The 2009 NFC West Preview
The Arizona Cardinals Look to Prove that 2008 Was Not a Fluke
The NFC West had been dominated by the Seattle Seahawks who won four straight division titles from 2004 – 2007. That all changed last season when the Arizona Cardinal broke through and not only won the west, but went all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This year the west could be wide open as every team has their eyes set on the title. The following is a preview of each team in the division, noting their strengths and weaknesses heading into this season.
Arizona Cardinals
The biggest problem the Cardinals will face this year is bouncing back from their devastating loss in the Super Bowl. The recent track record of teams that have lost the Super Bowl has not been good. Of the last six teams that lost, only one made it to the playoffs the following season. From a talent standpoint, Arizona remains basically unchanged. QB Kurt Warner still has his two favorite targets at wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. They drafted RB Chris “Beanie” Wells from Ohio State in the first round to help a rushing offense that ranked dead last in the league in 2008. The Cardinals will not have any problem putting points on the board, but if they want to repeat as division champs they will have to improve on the defensive side of the ball. They fired their defensive coordinator and are in the process of switching to a 3-4 scheme that may take a few weeks to work out the kinks. All and all, it should be an interesting year for Arizona.
San Francisco 49ers
After a 2-5 start last season, the 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan and promoted assistant head coach/defense Mike Singletary to the top spot. This change in direction produced some immediate results as San Francisco finished the year 7-9, winning four of their last five games. Singletary’s hardnosed, no nonsense style brought a needed change of attitude to a team that had fallen on some hard times. One of his biggest challenges heading into this season is to try and win without a proven quarterback. Either Alex Smith or Shaun Hill will get the chance, but it could be a long season for either of these two. First round draft pick WR Michael Crabtree from Texas Tech could be a big help as long as he is fully recovered from off season ankle surgery. TE Vernon Davis is also expected to be a big part of this offense as well. Defensively, the 49ers are hoping that LB Manny Lawson can live up to his potential and become the leader they so desperately need. I think Singletary alone can drive this team to compete for this division, but they still lack enough talent to win it.
Seattle Seahawks
Injuries took their toll on Seattle last year as they fell to a disappointing 4-12 record in 2008. With QB Matt Hasselbeck healthy their offense should get back on track this season. They added All Pro wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh to go along with Nate Burleson and Deion Branch. If RB Julius Jones finally lives up to his contract, Seattle could have one of the better offenses in the NFC. By bringing in Gus Bradley as their new defensive coordinator who favors an attack style scheme, the defense is looking to put last year behind them and return to the form that made them one of the best in the league. Seattle has enough talent on both sides of the ball to easily win this division; however it will be up to new head coach, Jim Mora to bring it all together to get it done.
St. Louis Rams
The Rams fall from grace has been swift and hard. As a perennial contender in the early 2000’s, they are a mere shell of their former selves. Last year’s 2-14 record was rock bottom, so the rebuilding has begun. They hired Giant’s defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo as their new head coach. With RB Steven Jackson, Spagnuolo will go with a run first offense, taking pressure off the passing game. Although they still have former All Pro quarterback Mark Bulger, it remains to be seen if he can return to the form that made him a star. On defense, Spagnuolo will try to develop a pressure oriented attack, similar to what made him so successful in New York. Unfortunately, at this time they do not have the player personnel needed to make this work. The Rams will be better than they were in 2008, but this is definitely a rebuilding year on both sides of the ball.
Also see: 2009 NFC East Preview, 2009 NFC South Preview, 2009 NFC North Preview
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