NFC WEST 2009 Season Preview

By Adam Barone

The quarterback situation has been entirely made over in the NFC North, and promises many exciting duals for seasons to come. The Packers handed the reins to Aaron Rodgers last season, and the off season saw the additions of Jay Cutler, Matt Stafford, Sage Rosenfels, and possibly Brett Favre to the division. Who isn’t excited to watch Cutler and Rodgers duke it out on a frigid Sunday afternoon at either Soldier or Lambeau Field? This has a chance to be one of the most exciting divisions in the NFL in 2009. Here’s how we see things shaping up for the coming season:
In 2008 the Cardinals took advantage of the Seahawks’ misfortunes and rode a hot streak into the playoffs and on to the Super Bowl. Things in the division as a whole look boringly similar to the start of 2008, but in today’s NFL nothing seems to happen twice or go as expected.

1. Seattle Seahawks (11-5): Mike Holmgren is retired, and Jim Mora is now the head coach. The biggest changes in the offseason were to the passing game though. Most importantly, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck returns from an injury-plagued season that saw him play only seven games. With Seneca Wallace running the show, the ‘Hawks went 4-12. That just goes to show how important a quarterback is, because the Seahawks are far better than a 4-12 team. Receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh was signed to give Hasselbeck a more reliable target, though he’s not especially explosive.
A poor 2008 works out well for the defense in 2009, as it allowed them to get a high draft pick and add former Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry. Curry is widely considered the best overall player in the rookie class, and the most NFL-ready. Curry will play alongside Lofa Tatupu and LeRoy Hill in one of the better groups of linebackers around. The defense ranked 30th overall last season, mostly due to its inexplicably finishing dead last against the pass. Cornerback Ken Lucas was added to cover big receivers, but this is a major issue that will need to be addressed.

2. Arizona Cardinals (10-6): Despite going to the Super Bowl last season, the Cardinals seem to be facing an uphill climb. Not only does the team that lost the big game typically struggle the following season, but the Cardinals have new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley is now the head coach in Kansas City, and will be replaced by Russ Grimm (running game) and Mike Miller (passing game). This sounds strange, but really means nothing, as head coach Ken Whisenhunt will be calling the plays. Running back Edgerrin James was released, and will be replaced by rookie Chris Wells. Wells will split time with Tim Hightower in the backfield. He’ll need to prove that he can put in the effort necessary to be an NFL back, though he certainly has the talent.
Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast was fired, basically because his scheming was just weird and bad. He featured a 4-3 defense with 3-4 personnel, which led to the team not finishing higher than 22nd in total defense the past three seasons.
It’s hard to see the offense skipping a beat, considering the talent on the roster, and the defense can’t really go anywhere but up.

3. San Francisco 49ers (7-9): The 49ers’ offense could be more dynamic this season than it has been recently, as Mike Singletary is now officially the head coach. Singletary plans to run the offense around a power running attack featuring Frank Gore. Gore is 25, and has a reputation for being hurt frequently, but has actually never played in less than 14 games in a season in his career. Shaun Hill is likely to be the quarterback, and he’ll have a shiny new target to throw to in rookie Michael Crabtree. Hill is a game manager who came into the league with low expectations, which he’s surpassed easily. His career quarterback rating is 90.5, and he’s just the right type of quarterback to let Gore be the centerpiece of the offense while not turning the ball over.
San Francisco’s defense finished 13th last season, and has plenty to build on with stud linebacker Patrick Willis in the middle. The Niners had the second most defensive penalty yards in 2008, something Singletary will undoubtedly look to remedy.
It would certainly be a surprise, but the 49ers making the playoffs isn’t out of the question.

4. St. Louis Rams (4-12): The Rams are easily the weakest link in the NFC West, and possibly in the entire NFC. Former Giants’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has taken over the team and will attempt to drag it out of the dumpster.
Running back Steven Jackson is clearly the best player on the roster, and the offense will undoubtedly feature him. Marc Bulger is still the quarterback, but his targets are limited. Donnie Avery led the receivers, a group that includes Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, and Derek Stanley, in receptions in 2008 with 53. Jackson has played in only 12 games each of the past two seasons, and will need to play in more than that if the Rams hope not to embarrass themselves in 2009.
The defense has some players with potential, and Spagnuolo will try to make his mark by molding them into a respectable unit. Rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis joins safety O.J. Atogwe, linebacker Will Witherspoon, and second year defensive end Chris Long on that side of the ball. The defense won’t go from 28th overall to top-ten overnight though.

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