2008 NFL Season Preview: NFC West
September 2, 2008 1 Comment
The NFC West has been dominated by the Seattle Seahawks, who head into this season looking to win the division for the fifth straight season. This year won’t be easy, as the Rams and Cardinals are going to provide some solid competition in the 2008 season. Can the Seahawks reign supreme again out west?
In order of projected finish:
1. Seattle Seahawks: It’s pretty safe to say that for the fifth straight season, the Seahawks will win the NFC West. This team has one of the league’s premiere defenses that has everything a team could hope for: A shut down corner (Marcus Trufant), a great pass rusher (Patrick Kerney), and great linebackers (Julian Peterson and Lofa Tatupu). With a defense like this, it will be hard for opponents to score against Seattle. Not only do they have a great defense, but they have always had a good offense thanks to Matt Hasselbeck. He has been so consistent for the Seahawks, and with a new running back, Julius Jones, it looks like the Seahawks will once again claim to the division title.
2. Arizona Cardinals: You know you have a problem when Kurt Warner, at the age of 37, is your starting quarterback. He hasn’t been in his prime since the Rams won the Super Bowl. The Cardinals have a great offense that is just one piece away from becoming successful. Matt Leinart was a bust and so was Edgerrin James. Neither player has lived up to the hype, and because of it, this team has been unsuccessful. Not to mention they have a lousy defense. Until they can iron out some of the problems, the Cardinals will be on the outside looking in on the playoffs for a couple more seasons.
3. St. Louis Rams: The Rams finished with the second worse record in the NFL last season, winning just three games. One of the main reasons for that was because their starting quarterback and running back both sat at four games due to injury at different times during the season. With both players, Bulger and Jackson coming into this season healthy, the Rams will improve upon last seasons disgrace of a season. With the second overall pick, they drafted Chris Long, defensive end, in hope to improve their defense. Unlike the Cardinals, the Rams are trying to improve where they have weaknesses. They also signed Will Witherspoon last year, and this is a team on the rise over the next few seasons. I don’t think they can get much done with Bulger at quarterback. But if they can bring in some fresh blood under center, watch out for the Rams a few years down the line.
4. San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers suck. That’s all there is to it. This team will not make the playoffs for years to come because they have little to no talent on their roster. And it doesn’t help that their quarterback is a no name, who beat out their #1 overall pick of a few seasons ago. This team will continue to be on the decline until they can get some management to turn around their franchise.
Projected Final Records:
Seattle Seahawks (10-6)
Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
St. Louis Rams (6-10)
San Francisco 49ers (4-12)
Did u say that the niners have “Little to no talent” does the name Patrick Willis come to mind. Oh yea he only had something like over 170 tackles his rookie year. They have some other guys to that are impressive. With Kurt Warner running the show for the Cards just hope he stays healthy. Cus Matt Leinert not quite ready to impress yet.