NFL 2007 Preview: NFC West

Now, through all my laziness and my procrastinating, here is the final division of the 2007 NFL Preview…the vaunted NFC West. Two of the best up-and-coming teams are here, and one team, much to my chagrin, has had a stranglehold on the division for five years now. It’s a tough group of teams this season. Will somebody finally unseat them?

ARIZONA CARDINALS (6-10)

OFFENSE: For the second year in a row, the Cardinals offense looks so good on paper, but will not fare so well in reality. They have one of the best receiver corps in the game, a potential hall of famer in the backfield and a quarterback coming into his own. Trouble is, they still don’t have a line to make all that happen. They can score points, but Leinart’s going to be under constant pressure so there’ll be a lot of interceptions, too.

DEFENSE: They’re young, and have the potential to be a real force in the NFL, but they’re too inexperienced to have much of an impact right now. The squad ranked 30th in total defense last year and that isn’t likely to change much. While their offense might be able to score points, these guys are going to really give some up.

Another new coach, another new system, another losing year. Sure, there’s pedigree all over the place, but they’re just ahead of the Lions for worst franchise in the league. All the talent that they have on the field and all the talent they have in the coaching staff won’t amount to a hill of beans and, despite their cool stadium, they will bottom out the division again. I hope that, one day, a Cowboys game in Arizona won’t be a home game for Dallas. That will be a good day, but it won’t be anytime soon.

ST. LOUIS RAMS (9-7)

OFFENSE: They might not quite be the greatest show on turf anymore, but the Rams’ offense is pretty good. Stephen Jackson is one of the top five backs in the game, is the heart of the offense and is only getting better, Bruce and Holt are still an effective duo, Marc Bulger still surprises me that he’s actually successful, and the offensive line is as solid as it ever is. They will be a scoring machine all season long.

DEFENSE: The Rams are talented on defense but, like the Cardinals’ group, are young and won’t be as effective this year as in the future. For now, they will be better than the Arizona, but not by a lot. They have the advantage of a proven offense to allow them some breathing room. Also, I haven’t mentioned special teams much, but the Rams have Dante Hall returning kicks and, if he isn’t as dynamic to watch as Devon Hester, he is an extremely dangerous player.

My predictions for the Rams and the Cardinals are virtually the same, but the difference is in the fact that St. Louis has stuck with their players and coaches and have built a program that has been good for years and will continue to succeed. Arizona, on the other hand, have proven that they hate winning and hate their fans.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8-8)

OFFENSE: Unlike the previous two teams and the Niners of old, this team is built for and revolves around Frank Gore. His rise to prominence has surprised me, and I don’t think he’ll be as successful as others predict, but they’re banking on him, so he’d better step up. They’re built a lot like Kansas City, with lackluster receivers and an unproven quarterback. Gore is not LJ, and he’s not even the second best runner in his division, but he’s good and will be successful.

DEFENSE: Like the rest of this division thus far, the defensive struggles of the 49ers will keep them from being ultimately successful. The difference here is age. A lot of these guys are old, and there isn’t a lot in the wings for when people like Bryant Young finally retire. Those they do have are pretty sad.

Without the explosive offensive potential of the previous teams, the Niner defense will cause the team as a whole to underachieve. I can’t say I’m sad to see it happen, as I’m always happy to see them fail, but there’s not really a lot of competition for the Seahawks this year, and it would have been nice to see a change in at least one of these teams.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (12-4)

OFFENSE: The Seahawks first team is one of the strongest in the league and, accepting another year of age, they are pretty much the same squad as they’ve been. A quality line opens the door for Shaun Alexander and they’re hoping for Deion Branch to really perform for Matt Hasselbeck so, assuming that happens, they should be the same powerful team of two years ago.

DEFENSE: Without a lot of big stars, the Seahawks’ defense is a strong, skilled and deep group. Led by Lofa Tatupu, they hit hard and they move fast. They are the only group in the West with the potential to stop anybody. This is why they are, once again, the clear winners of this division.

If, like last year, they lose their two stars, I wouldn’t expect them to win the division again. They just don’t have the depth and there are two teams drooling over the thought of an anemic Seahawks offense; their defenses need all the help they can get. I’m glad that they are gone from the AFC West because I really want to root for them in the eternal struggle against San Francisco. This year should satisfy that grudge.

So, that’s the regular season. It should be a good time, and the Broncos should be great. In the end, I didn’t pick a lot of surprises, but it doesn’t seem like the spectrum changed a lot since last year. Nevertheless, I can guarantee one thing: the Bears will not be in the championship picture this time. Luck only goes so far in today’s NFL. Next, I’ll look at my tea leaves and predict the playoffs.