NFC West

Battle of the Tallest Midget?

By Adam Barone

The NFC West has become the off-limits slum of the NFL, a breeding ground for coaching turnover, terrible quarterback play, rioting and disease.
The 2010 Seahawks proved that making the playoffs doesn’t require playing good football, becoming the first sub-.500 team to appear in the post season. Josh McDaniels, Sam Bradford and the Rams will spoil us with more wins than losses in ‘11 and conquer the heap.

St. Louis Rams (9-7): Year two of quarterback Sam Bradford’s career will be his breakout campaign. He topped 3,500 yards in ’10 with 18 touchdowns to only 15 picks and has a substantially improved supporting cast.
Former Broncos’ head coach Josh McDaniels is now the Rams’ offensive coordinator, and a plethora of new weapons has been added to implement his system. Receiver Mike Sims-Walker and running backs Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood were signed, while tight end Lance Kendricks (Wisconsin) and receiver Austin Pettis (Boise State) were drafted. The league’s 21st ranked passing offense figures to take a big step forward in ’11.
The defense, on the other hand, added first round pick Robert Quinn, an end from North Carolina, and free agent cornerback Al Harris, but is still average. It did rank second in the NFL in 3rd down conversion rate against at just 33.5% and 12th in scoring, so there is promise.
Barring a shocking development, the Rams are the team to beat.  

Seattle Seahawks (6-10): Last season’s playoff win after a losing season was like frosting on a terd. Seattle is not a playoff caliber team and will not return to the tournament this season.
The Seahawks couldn’t run or pass in ’10, even after acquiring Marshawn Lynch, averaging just 19.4 points per game. Things were made worse when starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck departed as a free agent and was replaced by Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson has started 20 games in his career, with a rating of just 72.9.
Tight end Zach Miller and guard Robert Gallery were inked and Alabama tackle James Carpenter was picked in the first round, while receiver Golden Tate is expected to have a breakout season. Tate played 11 games with 21 catches for zero touchdowns in ’10.
The defense ranked in the bottom third in every statistical category and made no significant change.
Pete Carroll appears to have run out of frosting.

Arizona Cardinals (6-10): The addition of Kevin Kolb and extension of Larry Fitzgerald should help improve the league’s 31st ranked passing offense and seventh worst scoring team.
Fitzgerald ranked third in the NFL in targets in ‘10 with 173 and forth in catches with 90.
The departure of former starting receiver Steve Breaston to Kansas City should draw more attention to Fitzgerald though, as he’s now the team’s only creditable target.
Running back Tim Hightower was traded to Washington and second round pick Ryan Williams was lost to injury in the preseason. Beanie Wells now has a tailor-made opportunity to prove that he was worth a 1st round pick after a disappointing 3.4 yards per carry in ‘10.
The league’s third-worst defense in both scoring and rushing should be bolstered by the addition of highly-touted cornerback Patrick Peterson in the first round. He’s replacing former starter Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was dealt for Kolb.
The only real change in Arizona is the upgrade in quarterback play from “embarrassing” to “below average.”
Don’t expect a return to the Super Bowl, though an easy schedule could make the Cards seem respectable.

San Francisco 49ers (5-11): New 9ers’ head coach Jim Harbaugh is facing an uphill battle.
The team has no dependable quarterback on its roster after re-signing disappointing former first overall pick Alex Smith and drafting Nevada passer Colin Kaepernick.
The Niners had no way to move the ball in ’10, ranking 19th and 18th respectively in rushing and passing. Their star playmaker, running back Frank Gore, is highly injury prone and played in just 11 games last season. He carried the ball only 203 times and boasts just one 16 game season in his six-year career.
Receiver Braylon Edwards was signed to complement Michael Crabtree, who caught only 55 passes in ’10, but someone will have to get them the ball.
The defense was mediocre in every regard last season. It lost linebackers Manny Lawson and Takeo Spikes and cornerback Nate Clements. Missouri linebacker Aldon Smith was chosen in the first round and could make an impact in the pass rush.
Another easy schedule may help Harbaugh get off to a fast start, but San Francisco has no discernable strength.