By going into NY and beating the Giants, the Cards are looking like a defending NFC Champion. While it makes me feel better about the thrashing they gave Seattle last week, it doesn't make me feel better about the next few years.

The 49ers are also beginning to look like a serious team. With A.Smith back at QB, and at least temporarily looking like a first round pick, and the new prima-dona receiver that they finally signed, added to their running game and hard nosed defense, they look like they'll be respectable too for a while.

The NFC West aint what it use to be. We'll still be able to kick some Ram butt though, but nobody will win the NFC West with a 9-7 record any more. We'll have to play some serious game.

Welcome to the new Timmy and Jimmy era.

The Cardinals are a good team. That being said they wont be good for "years". Warner is playing on borrowed time and i just can't see Leinhart playing at that hight of a level at any time. And Alex Smith played one good half of football this season. It's WAY too soon to give the 9ers as much credit as you're dishing out

This is the NFL. Any team has the possibility of beating any other team. How was it that the Raiders looked so bad against the Giants and then the following week, beat an Eagles' team that was looking like an NFC champion calibre team? This week, they looked brutal against Sanchez's Jets?

The 9ers will get better as time goes - just like we will get better as everyone becomes more familiar with the new schemes. I think we can compete in the NFC West TODAY. We will definitely be fine in upcoming years. Outside of Kerney and Grant, our D is pretty young. Our O will start to get younger in the near future as TR starts to focus on building that up. We simply need a couple of solid O-line dudes and we will be FINE!

Look how long it took the Saints to become as good as they are this year? They needed to build up their weaknesses. We were a 4-12 team last year and though most of that was due to injuries, there were also gaping holes on both sides of the ball. I think we all held our collective breaths hoping that Walter could return this year. I think it was wishful thinking - I too was hoping. Now that it is less likely that he will be back in the first 2/3 of the season, we need to think about moving on. He may have a couple of good years left, but they won't be this year.

We've got a good coaching staff in place. We have a nice core group of guys to build around. The great thing is, we simply need to build up the next generation while we lean on the existing guys to get the job done. Hass is not done yet. Our WRs look good for a few more years yet. Our RB situation can easily be fixed with a good draft pick (I personally really like that Rankin signing to our practice squad). A safety and another corner the calibre of Tru and we are in GREAT shape defensively. That is not to say that we can't compete right now. We definitely can. I am fully expecting us to beat up on the Cowboys this coming Sunday. They are on a high from their blasting of the Falcons. Aikman even said it that they have no business losing to the Hawks next week. Knowing the mental cockiness of the Cowboys, they will let that go to their heads and look past us. With Tru back, and hopefully Lock or an up to speed MacIntosh, we should be able to protect Hass and get things going.

I'm still thinking 10-6 for this year. Will that win us the West? Not sure, but it should put us in the playoffs.

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Timmy and Jimmy! I almost forgot!!!