Joe's 2011 NFL Season Preview: The NFC West

There’s no way around it. This division sucks. Quarterback questions abound for three of its four teams and 9-7 will likely win it all. The final division preview starts now!

After winning the division with a super-crappy record, the Seattle Seahawks stunned the Saints, advancing past the Wildcard round. This year will not be a repeat of that performance. Tarvaris Jackson takes over at quarterback, already putting the Seahawks in a hole. Whether he’s familiar with Darell Bevel l’s offense or not, Jackson is not an NFL-level QB. He’s still got Sidney Rice to throw to, taking advantage of Rice’s wide catching radius. After adding Rice, the Seattle receivers are deep, with Mike Williams and Golden Tate amongst the crop. Seattle’s young offensive line isn’t quite ready to become an elite unit, but they’ll show flashes thanks to new line coach Tom Cable and a left side of Russell Okung and Robert Gallery. The Seahawk defense is… decent. Signing defensive tackle Brandon Mebane was a great move, giving them a run-stuffer up the middle. Behind the line, the linebackers are alright and the secondary is so-so aside from safety Earl Thomas, whose ball-hawking has to pick up in his second year.
2010 Record: 7-9
2011 Prediction: 6-10

Adorable.

St. Louis Rams

Okay, to be honest, the Rams feel and look like a nine win team. But their schedule is BRUTAL. They get the NFC East, AFC North and games against the Packers and Saints. Luckily they still get to dominate the NFC West. Sam Bradford’s game has to take a leap forward to keep the Rams afloat. He still doesn’t have the receivers to put up gaudy numbers though. Mike Sims-Walker is a nice addition, but they’re missing depth at the position. Roger Saffold and Jason Smith are good tackles, but the interior of the o-line will have issues clearing lanes for Steven Jackson. Maybe Cadillac Williams can take a few carries away from Jackson to keep him healthier for a stretch run. As solid as the Ram defense was last year, they’re just not dynamic enough to hang in the NFL all year. Where are the freaking playmakers? Safety Quentin Mikell is a good safety, but not worth salivating over. The d-line isn’t fantastic either. I don’t have a lot to say about their defense. They’re that ordinary.
2010 Record: 7-9
2011 Prediction: 9-7

San Francisco 49ers

PFFFFFT. This team is going to be all sorts of awful. And I credit most of that suckage to Alex Smith, who is going into his seventh year and still looks like an inconsistent rookie. Smith has a mean offensive line in front of him, with Joe Staley and Mike Iupati, but that will help out Frank Gore more than it will Smith. Vernon Davis is a freak of a tight end who would be good for 60+ catches… if Smith found him more. (See the trend here?) Defensively, the Niners have the best linebacker in the game in Patrick Willis, but they haven’t surrounded him with enough. Signing Donte Whitner helps the secondary, but swapping Carlos Rogers for the departing Nate Clements is a definite downgrade. We’ll see rookie QB Colin Kaepernick this season, guaranteed.
2010 Record: 6-10
2011 Prediction: 5-11

Almost as adorable. (Okay, probably more so.)

Arizona Cardinals

With a slightly more forgiving schedule than the Rams, I slid the Cardinals up a game from my initial 8-8. I like the trade for and signing of Kevin Kolb, but it was the move the Cards needed to make. That means they could lock up Larry Fitzgerald, to whom Kolb has already shown a propensity to toss it. Tight end Todd Heap suggests a new philosophy for Ken Wisenhunt’s offense, emphasizing the importance of a pass-catcher at the position. If Beanie Wells and Chester Taylor even moderate production, the Cardinal offense could be above average. Patrick Peterson gives Arizona a shut-down corner that can play all over the field, much like a Charles Woodson. Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes are productive safeties. The Cardinals have issues slowing down the run, but hopefully the offense can take some of that pressure off. I might be more optimistic than some, but I’m believing in Kolb… for now.
2010 Record: 5-11
2011 Prediction: 9-7 

That’s it for the previews! Hope you’ve enjoyed them. Now let’s watch some freaking football!