The 2009 NFC West: Previews and Predictions

The 2008 Arizona Cardinals boasted a 9-7 regular season record, doing just enough to earn the NFC West division crown but they played in one of the most memorable championship games ever at Super Bowl XLIII against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Arizona also dominated the NFC West with an impressive 6-0 division record.

The second place San Francisco 49ers were not too far behind, going 7-9 and taking the eventual NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals to the limit on Monday Night Football.

After Mike Nolan's midseason firing, interim head coach Mike Singletary led the underachieving 2-5 49ers to a 5-4 record, highlighted by victories over the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Redskins.

Mike Holmgren's swan song season didn't exactly go as planned in 2008.

The 2006 NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks were devastated by injuries to many key players and limped to a 4-12 record—not exactly the legacy Holmgren wanted to leave in his final year of coaching.

The St. Louis Rams' steady decline, since appearing in Super Bowl XXXVI against Bill Belichick's New England Patriots, continues. The Rams won a dismal two games in 2008 and a 2-14 record would usually qualify a team for the first pick overall, but the historic 0-16 Detroit Lions took that honor instead.

Arizona Cardinals

Key Matchup: Arizona defeated San Francisco 29-24 in one of last season's best Monday Night contests. The thrilling game featured a late goal-line stand by the Cardinal defense to preserve the victory as time expired.

They get another highly anticipated matchup with the 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 14, but this time at Candlestick (Monster) Park.

Best Case Scenario: The Cardinals still have Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, the best wide receivers in the division and a potential Hall of Fame quarterback in Kurt Warner throwing the ball to them.

Rookie running back Chris "Beanie" Wells should be an excellent complement to the already explosive Arizona offense.

Prediction: 11-5

Worst Case Scenario: The Cardinals' defense had some major issues last year, highlighted by the Patriots 47-7 shellacking of Arizona in New England late in the season. If this unit fails, there could be some major trouble.

Also, the Super Bowl runner up "curse" might take a bite out of the Arizona Cardinals this year.

Prediction: 6-10

1 vs. San Francisco 49ers
2 at Jacksonville Jaguars
3 vs. Indianapolis Colts
4 Bye
5 vs. Houston Texans
6 at Seattle Seahawks
7 at New York Giants
8 vs. Carolina Panthers
9 at Chicago Bears
10 vs. Seattle Seahawks
11 at St. Louis Rams
12 at Tennessee Titans
13 vs. Minnesota Vikings
14 at San Francisco 49ers
15 at Detroit Lions
16 vs. St. Louis Rams
17 vs. Green Bay Packers

San Francisco 49ers

Key Matchup: Week seven against the Houston Texans marks the beginning of a tough road trip, culminating when San Francisco faces off against the 2007 Super Bowl champion Colts in Indianapolis. This will be a good bench mark game for the 49ers' many young players.

Best Case Scenario: If the 49ers develop an offensive identity in the beginning of the season to match their fast and aggressive defense led by Patrick Willis and Nate Clements, San Francisco could surprise and be a sleeper pick to make the playoffs.

Prediction: 9-7

Worst Case Scenario: If the lack of a pass rush and lack of a playmaking safety are exposed by opposing offenses, the 49ers' defense could be in for a long year.

If the offense stumbles out of the gate under Jimmy Raye's leadership, don't expect to see San Francisco in the playoffs.

Prediction: 4-12

1 at Arizona Cardinals
2 vs. Seattle Seahawks
3 at Minnesota Vikings
4 vs. St. Louis Rams
5 vs. Atlanta Falcons
6 Bye
7 at Houston Texans
8 at Indianapolis Colts
9 vs. Tennessee Titans
10 vs. Chicago Bears
11 at Green Bay Packers
12 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
13 at Seattle Seahawks
14 vs. Arizona Cardinals
15 at Philadelphia Eagles
16 vs. Detroit Lions
17 at St. Louis Rams

Seattle Seahawks

Key Matchup: San Francisco plays host to the Seahawks in week two and the game will serve as a homecoming of sorts for Seattle head coach Jim Mora Jr., who was the 49ers' defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2003.

Best Case Scenario: If Matt Hasselbeck and new arrival T.J. Houshmandzadeh gel as a quarterback and wide receiver duo, the Seattle Seahawks could score a lot of points with their veteran offense.

Prediction: 9-7

Worst Case Scenario: This team must stay healthy to compete because they lack depth at many key positions. Injuries have absolutely decimated Seattle over the past few years.

Prediction: 5-11

1 vs. St. Louis Rams
2 at San Francisco 49ers
3 vs. Chicago Bears
4 at Indianapolis Colts
5 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
6 vs. Arizona Cardinals
7 Bye
8 at Dallas Cowboys
9 vs. Detroit Lions
10 at Arizona Cardinals
11 at Minnesota Vikings
12 at St. Louis Rams
13 vs. San Francisco 49ers
14 at Houston Texans
15 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16 at Green Bay Packers
17 vs. Tennessee Titans

St. Louis Rams

Key Matchup: Seattle's Jim Mora and St. Louis' Steve Spagnuolo, the newest coaches in the NFC West, square off in the first week of the season.

The Seahawks and Rams were once dominant in the NFC West during different parts of the decade and look to kickoff their rebuilding projects with a victory.

Best Case Scenario: If quarterback Marc Bulger and powerful running back Steven Jackson play well early, the St. Louis Rams will have a chance in any game they play.

Prediction: 7-9

Worst Case Scenario: This team needs to stay healthy to even stand a chance because they have also suffered from the injury bug over the last few years.

Losing long time veteran tackle Orlando Pace to Chicago and wide receiver Torry Holt to Jacksonville won't help the offense.

Prediction: 3-13

1 at Seattle Seahawks
2 at Washington Redskins
3 vs. Green Bay Packers
4 at San Francisco 49ers
5 vs. Minnesota Vikings
6 at Jacksonville Jaguars
7 vs. Indianapolis Colts
8 at Detroit Lions
9 Bye
10 vs. New Orleans Saints
11 vs. Arizona Cardinals
12 vs. Seattle Seahawks
13 at Chicago Bears
14 at Tennessee Titans
15 vs. Houston Texans
16 at Arizona Cardinals
17 vs. San Francisco 49ers