Way Too Early NFC West Preview

In recent years, the West division of the National Football Conference has been revered in the sports world almost like estranged family--no one's too fond of it, no one's too impressed by it, and it certainly gets no respect.

But much like its baseball counterpart the NL West--also given hardly a shred of respect before or during the season--the NFC West division has managed to surprise doubters that think the worst football in the league is played there.

Three years ago Seattle surged through the entire conference en route to its first Super Bowl appearance, and last season Arizona defied the odds by following up its pedestrian 9-7 season with an unpredictably dominant run in the playoffs, falling only a shoe-string catch short of the Lombardi trophy.

In fact, the only team in the NFC West not to make a Super Bowl trip this decade is the one with by far the richest history, San Francisco, who could be poised for a breakout season.

So as the NFC West sets out for another year in which league-wide expectations will likely be mediocre, lets take a look at possibly the most underrated division in the league, in my predicted last to first order for the 2009 season.

ST. LOUIS RAMS

2008 Record: 2-14 

Predicted 2009 NFC West Finish: Fourth

New head coach Steve Spagnuolo, the defensive wiz that organized the strategy that kept New England's offense in check in Super Bowl XLII when he was the Giants defensive coordinator, has signed on to be the head man in St. Louis after having been rumored for a number of vacancies the past two offseasons.

Hot new commodities on the coaching market have fizzled out plenty of times in the past, so the Rams will need more than a coaching change to improve on their abysmal seasons of the past two years.

They picked up some immediate help in the draft, OT Jason Smith of Baylor in the first round, and Ohio State's All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis in the second, but rather than boosting the current lineup the rookies will be replacing departed veterans.

The drafting of Laurinaitis seems to have paved the way for the release of last years' leading tackler Pina Tinoisamoa, a move that surprised many, and Smith has the unenviable task of trying to live up to the standard set by Orlando Pace over the last decade.

Perennial Pro Bowler Torry Holt is gone, having requested his release, and thereby leaving quarterback Marc Bulger as the final remnant of the "Greatest Show on Turf."

Those pass-happy days appear to be long gone in St. Louis, with the team having purged itself of nearly its entire staff of wide outs, and second-year men Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton left as the main outside targets for the aging Bulger.

The only bona-fide superstar left on the roster is running back Steven Jackson, who will need St. Louis' efforts to bolster the offensive line in the offseason (which included the signing of prized free-agent center Jason Brown)  to pay off in order to be productive.

Even if the offense is improved, St. Louis still has too many question marks on defense to make much of a rebound in 09. Spagnuolo probably needs another draft or two to be able to work his magic.

The Rams should definitely be better than two wins this season, but more than five could be a moral victory.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

2008 Record: 4-12

Predicted 2009 NFC West Finish: Second-place tie

Seattle may have been decimated by injuries in 2008, but a 4-12 finish last season was still a long way to fall considering the way the ruled the NFC West with four- straight division titles leading into '08.

Losing the only coach to lead them to a Super Bowl, Mike Holmgren, doesn't seem to bode well, though the 2008 offseason announcement of his pending retirement probably didn't help matters that year.

Former Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. takes over, and while he wasn't wildly successful in Atlanta, he is familiar with the NFC West, having been defense coordinator in San Francisco earlier in the decade.

While the Seahawks aren't likely to recapture the success they had in 2005 when they made the Super Bowl, they're easily better than last year's four-win debacle.

If Matt Hasselbeck can remain healthy--Seattle's draft day pass on Mark Sanchez indicates they expect him to--the offense should be more potent, especially with the arrival of TJ Houshmandzadeh at wide out and fullback Justin Griffin paving the way for Julius Jones and TJ Duckett. Draft pick Max Unger could be an immediate starter on the offensive line.

Defensively, the linebacking crew could be one of the best in the league, despite the departure of Julius Petersen. First-round pick Aaron Curry was considered by many the top overall defensive prospect in the 2009 draft, and a threesome with re-signed Leroy Hill and Lofa Tatupu could wreak a lot of havoc on the NFC West this season.

Ken Lucas has also returned after his stint in Carolina, providing some size on the outside to matchup with the deep receiving talent in the West.

Depending on Hasselbeck's health and the team's ability to adapt to a new coach, Seattle could be anywhere from a sub-.500 team to 10-6 and contending for the playoffs, but chances are they will be neck-and-neck for second place in the division.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

2008 Record: 7-9

2009 Predicted NFC West Finish: Second-place tie

Much like Seattle, the 49ers enter 2009 with new leadership, only not just at head coach, but with new team President Jed York now running the day-to-day operations.

And while now-permanent Head Coach Mike Singletary seems to have a new vision and the right mindset to lead San Francisco over the hump they've been stuck at for the last few years, there are plenty of question marks.

The overall offense is the big mystery; Singletary and General Manager Scot McCloughin were meticulous in their search for Mike Martz' replacement, only to be rebuffed by Scott Linehan (who signed with league doormat Detroit instead) and finally settling on a coordinator with a less-than-mediocre winning pecentage, Jimmy Raye.

Singletary contends Raye was hired because he shares his vision for physical football, while local speculation in the Bay Area leans toward Raye being the last option. While the offensive talent has improved, San Francisco may have taken a step back coaching-wise.

The saving grace in that situation is that Raye likes to pound the football, and will have one of the premier horses in the league, Frank Gore, to rely on.

The passing game got an upgrade in the draft when Michael Crabtree fell to San Francisco at the tenth spot, however the quarterback competition between Shaun Hill and Alex Smith could last into preseason--in other words, until someone loses the battle.

The 49ers will be overly-reliant on its defense to keep it in games in 2009, a trend of recent years. The unit should be more consistent now that defensive coordinator Greg Manusky can stick with the 3-4 scheme rather than alternating within former coach Mike Nolan's hybrid flop.

Leading the Niner defense is Patrick Willis, the 2007 All-Pro rookie who appears ready to assume Ray Lewis' torch as the top linebacker in the league. The team needs outside linebackers Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson to  provide the pass-rushing threat it expects out of them,  but a talent drop-off still remains in the secondary, especially with cornerback Walt Harris likely out for the year.

Considering the 49ers were one ill-advised two-yard fullback dive away from beating Arizona last year and going to the playoffs, there is reason for optimism in San Francisco. But with a mediocre coordinator taking over a raw offense, double-digit wins appears to be out of reach.

ARIZONA CARDINALS

2008 Record: 9-7

2009 Predicted NFC West Finish: First

While San Francisco may have been two yards away from stealing the NFC West from the Cardinals last season, Arizona was a shoe-string, toe-dragging catch away from winning the Super Bowl.

On the heels of one of the more entertaining Super Bowls in history, expectations are higher than ever in the desert, especially with quarterback Kurt Warner finding the spiritual guidance he needed to resign with the Cards for $23 million.

Questions regarding Pro Bowl wideout Anquan Boldin's commitment to the team have rivaled Warner's headlines during the offseason, but all indications are that Boldin won't be moved in 2009, meaning Arizona will likely have the most dangerous passing game in the league this year.

Edgerrin James has been released, which won't affect the team much with the drafting of Ohio State star Chris "Beanie" Wells, who is likely to share Arizona's relatively light running load with Tim Hightower.

As long as Warner has Boldin paired with Larry Fitzgerald, who broke out as the NFL's premier receiver in 2009, Arizona should be lighting up scoreboards throughout the season. Even if Boldin were to be traded, the Cardinals have quality backup behind him in Steve Breaston, and such a move would almost certainly net Arizona great talent and/or draft picks in return.

The defense won't be as staunch as the offense is electric, but it continues to improve.

Bryant McFadden has been brought in from Pittsburgh opposite Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, one of the top rookie defenders in 2008, and the safeties remain solid in Antrell Rolle and Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson.

The pass rush should also be solid, but not spectacular behind Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor, hoever Darnell Dockett's unrelenting demand for a trade could pose problems for the defensive unit.

Any potential problems for the defense won't be a major concern in Arizona, as their defense will face far better competition in practice than it will within the division.

More than anything, what is likely to keep Arizona on top of the NFC West is shot-caller Ken Whisenhunt.

Coach Whisenhunt reminded the league in 2008 that he was a proven winner in his roles prior to being a head coach, and served notice that he plans on continuing his winning ways.

The Cards may have stumbled upon some luck on their way to the Super Bowl, but with a potential Hall of Famer under center and a rising head coach that came from a winning franchise, Arizona is poised to maintain and build on the success of '08 and mount another playoff run.

None of the other teams in the NFC West appear to have the talent to contain Arizona's passing game, and the Cardinals' defense should be serviceable enough to contain the other offenses in the division, ensuring their grip on the division title for at least one more year.