NFL Season Preview: NFC West

And we come to the weakest division in Football, the NFC West. If each division weren't guaranteed a playoff berth for it's winner, this division wouldn't have anyone in.

Arizona Cardinals

Offense:
The Cardinals's have surprisingly been the best team in this division the past 2 years. In 2009-2009, they even went to the Super Bowl and came very close to winning it. The biggest question this season however, comes in the form of QB Matt Leinart. For the past 2 years, future Hall-of-Fame QB Kurt Warner led the Cardinals to become one of the more feared offenses in the NFL. His end-of-career resurgence almost led to a Super Bowl win for this team, something nobody would have dreamed of even 3 years ago. Warner retired at the end of last season, leaving the completely untested Leinart to run the offense. Although he was one of my favorite college football players ever, Leinart has been a huge disappointment as a pro. He is going to need to take an enormous step forward this season as a QB and a leader, or he's going to find himself out of the NFL and labeled a bust.

He has the weapons to succeed however. He has some great receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston, a solid RB duo in Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower, and the offensive line is one of the better pass-protection lines in the NFL. If Leinart plays reasonably well, this team should win the division crown going away. If not, the 2 year run is officially over.

Defense:
Never their strong point, the Card's D took some hits as key players left in Free Agency. Expect little resistance to running games and inconsistent pass coverage. Leinart is going to have to adjust quickly, because they Card's are going to need to score A LOT in order to win.

Prediction:
10-6, tied for 1st in NFC West

St. Louis Rams

Offense:
The Rams are one of the worst teams in the NFL. They're slowly building through the draft, but have a long way to go. On offense, they're led by All-Pro Running Back Steven Jackson, and a some other guys. Literally, Jackson runs that offense as nobody else is even worth mentioning. Rookie QB Sam Bradford will eventually be a very good starter, but he's going to experience lots of growing pains this year.

The bright spot? The Offensive line is solid and young, and Steven Jackson should run for over 1,000 yards again.

Defense:
What defense? Anybody playing the Rams can expect to put up 30 points with little resistance. The run D is awful, the passing D is worse, and expect lots of rookie mistakes as the Rams are very, very young.

Prediction:
3-13, 4th in NFC West

San Francisco 49ers

Offense:
This is a team that can surprise some people. The 49ers have been very patient, slowly getting back into the fold, and this season they are poised to break out. Alex Smith helms the offense and finally looks like a good starting QB. Michael Crabtree is a stud WR who is going to wreak havoc with an entire season in which to work. Frank Gore is one of the best RB's in the game and runs behind a huge and powerful offensive line, including LT Adam Snyder (A friend of mine from High School). The offense will not be a juggernaut, but they will score and keep the team in the game.

Defense:
This is the strength of the 49ers. Head Coach Mike Singletary stresses Defense and these guys respond. They don't have a bunch of flashy big names, but they play cohesively as a unit and can stymie some very good offenses. They are however, prone to the occasional lapse, which can cost them dearly (See last years game against the Vikings), but overall, expect a good year from this team.

Prediction:
10-6, tied for 1st in NFC West

Seattle Seahawks

Offense:
A year of transition for the Seahawks results in almost entirely new personnel. (St.) Pete Carroll takes over as Head Coach after leading USC the most dominant run in college football history. With a lot of new faces, and a healthy Matt Hasselbeck, the Seahawks will improve on last year's dismal record. Don't expect this team to put up a ton of points, but TJ Houshmenzadeh gets some help at WR in the form of Mike Williams, who by all accounts is back and in the best shape of his life. We'll see what this offense does...

Defense:
They had a great draft on D and will improve on last year's awful, porous D, but don't expect miracles, Hawk's fans. In 2-3 years, this team is going to be a powerhouse and a Super Bowl contender, though, this year, minor improvements should suffice.

Prediction:
6-10, 3rd in NFC West