it was but still way down the rankings...think it will be a few years yet before gold is found in SF again.
Offensive Rating : 5/10 (3 of those for Gore)
Defensive Rating : 4/10
My Prediction : Hard to find many positive aspects for the 49ers this season...will lose (many) more than they win.
ST LOUIS RAMS
What has happened to the "greatest show on turf"? 3 - 13 last season was pathetic - and the Rams were as bad as the record sounds (where have i heard that sentence before?) True, the Rams were decimated by injury but that is an excuse more than a reason, and the old guard still in St Louis really are a last chance saloon this season. There must be, and should be an improvement - but a 7 or 8 game improvement to make the playoffs seems too big a bridge to cross. QB Marc Bulger will come out firing...RB Steven Jackson will grind out the yards and score the TD's...but i still dont think it will be enough.
Offensive Rating - If all fit and on form 8/10 - otherwise 6/10 at best
Defensive Rating - 6/10
My Prediction - A better season for the Rams - above the 49ers and will challenge Arizona for a possible wildcard spot behind the Hawks.
NFC WEST OVERALL
Probably the weakest division in the NFC - not far away from the weakest in the NFL - Seattle should again win the division with games to spare, but look for an improved St Louis to battle Arizona this time around. Rock bottom 49ers will only have a very good 2009 draft pick to look forward to.
1. Seahawks
2. Rams
3. Cardinals
4. 49ers
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