NFC West Preview
Sean McVay and the Rams made the move of the offseason in trading for Matthew Stafford. They think he was the missing piece, and they might be right. Loaded on defense with Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey (amongst others), Sean McVay just needed the right on-field general on offense to get this team back to the top tier of this league. I do think the Cam Akers injury will prove to be significant. I also think the media is overcompensating for the lack of attention and praise that they neglected to give Stafford for a decade by crowning him as the savior to this team already, almost guaranteeing that he’ll fall below expectations. In an absolutely stacked NFC West, this team could win the division, or wind up as a borderline Wild Card team. A Super Bowl appearance wouldn’t surprise me.
The 49ers are excited to put the 2020 season in the rearview mirror, as what could have been a promising season was completely derailed by injuries. They boast a top tier defense, which alone will keep them competitive and relevant throughout the season. The real question mark here is the offense. I’m certainly not a believer in Jimmy G. But I’m absolutely a believer in Kyle Shanahan and this roster’s ability to play smash mouth, yet creative, football. Perhaps the biggest uncertainty in the NFL this year is how Jimmy G and Trey Lance will be used, maybe even in tandem. If they were in any other division, this team would be a lock for the playoffs. But the NFC West is too loaded to say that. I have this team making the playoffs as a Wild Card team, but would not be surprised if they made a deep run.
I can see so many different finishing scenarios for this Seahawks team. Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and this explosive offense give them a pretty high ceiling. It wouldn’t completely stun me if they competed for the division, got a top Wild Card seed, and made a run in they playoffs. But this defense was so bad last year, particularly against the pass. Because of this, I also wouldn’t be shocked if they finished last in what’s clearly the best division in football, and maybe even secured a top 10 pick. Ultimately, I think Wilson and Carroll get them a Wild Card spot.
This is a huge year for Kliff Kingsbury, Kyler Murray and this Cardinals team. Defensively, there’s a ton of question marks, that’s clear. Offensively, I think it was obvious last year that when Kyler was healthy and running the ball, they were competitive and won games. When he wasn’t, they weren’t. I don’t trust that at all, especially playing Aaron Donald and Nick Bosa four times a year. Could I see them sneaking into the playoffs as a Wild Card? Absolutely, because for half of the season last year this offense did look explosive. But I think the more likely scenario is getting crushed in their six division games, and playing .500 football the rest of the way, leaving them questioning the Kyler-Kliff era in the offseason.
