1. Arizona Cardinals
2010 Record: 5-11, last place NFC West
Head Coach: Ken Whisenhunt (5th season Arizona, 36-34 career)
Key Additions: CB Patrick Peterson, RB Ryan Williams, QB Kevin Kolb, TE Todd Heap, WR Chansi Stuckey, LB Stewart Bradley,
Key Losses: WR Steve Breaston, RB Tim Hightower, QB Derek Anderson, LG Alan Faneca, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
2011 Outlook: The Cardinals badly missed Kurt Warner in the 2010 season. Stuck with duds like Derek Anderson and Max Hall at quarterback, the Cardinals limped to a 5-11 record. In order to rectify their quarterback situation, the Cardinals gave the Eagles the farm to land Kevin Kolb. They immediately signed Kolb to a long-term deal and turned over the keys to the franchise to him. Kolb showed flashes of promise in Philadelphia but is largely untested and unproven. They also traded leading rusher Tim Hightower to the Redskins, who was deemed unnecessary after they drafted Ryan Williams out of Virginia Tech. Steady receiver Steve Breaston was allowed to leave for Kansas City but Todd Heap was added at tight end. Despite the uncertainty at quarterback last season, WR Larry Fitzgerald still put up solid numbers. The Cardinals are hopeful he can return to the dominant receiver he was with Warner at quarterback. On defense, the Cardinals enter the season with some question marks. They drafted Patrick Peterson out of LSU and traded away Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to land Kolb. LB Joey Porter is back, hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2010 campaign. The Cardinals will be without S Adrian Wilson for an undetermined length of time. The schedule will present some challenges. Outside of the dreck that will be their six games against the NFC West, the Cardinals will face one stretch of three straight road games. However, they close the season with four out of five games at home. I predict that is when they will make their move and sneak away with the NFC West.
Prediction: 7-9
2. San Francisco 49ers
2010 Record: 6-10, 3rd place NFC West
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh (1st season San Francisco, 0-0 career)
Key Additions: LB Aldon Smith, QB Colin Kaepernick, WR Braylon Edwards, K David Akers, CB Carlos Rogers, S Donte Whitner, S Madieu Williams
Key Losses: K Joe Nedney, NT Aubrayo Franklin, LB Takeo Spikes, LB Manny Lawson
2011 Outlook: Everyone and their mom was hyping up the 49ers in 2010. They were clearly going to run away with the NFC West. However, the 2010 season actually happened the Niners flopped. An 0-5 start doomed them, and despite winning 6 of their final 11 games, it was too late for the team and head coach Mike Singletary. Singletary was fired and former NFL QB Jim Harbaugh was plucked from Stanford to be his successor. Shcokingly, QB Alex Smith is back yet again despite being an incredible bust. The 49ers could have had Aaron Rodgers and we all know how that has worked out. RB Frank Gore is back, one of the constants of the offense. He is looking for a new deal but is also reaching that age where RBs fall off a cliff so it will be interesting to see how he performs this season. Braylon Edwards has been added to the receiver corps. Edwards shows flashes of brilliance at times but can also be maddening with his tendency to drop the ball. The Niners got him cheap and for only a year so it seems like a reasonable gamble. Vernon Davis will be expected to continue to be one of the better tight ends in football, and WR Michael Crabtree will look to continue to improve once he returns from injury. The defense played alright last season. They were very good against the run but awful against the pass. LB Patrick Willis continues to be one of the most intense, dominant forces in football. Free agent bust, CB Nate Clements was finally jettisoned. The Niners brought in former Redskins CB Carlos Rogers. Rogers has always been a decent cover guy but probably has the worst hands of any defensive player in football. The Niners let the curse that is LB Takeo Spikes go to the Chargers. Spikes has never made the playoffs in his career and was obviously what was holding them back. Longtime Eagle David Akers is the new kicker. Hopefully, he still has some power left in that leg and hasn't become the kicker that blew the wild card playoff game for the Eagles. The Niners season will hinge on whether Harbaugh can get anything out of Alex Smith. I expect he won't and it won't be long before we see rookie Colin Kaepernick under center. I think Harbaugh can be the guy to restore the Niners name but it won't be this year.
Prediction: 6-10
3. St. Louis Rams
2010 Record: 7-9, 2nd place NFC West
Head Coach: Steve Spagnuolo (3rd season Rams, 8-24 career)
Key Additions: DE Robert Quinn, WR Mike Sims-Walker, RB Cadillac Williams, RB Jerious Norwood, S Quintin Mikell, LB Brady Poppinga, LB Ben Leber
Key Losses: S Oshiomogho Atogwe
2011 Outlook: The St. Louis Rams were one of the feel good stories of the 2010 NFL season. Behind rookie QB Sam Bradford, a young, exciting defense and a pretty easy schedule, the Rams were in contention for the division up until the final game of the season. They lost to the Seahawks and just missed the playoffs, but a six win improvement in year two of the Spags regime has given the Rams plenty of reason for optimism. Bradford played poised and excited Rams fans with what he was able to do with very limited parts. He was constrained in some ways as a rookie and it is expected he may be able to air it out a bit more this season. He also will be paired with horrible head coach but genius offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The Rams gave him some help at wide receiver by picking up Mike Sims-Walker. They also will be getting back Donnie Avery from injury. RB Steven Jackson continues to be one of the better players in the game. He was relied on heavily by the Rams, so in order to lighten his load St. Louis picked up Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood. On defense the Rams lost Otogwe but picked up Quintin Mikell from the Eagles. Young players Chris Long and James Laurinaitis each showed growth last season and the Rams have an exciting, capable defense for the first time in years. The Rams have more talent than last season but a brutal early schedule is what will prevent them from taking that next step. They won't be sneaking up on anyone this season.
Prediction: 6-10
4. Seattle Seahawks
2010 Record: 7-9, 1st place NFC West
Head Coach: Peter Carroll, (2nd season Seahawks, 42-43 career)
Key Additions: T James Carpenter, QB Tavaris Jackson, WR Sidney Rice, TE Zach Miller, G Robert Gallery
Key Losses: QB Matt Hasselebeck, LB Lofa Tatupu, CB Lawyer Milloy, S Jordan Babineaux, K Olindo Mare
2011 Outlook: Last season, the Seahawks become the worst team ever to win a playoff game. However, it was apparent that despite reaching the second round of the playoffs, the current incarnation of the Seahawks were not Super Bowl contenders. So the rebuilding effort continued and longtime QB Matt Hasselbeck was allowed to leave for the Titans. Insert QB Tavaris Jackson, who has experience from his Minnesota days with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Jackson was maddening in Minnesota but I guess he showed enough for the Seahawks to immediately anoint him the starter. Although, when your only competition is Charlie Whitehurst that isn't saying much. The Seahawks also added Jackson's teammate from Minnesota, Sidney Rice. Rice had a breakout 2009 season but slipped back to his norm of injuries and ineffectiveness in 2010. TE Zach Miller was always under the radar in Oakland but is one of the better tight ends in football. The Seahawks also brought in former Raider Robert Gallery. Gallery has been called a bust and based on his draft status that is understandable, but he is still a solid guard. RB Marshawn Lynch returns this season. He had a pretty unspectacular regular season last year but everyone remembers his game changing run against the Saints in the playoffs last season. The Seahawks hope to see more of that guy. The biggest questions for the Seahawks will come on defense. They are very young on the defensive side of the ball and have been at the bottom of the league for a few years now. I expect a fall from first to last for Seattle. Jackson has made the playoffs before but that was when he had immense talent around him. He will have some talent on offense but the defense will be putting the Seahawks in many holes this season. The Seahawks will be in the thick of the divisional race due to its mediocrity but no playoffs to show for that mediocrity this season.
Prediction: 5-11
Prediction: 7-9
2. San Francisco 49ers
2010 Record: 6-10, 3rd place NFC West
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh (1st season San Francisco, 0-0 career)
Key Additions: LB Aldon Smith, QB Colin Kaepernick, WR Braylon Edwards, K David Akers, CB Carlos Rogers, S Donte Whitner, S Madieu Williams
Key Losses: K Joe Nedney, NT Aubrayo Franklin, LB Takeo Spikes, LB Manny Lawson
2011 Outlook: Everyone and their mom was hyping up the 49ers in 2010. They were clearly going to run away with the NFC West. However, the 2010 season actually happened the Niners flopped. An 0-5 start doomed them, and despite winning 6 of their final 11 games, it was too late for the team and head coach Mike Singletary. Singletary was fired and former NFL QB Jim Harbaugh was plucked from Stanford to be his successor. Shcokingly, QB Alex Smith is back yet again despite being an incredible bust. The 49ers could have had Aaron Rodgers and we all know how that has worked out. RB Frank Gore is back, one of the constants of the offense. He is looking for a new deal but is also reaching that age where RBs fall off a cliff so it will be interesting to see how he performs this season. Braylon Edwards has been added to the receiver corps. Edwards shows flashes of brilliance at times but can also be maddening with his tendency to drop the ball. The Niners got him cheap and for only a year so it seems like a reasonable gamble. Vernon Davis will be expected to continue to be one of the better tight ends in football, and WR Michael Crabtree will look to continue to improve once he returns from injury. The defense played alright last season. They were very good against the run but awful against the pass. LB Patrick Willis continues to be one of the most intense, dominant forces in football. Free agent bust, CB Nate Clements was finally jettisoned. The Niners brought in former Redskins CB Carlos Rogers. Rogers has always been a decent cover guy but probably has the worst hands of any defensive player in football. The Niners let the curse that is LB Takeo Spikes go to the Chargers. Spikes has never made the playoffs in his career and was obviously what was holding them back. Longtime Eagle David Akers is the new kicker. Hopefully, he still has some power left in that leg and hasn't become the kicker that blew the wild card playoff game for the Eagles. The Niners season will hinge on whether Harbaugh can get anything out of Alex Smith. I expect he won't and it won't be long before we see rookie Colin Kaepernick under center. I think Harbaugh can be the guy to restore the Niners name but it won't be this year.
Prediction: 6-10
3. St. Louis Rams
2010 Record: 7-9, 2nd place NFC West
Head Coach: Steve Spagnuolo (3rd season Rams, 8-24 career)
Key Additions: DE Robert Quinn, WR Mike Sims-Walker, RB Cadillac Williams, RB Jerious Norwood, S Quintin Mikell, LB Brady Poppinga, LB Ben Leber
Key Losses: S Oshiomogho Atogwe
2011 Outlook: The St. Louis Rams were one of the feel good stories of the 2010 NFL season. Behind rookie QB Sam Bradford, a young, exciting defense and a pretty easy schedule, the Rams were in contention for the division up until the final game of the season. They lost to the Seahawks and just missed the playoffs, but a six win improvement in year two of the Spags regime has given the Rams plenty of reason for optimism. Bradford played poised and excited Rams fans with what he was able to do with very limited parts. He was constrained in some ways as a rookie and it is expected he may be able to air it out a bit more this season. He also will be paired with horrible head coach but genius offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The Rams gave him some help at wide receiver by picking up Mike Sims-Walker. They also will be getting back Donnie Avery from injury. RB Steven Jackson continues to be one of the better players in the game. He was relied on heavily by the Rams, so in order to lighten his load St. Louis picked up Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood. On defense the Rams lost Otogwe but picked up Quintin Mikell from the Eagles. Young players Chris Long and James Laurinaitis each showed growth last season and the Rams have an exciting, capable defense for the first time in years. The Rams have more talent than last season but a brutal early schedule is what will prevent them from taking that next step. They won't be sneaking up on anyone this season.
Prediction: 6-10
4. Seattle Seahawks
2010 Record: 7-9, 1st place NFC West
Head Coach: Peter Carroll, (2nd season Seahawks, 42-43 career)
Key Additions: T James Carpenter, QB Tavaris Jackson, WR Sidney Rice, TE Zach Miller, G Robert Gallery
Key Losses: QB Matt Hasselebeck, LB Lofa Tatupu, CB Lawyer Milloy, S Jordan Babineaux, K Olindo Mare
2011 Outlook: Last season, the Seahawks become the worst team ever to win a playoff game. However, it was apparent that despite reaching the second round of the playoffs, the current incarnation of the Seahawks were not Super Bowl contenders. So the rebuilding effort continued and longtime QB Matt Hasselbeck was allowed to leave for the Titans. Insert QB Tavaris Jackson, who has experience from his Minnesota days with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Jackson was maddening in Minnesota but I guess he showed enough for the Seahawks to immediately anoint him the starter. Although, when your only competition is Charlie Whitehurst that isn't saying much. The Seahawks also added Jackson's teammate from Minnesota, Sidney Rice. Rice had a breakout 2009 season but slipped back to his norm of injuries and ineffectiveness in 2010. TE Zach Miller was always under the radar in Oakland but is one of the better tight ends in football. The Seahawks also brought in former Raider Robert Gallery. Gallery has been called a bust and based on his draft status that is understandable, but he is still a solid guard. RB Marshawn Lynch returns this season. He had a pretty unspectacular regular season last year but everyone remembers his game changing run against the Saints in the playoffs last season. The Seahawks hope to see more of that guy. The biggest questions for the Seahawks will come on defense. They are very young on the defensive side of the ball and have been at the bottom of the league for a few years now. I expect a fall from first to last for Seattle. Jackson has made the playoffs before but that was when he had immense talent around him. He will have some talent on offense but the defense will be putting the Seahawks in many holes this season. The Seahawks will be in the thick of the divisional race due to its mediocrity but no playoffs to show for that mediocrity this season.
Prediction: 5-11
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