The final division to be previewed is the NFC West, which has produced the NFC champion for the past three seasons.
Arizona Cardinals
2014: finished regular season 11-5 (2nd in division), lost Wildcard playoff to the Carolina Panthers 27-16
Offence: a really solid offence with some nice pieces that was crippled by quarterback injuries in 2014. Starter Carson Palmer went down with a season ending knee injury in Week 10, handing over the reigns to back up Drew Stanton who himself was injured prior to the playoffs. Both Palmer and Stanton are back but both are on the wrong side of 30, Palmer in particular is 35 going into his 13th season. The receiving corp of Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown and Michael Floyd is one of the best out there and the addition of tight end Jermaine Gresham will further increase the options for Palmer. Andre Ellington heads the running game, however rookie David Johnson is expected to challenge for that position.
Defence: a curious year for the defence, was ranked in the bottom ten defences for yards conceded but the top five for points conceded last season, Arizona’s defence carried them into the playoffs a year ago as the offence went through quarterbacks one after the other. Cardinals’ management will be hoping for some more consistency, particularity at cornerback where Patrick Peterson was a disappointment.
Fantasy player to watch: Brown going into his second year is expected to be an every week starter and should build on his rookie season stats of 48 receptions for 696 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Key to their success/failure: the ability of the offensive line to keep the quarterback safe.
Predicted regular season finish: 10-6
St. Louis Rams
2014: finished regular season 6-10 (4th in division)
Offence: an off-season of change in St. Louis’ offence. Nick Foles was bought in via trade to replace the injury prone Sam Bradford, while boom running back out of Georgia, Todd Gurley, was drafted with the 10th overall pick. None of the receiving corp of Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin, Brian Quick, Stedman Bailey and tight end Jared Cook are stars but will benefit from some stability at the quarterback position.
Defence: the undoubted strength of this team, however was disappointing in 2014 being mid table, giving up just over 22 points and 351.6 yards each game, albeit in a division with some great offences.
Fantasy player to watch: with the injury doubts on Gurley, second year RB Tre Mason looks to be great value. Didn’t have the worst rookie campaign in a team that was on a quarterback carousel, running for 765 yards at 4.3 yards per carry. Gave glimpes of what he can do, including an 89 yard touchdown scamper.
Key to their success/failure:
Predicted regular season finish: 7-9
San Francisco 49ers
2014 : finished regular season 8-8 (3rd in division)
Offence: a totally different offence will start this season from what finished last season. While quarterback Colin Kaepernick remains, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson are gone. The replacements Torrey Smith and Reggie Bush do not look anywhere near as good as that trio. Questions remain on Kaepernick, who must get back to his Super Bowl form. Tight end Vernon Davis becomes an even bigger piece of this offence, while Carlos Hyde looks to be the number one back. Australians are eagerly awaiting news on former NRL star Jarryd Hayne’s place on the 49er 53 man roster.
Defence: the defence was not the reason for the 49ers falling out of the playoffs and to an 8-8 record a year ago. However the loss of Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and Aldon Smith through retirement and other off-field issues have decimated the defence. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman returns from injury and had looked to be back to his old self in the preseason to date.
Fantasy player to watch: Hyde should be the feature back and see a lot of carries. The only downside is that the 49ers may be behind in a lot of games and need to go to the passing game.
Key to their success/failure: there are so many things that this team has to get right. Kaepernick has to get back to the form which saw the team trade number one overall draft pick and previous starter Alex Smith. The defence needs to find a way to cover for all those player losses
Predicted regular season finish: 4-12
Seattle Seahawks
2014: finished regular season 12-4 (won division), lost Superbowl to the New England Patriots 28-24
Offence: if its possible for an offence that has gone to the past two Superbowls to get better, the Seahawks offence has. The addition of tight end Jimmy Graham to give quarterback Russell Wilson a big target in the red zone. Marshawn Lynch is nearing 30 years of age but it is showing no signs of slowing down and remains one of the best running backs in the NFL. Rookie wide receiver Tyler Lockett comes with big wraps out of Kansas State where he set school records for career receptions and yards.
Defence: the best defence in the league for the past two years will be just as good this season. From a defensive line led by Michael Bennett, Brandon Mebane, Bruce Irvin and Bobby Wagner to the outside backs behind Richard Sherman and Cam Chancellor, there are stars all over this defence, making the Seahawks awfully difficult to beat.
Fantasy player to watch: Graham had a disappointing year for the many fantasy owners who drafted him in the early rounds. In the Seattle offence he will be a key target for Wilson, particularly in the red zone. For those who don’t get Gronk, Graham is a viable alternative.
Key to their success/failure: the health of their key players on both offence and defence is the only thing that can stop the Seahawks from going on another deep playoff run.
Predicted regular season finish: 11-5
Predicted Divisional Standings
1. Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
2. Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
3. St.Louis Rams (7-9)
4. San Francisco 49ers (4-12)
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