The NFC West had a rough year in 2007. Seattle won the division with a 10-6 record, but was 1-1 against playoff teams. They won their Wild Card game against Washington before being blown out by Green Bay in the Divisional Round.
Arizona finished 8-8, but two disappointing losses to the 49ers kept them out of playoff contention. The 49ers were a trendy pick to win the division after a free-agency spending spree, but they finished 5-11.
Finally, the Rams, who were also a trendy pick to win the division, finished 3-13, and had the second overall pick in the draft. Injuries and inconsistent play were largely responsible for a division that produced only one team with a winning record.
The NFC West has been owned by the Seattle Seahawks, who have won the division four consecutive seasons and made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons. Here is how I see the 2008 season playing out in the NFC West.
1) Arizona Cardinals
‘07 Record: 8-8
Points Scored: 404 (7th)
Points Allowed: 399 (27th)
Playoff Result: N/A
2008 Strength of Schedule: 119-137 (.465) (T-22nd in NFL)
Strengths: The Arizona Cardinals have one of the strongest passing-offenses in the NFL. Larry Fitzgerald had 100 catches for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns. Anquan Boldin added 71 catches for 853 yards and nine touchdowns, despite missing five starts with an injury. Those two form the most explosive wide-receiver combo in the NFC.
Fitzgerald will be 25-years old at the end of August, and Boldin will be 28-years old in October. If the Cardinals can resolve Boldin’s contract issues, they should have a dominant receiving duo for years to come.
Bryant Johnson was a solid, third receiver and is only 27-years old. Losing him to division rival San Francisco was a meaningful loss. He has filled in well in the past when Boldin or Fitzgerald were hurt.
Ben Patrick and Leonard Pope are young tight ends that the Cardinals hope can emerge. The Cardinals are loaded with young offensive weapons at WR and TE.
Kurt Warner enjoyed his best season since his years in St Louis. He had 11 starts, 3,417 yards passing, 27 touchdowns, 17 picks, and an 89.8 QB rating. He is expected to be the backup to third-year QB Matt Leinart, who really struggled at the beginning of the season before having his 2007 campaign cut short by a collarbone injury.
Leinart has reportedly looked very strong this offseason, but Warner is still taking snaps with the first team. If he struggles, the coaching staff will not hesitate to go with Warner.
Edgerrin James rebounded slightly in 2007, thanks to a coaching staff that focused on the run slightly more than Dennis Green. His 1,222 rushing yards were seventh in the NFL, and he improved his yards-per-carry from 3.4 to 3.8, which is still not great. That signing has not produced the results many thought it would. The Cardinals had no one else that ran the ball and finished 29th in rushing-yards gained.
The Cardinals front seven did a nice job of stopping the run, finishing ninth in the NFL. They also finished 13th in sacks with 36. Losing Calvin Pace to the Jets was a significant loss, but the Jets drastically overpaid for his services. Six years and $42 million was too much cap space to part with.
The Cardinals did not replace him with anyone in free agency or the draft. Fourth-year player Chike Okeafor is expected to take that spot.
Weaknesses: Ken Whisenhunt was an assistant for the Steelers on teams that had very strong defenses. That is what he has been brought in to fix. He needs to install toughness on offense and rebuild a bad defense. The Cardinals have had a good enough passing offense to make the playoffs the last few years. The main problem on defense was stopping the pass. They finished 28th in pass yards allowed and 25th in touchdown passes allowed.
That was the main motivation for adding Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the first round of the draft. The Cardinals could have used a back to split carries with Edge, but the Cardinals could not pass on the opportunity to add secondary help.
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