Trouble in Paradise

by: Michael Steffes

Trouble in paradise...if by paradise you mean endless amounts of strip malls, 120 degree heat, and cacti as far as the eye can see.

It would appear from this report by Ken Summers of the Arizona Republic that the quarterback situation in Arizona is a bit more up in the air than people previously thought.

Ken Whisenhunt has spent all offseason telling everyone who would listen about how pleased he has been with Matt Leinart since he got hurt. Now, after only FIVE practices running the first team, he has been bumped back to the second unit. This could only be temporary, but as best I can figure, nothing good comes from it.

If Kurt Warner gives the Cards the best chance to win, I can see why they would start him. Even so, the chances of him recreating the reincarnation of his career that he experienced in 07' is unlikely. Leinart was not a happy camper last year after being benched, and you can bet he won't be now after all the work he has supposedly put in. Add him to the long and distinguished list of grumpy Cardinals.

Following the QB situation in Arizona will certainly be something to watch this summer. The more turmoil the better for Seahawks fans. In a year in which the Cards had a chance to build off of positive momentum for the first time in a decade, a contract issues precluded them from making any big moves, and now they have a fairly fragile QB situation; never a recipe for success. Looks like it could be the same ole Cards after all.... END Read More!

NFC West Nostalgia

by: Michael Steffes

Here is an interesting story this morning from Yahoo Sports Mike Silver that should peak the interest of NFC West fans. The Rams are for Sale, which isn't by itself all that interesting except when you look at who wants to buy back in, Eddie DeBartolo JR. I can hear the Niners fans grumbling from all the way down here in LA. DeBartolo was of course the Niners owner during their glory days who was disgraced during a rough patch in which he was indicted in a Fraud/Gambling/Bribery scandal. He signed the team over to his sister who is now running the team, Denise DeBartolo-York.

The other interesting note, is that Eddie would possibly be interested in moving the team back Los Angeles. That would shave some of the miles of the Seahawks travel schedule, along with eliminating the only divisional game with a 10am start. That would be plus. That and there would be one heck of a family feud going on within the division, which will certainly create some headlines. We will see what happens, the league is going to be taking a PR hit with the labor problems already, so they may not be as interested in bringing DeBartolo back as he is in becoming an owner again. To quote Eddie Jr, ""It'll be interesting to see what happens."END Read More!

NFC West Preview: Unit By Unit Rankings (Part II)

by: Michael Steffes

Ok, with the offense out of the way, lets get down to the Seahawks star unit; The defense. Wow, it has been a long time since we could say that.

A few notes...

First, I really wanted to divide the defensive line into Tackles and Ends, but in the end I combined them. It is two hard to separate them because both the Cards and Niners are playing a hybrid 3-4/4-3. Because of that, it was unfair to measure the tackles and ends against each other because they are asked to do different things.

Also, I included some special teams rankings. It was only fair. I felt bad for the Niners, and that was the only way they were going to get a high ranking.

Anyway...

First off, let me start by saying that as high as I am on the Seahawks d-line right now, I am not ready to put them up against the best in the business. That said, when comparing with in this division, they are easily the best. One player, Patrick Kerney does that almost by himself. He is really the only guy in the division who offenses still fear. Add in Mebane and the current depth, and this is a good group top to bottom. The Rams came in second here, but mostly by attrition. Chris Long has to prove it, but by all accounts should be solid right away. Little can still rush and Carraker had a solid rookie year and should be better. I felt San Fran and Arizona were pretty even. I gave the nod to San Fran because they do what they are supposed to. Justin Smith has been a pretty good all around end, and I like their nose tackles. With Arizona, they would be better if Dockett and Berry stay healthy, but when has that ever happen. I am a Michigan fan, and I think Watson and Branch are terrible players. Plus almost all their depth comes from the 3 DE's they selected in the draft. You could say I have very little faith in Calais Campbell ever being special as well.

Was there any doubt about the top ranked linebacking group. I believe the Hawks have the best starting group in the NFL. The team is happier with the depth than I am, but assuming the starters are good to go, which they almost always have been, this unit is first by a LARGE margin. I gave the Niners 2nd. They have some questions to be sure, but they have Patrick Willis. 170 Tackles last year! They also have better depth at that position than the other two teams. I like both Will Witherspoon and Karlos Dansby a lot. But when I looked at the Cards, I think they are a little better. Chike Okeafor is playing outside for them. Plus if you expect Clark Haggins to remain a quality player, they are deeper than the Rams. The Rams needed linebackers and then proceeded to wait until the 6th and 7th to draft any. Not good.


On the defensive side of the ball, I found the safeties the hardest to rank. As you can see, I am allowing the Cards, Rams, and Hawks to all share the top spot. Each for a different reason. Adrian Wilson is an all world safety, but is coming off a tough injury for a player who needs to be explosive. Moving Rolle to safety might make them the best. He is a ball hawk to complement Wilson ferocious hitting. However, it is too early to tell with Wilson's injury and Rolle's lack of experience. The Rams have pretty darn good safeties as well. Oshiomogho Atogwe is probably the Rams best defender right now and Corey Chavious is solid. I included the Hawks here because they ask the safeties to play a totally different roll than the other teams. They ask that the safeties just keep people in front of them. Considering the Hawks were tops in touchdown passes allowed, they are pretty darn good at doing their jobs. Russel could be better, but he is equal to a Corey Chavious. How bout them Niners? Poor Niner fans. Roman and Lewis don't scare anybody.

Only one NFC West corner went to the Pro Bowl, and he wasn't the one who got the biggest free agent contract before the year began. Trufant, by all accounts, looks just as good now as he did before he got paid. With Jennings in year three, and the experience of Babs, plus a speedy Josh Wilson who will hopefully improve, the Hawks are tops again. Clements by himself puts San Fran to 2, but they are going to need some sort of pass rush to show their corners skills. Arizona came in third because of the way they played last year, which was over their heads. However, adding DRC to Rod Hood and Eric Green makes them better than the sorry group in St. Louis. Ron Bartell? Fakhir Brown? Justin King? Anybody smell burnt toast?

In the name of fair and balanced, I have included the specialists. If you read the team previews, you know I am very high on the Niners specialists. Andy Lee was a very good punter last year. Joe Nedney is solid, as he should be as the team's primary scoring threat. Rackers and Barr get the Cards second. They have a bit more flash than the other two teams. I strongly considered ranking the Hawks above the Rams, simply because they are using two Seattle castaways in Donnie Jones and Josh Brown. But in the end, I had to be realistic. Plackemeirer was one of the worst punters last year numbers wise and the Hawks kicker situation is in flux. And as much as I hate to say it now, Brown did look like a pretty good kicker, at times. Take note though Seahawk fans, specialists are about as unpredictable as any positional group out there, so these rankings could flip flop by week 2.

Not wanting to end on a bad note, I separated the returners. Nate Burleson is EASILY the best of the bunch. Even if he gets taken off duty, Josh Wilson had the same number of return TD's as Arizona's up-and- comer Steve Breaston. Between Nate, Wilson, and maybe Forsett, I am expecting the Hawks trend of good returns to continue. As for the bottom two, I tied them at third. Alan Rossum and Dante Hall both are over the hill. The teams are basically hoping for one return a year that equals their previous skill levels. Neither will do much over the course of a season, in my opinion. Plus, they tend to get banged up easily.

Well, alright Seahawk Addicts. That sums up the week long NFC West preview. You should have plenty to discuss. One thing is clear. The Hawks are the best team in this division, and I feel confident that even Cardinals, Rams, and Niner fans would admit that to themselves in the cobwebbed corners of their souls. If this team doesn't come out with a purpose this year it will be a shame, but regardless they clearly have enough to win this division again. Go Hawks!! Read More!

NFC West Preview: Unit By Unit Rankings

by: Michael Steffes

One thing that was suggested when I first laid out my plans to do the NFC West Preview, was a unit by unit analysis. Since an NFL division only has four teams in in it, this makes for a nice Friday summation piece.

This task was a bit harder than I expected. Because of that I hope it will get some good discussion going. I initial instinct was to rate the Seahawks high in every category. Then I thought that wasn't realistic. However, when you start to look at the disparity in talent between the Seahawks and the rest of the division, you see why this team wins going away every year. So lets take a look, and as always, if you want to leave a comment and disagree, make sure to state a case so we all can see where you are coming from. Check it out....

OFFENSE:

I don't think that too many people who follow the NFL could disagree with the fact that the Seahawks have the best quarterback in the division. Matt Hasselbeck has now been to three Pro Bowls and led his team to a Superbowl. After Matthew, things get a little more blurry. I took the Cards second. If this was done before last year it would have been the Rams. However, the duo of Warner and Leinart tops Bulger in my mind. Bulger has had issues staying healthy and looks a bit shell shocked these days. One thing that is clear is that the Niners are hurting at this position. They don't even know who the starter will be yet.

To me this one was pretty clear cut as well. Unfortunately, the Hawks are still far behind the competition in my mind. All will agree, Steven Jackson is a load when healthy. He runs with power and has the speed to take it to the house. Second is the Niners. Frank Gore didn't look anything like the back we saw in 2006, but part of that was the Niners having zero passing attack. I think that if the Niners throw with more efficiency, which Mike Martz should help with, then Gore will look more like 06'. The Seahawks are simply a work in progress. We don't know. Maybe we will all be wowed beyond our imagination, but on paper, the Hawks look mediocre at this position. However, still, I ranked AZ last. I see Edge as the next Shaun, and this is probably the year he starts to look bad. The Cards really should have gotten someone better to put behind him.

Wide Receivers is a clear cut winner for Arizona. Boldin and Fitzgerald are monsters. Fortunate for the rest of the division, they have been injury prone and have played with streaky quarterbacks. I ranked the Hawks second. Of course I am including both Bobby Engram and Deion Branch in this equation. Branch will be back at some point. Engram and Nate started most of the games last year anyway, and while they don't have the pedigree of a Torry Holt, overall the Hawks have a better group. The Rams hit third, mainly because Holt is aging. He wasn't the same guy last year. Plus Bennett is no Issac Bruce. Reche Caldwell and rookies don't do much for me. The Niners, are well, the Niners. Bruce and Johnson have to prove they can be featured guys for different reasons. Arnez Battle has been consistently OK. Beyond that they have nothing.


Tight end was the first position that really caused some waffling on my part. In the end I just couldn't justify ranking the teams. Its a tie! In my mind, at this time they are all significantly crappy or unproven. You can make your case for any team. The starters are Pope, McMichael, Vernon Davis, and maybe Carlson. McMichael has done the most to this point, but he is still nothing to sing from a mountain top about. Davis has maybe the most talent; somebody nudge me when he starts using it. I guess if this was a long term projection I would take the Hawks and Carlson, but for now, nobody stands out. Feel free to chime in...

Now while I still ranked the Hawks running backs behind the competition, I felt the improvements in their line vaulted them to the top. To me coaching was factored in here as well. What it really came down to was Walter Jones. He is the best/most proven guy in the division. When you add a former Pro Bowler next to him to go with a first round pick and another top flight tackle in Lock, it is easily the most solid unit. Right guard is the only hole and Sims at least has experience. I made AZ second despite the presence of Pace on the Rams. I think really the bottom three lines are fairly even... and average. Staley figures to be rising star in San Fran just like Levi Brown n AZ. The Rams still have Pace. All of those lines could go either way. The Hawks are the only one I feel comfortable with both tackles and an entire side. San Frans line is just pitiful outside of Staley which is why they are on the bottom. Chilo Rachel could make them better, but not this year in my opinion.

This has turned into a lengthy post already. I will split the two sides of the ball. I think that I tended to be a bit biased on the D, but that should make for a happy Friday afternoon post, right. I will have that up later today. Hope you enjoyed. I look forward to seeing the comments.
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NFC West Preview: Arizona Cardinals

by: Michael Steffes

So the upstart Cardinals are knocking on the door of an NFC West Title, huh. At least that is something I expect to hear a lot of this year. One thing I will give them, they are the one team in this division that hasn't undergone major coaching changes this year. However, they also haven't undergone any major personnel changes either, which for a team that fell flat with their shot at the champs in December at Qwest, they could have used.

Lets breakdown the 08' campaign for the Arizona Cardinals...

--2007--

Record: 8-8

Total Offense: 12th
Total Defense: 17th
Points Scored: 7th
Points Allowed: 26th

--2008--

ESPN PWR: 17
USA TODAY PWR: 16
PETER KING: 21

Key Additions: LB Clark Haggans (Pittsburgh), DE Travis Laboy (Tennessee), LB Matt Stewart (Cleveland)

Key Losses: OLB Calvin Pace (NYJ), WR Bryant Johnson (San Fran), G Kendrick Vincent (Carolina)

OFFENSE:

Overall you cannot fault the Cardinals offense for their .500 record and failure to make the playoffs. If anything, Kurt Warner coming in, invigorated this side of the ball and surprised a lot of people. Ranking 7th in points scored last year, the Cardinals hope to bring to the table a potent attack again. Remember Whisenhunt was an offensive coach, but the question is...who is his quarterback?

The quarterback question is something that will dog the Cardinals until at least week one. The reason being, last year, Whisenhunt pulled Leinart early and often, playing rotating quarterbacks trying to give the team a shot to win. Leinart played his best against the Seahawks, but was removed the next week in Baltimore. Warner impressed. One of the reasons was, for the first time since becoming a Card, he actually had decent protection. Despite this, I am not convinced he can repeat last year's heroics, which means the team is going to need Leinart to come up big.

Speaking of big, Zona invested a top 5 pick last year in Levi Brown. A big body to help protect Matt Leinart's blindside. That is the right tackle position for a left hander like Leinart. He did well for a rookie, and he will be there again next year. While the AZ line didn't always seem the most talented on paper, it is clear that they are very well coached. Russ Grimm did a fine job, and he may have to again. Because the team had its proverbial hands tied with Larry Fitzgerald, Kendrick Vincent escaped for bigger money. This leaves the Cards line, like much of the divisions, thin. They didn't draft an o-linemen until the 7th. Health on the line will be a big factor. Also, it will be interesting to see how they run the ball in year two, because the Edge faded fast last year, and we may get a more accurate read on whether that is a James issue or a line issue this year.

James is hitting the wrong side of 30 this year. There was a lot of chatter about the Cards taking a back. Their owner met with Jonathan Stewart even, but thankfully Carolina snatched him up. Instead the team opted to back up Edge with a bigger, short yardage type guy from a small school, Tim Hightower. This 5th round pick is the Cards best chance to improve a run game that let them down in the second half.

On thing the Cards are sure to be doing is passing. They have as dynamic a pair of receivers on the edges as you can find in Boldin and Fitzgerald. The team also added Early Doucet, which seems to be a pretty good addition for a third round pick. The one thing that has happened in past years however is that both Boldin and Fitzgerald have been injury prone. Look for that to cause more of problem this year, as either Doucet, Jerheme Urban, or Steve Breaston would be the replacement. That seems to be a step down from Bryant Johnson.

Tight end is another interesting position to watch on the Cardinals. Leonard Pope was the starter, but he will be returning from a dislocated ankle that happened late in the season. Ben Patrick came in and played reasonably well. Neither option really stretches a defense, but some how they seem to manage to make their presence felt.

The Arizona offense hasn't changed much from last year. They lost B Johnson but added Early Doucet. They have added a new running back, but he doesn't appear to be a major impact guy, at least at this point. The real question for the Cards is quarterback play. Can Leinart step up? Will Warner be good again? Will Whisenhunt play musical quarterbacks again and how does this effect the team psyche? All in all I don't expect the Cardinals to match last season offensively, but with them, the real improvement is expected defensively. Maybe they won't be playing from behind as much.

DEFENSE:

The Cardinals defense had its fair share of injuries last year, and because of that the unit performed under expectations. Adrian Wilson, Darrnel Dockett (again), Chike Okeafor, and Bertrand Berry (again) all had major injuries. Because of this, the Cards had trouble getting to the passer and defending the pass.

Their D line is going to look much the same as it did last year, at least to begin the season. The Cardinals tend to use both 3 man and 4 man fronts. Both Gabe Watson and Alan Branch will man the nose. Neither has really lived up to the expectations they had coming out of Michigan. Watson fractured his knee cap on a treadmill during the offseason. The good news was he was working out, the bad news is that he isn't anymore. Both Watson and Branch have trouble with their weight and stamina. Darnell Dockett will play inside and at end, and Berry will be back on the outside rushing the passer, until his inevitable injury. It will be interesting to see if Calais Campbell can crack the lineup. He is another player who has underachieved in college but is making his money of his size. Travis LaBoy should help too. The D line is deeper than in years past and that should help. The Cardinals rely pressure from other places too, so lets take a look at linebacker.

The Cardinals franchised tagged Karlos Dansby, which was a good move. Clancy Pendergast the defensive coordinator has some exotic blitzes. Dansby and Adrian Wilson are the two players who benefit the most. In recent years Dansby has been all over the place, and playing for a contract again, expect another big year. The Cards added veteran Clark Haggans who the coaching staff is familiar with from Pittsburgh. He a good player, but there have been many a linebacker who left Pittsburgh and didn't find success in a new system. My guess is that this team has trouble replacing Calvin Pace who finally stepped up last year with money on the line. Former Seahawk Chike Okeafor will be back in that spot and healthy. Okeafor is a solid player, but whether or not he can be as effective a pass rusher as Pace remains to be seen. After losing Pace, losing out on Brandon Chillar, and releasing Darrel Blackstock, the Cards are going to have some new backups like Matt Stewart. Depth could be an issue in this unit.

One place the Cardinals hope to have improved is the secondary. Antrelle Rolle is moving to safety. It is a smart move, but there is no guarantee he will fit right into this spot. That will be a wait and see, but he should be an upgrade. Adrian Wilson is an all world safety but he is coming off an achilles injury. Julian Peterson went through this, and one of the reasons he was available for Seattle to snag was that he was no more than average in his first year back. At the corners, it appears the team will probably start with Rod Hood and Eric Green again. First round pick Dominick Rodgers-Cromartie will be waiting for a chance and playing the nickel. Hood and Green are average, and DRC is a heck of an athlete, but he hasn't exactly faced NFL caliber receivers while playing at Tennessee St. Look for him to be a project who may struggle this year.

If the Cards get more pressure up front, their secondary will be better. If they don't, or have more injuries to their pass rushers, which has become an annual rite of passage, expect the secondary to be exposed again. Part of this is that Clancy Pendergast just takes too many chances for the talent he has on the field. Sometimes it works, and sometimes you get burned. That is how Hasselbeck describes the Cards defensive scheme and who am I to argue.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Cardinals have solid special teams. Neil Rackers has seen some of the shine come off his star a bit. He will look to get back to form this year. The punter is Matt Barr. A solid but not spectacular punter. The real value in Arizona's special teams is in Steve Breaston. Breaston was a dynamic returner at Michigan and seemed to show glimpses of being able to do it at this level last year. His continued development will mean good field position all year long for the Cards. That can not be discounted.

SCHEDULE REVIEW:

As much as both the Niners and Rams had the schedule makers stick it to them, the Cardinals got a gift. It would appear that someone is trying to make this division interesting this year. The Cards first half is very manageable. They open at San Fran, a team they should be very focused on after being swept last year, then Miami at home, @ the Skins, and @ the Jets. This two game road trip will be tough, but I think the Cards should make it out of the first quarter 3-1. Before their bye, they then get the Bills and Boys at home. If they aren't in the race November it will be a disappointing year for Cards fans.

As easy as they start however, eventually they have to pay the piper. After their bye they spend two weeks on the road at Car and at St. Louis. Then they get the Niners at home before heading to Qwest for the first matchup w/ the Hawks in week 11. The stretch after that includes the Giants, Eagles, Vikings and Pats before finishing up with the Hawks at home. The only other divisional games they play after week 11 are the Rams and Hawks at home. Both winnable games, but if they are making a playoff push, they might be wishing they were playing NFC West teams in 2nd half.

VS THE HAWKS:

The Hawks catch a bit of a break in their matchups with the Cards. First, the most critical matchup will be week 11. Arizona will be coming off a short week playing the Niners on a Mon Night snoooze fest and then heading into Qwest. That should be enough to win and grab hold of the division. Things get tough for the Cards between the two matchups, and hopefully, week 17 shouldn't hold much meaning to the Hawks. If it does, that will be one heck of a game. I think that either way, the Hawks will want to win that game. They have been beat in AZ 3 out of 4 times in recent years and also, it will be Holmgren's final regular season game. Hopefully all that is enough, if the game even means anything in the NFC West.

PREDICTION:

I am not going to go all Mel Kiper and pick the Cards to have the first pick in the draft. I think they will be a very similar team, talent wise, as last year. I am giving them bonus points for coaching continuity and I think they are a 9 win team. Unfortunately for them, I could most of those wins coming early. However, that may provide enough confidence to win some they maybe shouldn't. 9-7 is fair and will be a big step for the Cards. That gives them second place in this division by a big margin. Whether it is enough for a wild card we will have to wait and see. Read More!

NFC West Preview: San Francisco 49ers

by: Michael Steffes

Oh yes, the lovely Niners. Filled with so much hope last year after beating the Seahawks twice in 06'. Oh how quickly they found out that they were just 310lbs of Rocky Bernard away from another rebuild.

Last year this team had one of the historically bad offenses of all time. How much have they really improved. Lets take a look....

--2007--

Record 5-11

Total Offense: 32nd
Total Defense: 25th
Points: 32nd
Points Allowed: 20th

--2008--

ESPN PWR: 27th
USA Today PWR: 28th
Peter King PWR: 28th

Key additions: WR Bryant Johnson (Arizona), LB Dontarrious Thomas (Minnesota), RB DeShaun Foster (Carolina), KR Allen Rossum (Pittsburgh), WR Isaac Bruce (St. Louis), DE Justin Smith (Cincinnati)

Key Losses: WR Darrell Jackson(Denver), G Justin Smiley (Miami), QB Trent Dilfer(NFLN?), DE Marques Douglas (Tampa Bay), LB Derek Smith (San Diego),Bryant Young (retirement), Larry Allen (retirement)

OFFENSE:

Lets just call it what it was last year, pathetic. The Niners scored a league low 219 points. Want some proof on how far they have to go to be competitive in the NFC West? Well, only 3 of those points came against the Seahawks, and that is over two games.

The answer to these problems is NFC West old timer, Mike Martz, the architect of the Greatest Show on Turf. Call me skeptical, but i am not so sure Martz is the genius some say he is. I say when you are relying on Martz to save your job you are either desperate or crazy. Martz likes to chuck the ball around and in recent years that has meant big hits on his quarterbacks. This year he may not worry so much, as he has three he can't decide on.

Alex Smith is on the verge of hitting Tim Couch status. Shaun Hill won a couple of games last year, but really?!?! Shaun Hill. And the third is JT O'Sullivan. Martz brought him along from Mo-Town. I am not sure what to tell you other than I wouldn't expect Matt Hasselbeck's now annual trip to Hawaii to be put on hold by any of these three. If the Niners are lucky they will figure out who the starter is going to be in time to get him prepared during training camp.

No matter who the starter his, chances are he will be running for his life a bit again this year. The offensive line play for SF last year was abysmal. This year Larry Allen has retired. Second year player Joe Staley is moving from right to left tackle, and that pushes Jonas Jennings to the RT spot. I was critical of the Niners throughout the offseason for not addressing their o-line. In the draft they took a Chilo Rachel and Cody Wallace. Both could be capable but probably shouldn't be starting this year. That said, the team may already have Rachel penciled in as a starter after David Bass tore his peck. It will be a while before he regains full strength. Unfortunately for the Niners, I could see their line ending up like St. Louis' last year. They are short on talent and depth. If one of the tackles goes down, a converted D Linemen in Damine Duckett is the backup. Adam Snyder could move outside, but he is scheduled to be a starting guard. See where this is heading....Smith/Hill/O'Sullivan, meet Mr. Bernard...again.

The WR position is another interesting concoction. Subtract Darrell Jackson, add Bryant Johnson and Issac Bruce. Mix in Ashlie Lelie and Jason Hill and you have crap. That may be a bit harsh, but the reason AZ wasn't interested in bringing Bryant back was, while he excelled against 3rd corners and safeties, whenever Fitz or Boldin went down, Johnson disappeared too. Bruce is a good receiver, but he is simply past his prime, and putting him on a grass field is like putting a VW in a street race.

Frank Gore is back as the primary running back, and Deshaun Foster is the backup. So far in their careers both of these guys have put the ball on the turf more than their fair share of times. This team is going to need to avoid turnovers like the plaque if they really want to compete. Having fumblers in the backfield is not a good way to start.

Vernon Davis is still the tight end in San Francisco and he hasn't managed much better than Alex Smith as far as high picks go. And he likes to take it out on teammates. He started a fight at the recent mini-camp, something beat writers said he did often last year. Apparently Mike Nolan thinks this is good for the team. Anyway, with SF's line troubles I am predicting, expect Davis to be used a lot as a blocker, get frustrated, and melt down this year. I certainly don't expect as much out of him as the Niners do. With that said, he does have upside, an Martz may send him out in routes despite protection problems.

DEFENSE:

Let me begin the 49ers defensive preview by saying I salute Bryant Young. Bryant Young was San Frans best and most consistent defender and he did it for a long, long time. That said, he is gone. Enjoy your retirement BY! Lets look at the Niners D-Line now that he is gone.

The Niners big free agent acquisition this year was Justin Smith. Smith is a solid defensive end who plays the run better than he rushes the passer, at least last year when he only mustered 2 sacks. With him manning one side, expect rookie Kentwan Balmer to take the other end. Many people had him going to the Seahawks, but Tim Ruskell opted for a player with a little lengthier and more consistent profile. This leaves Issac Sopoaga, who the Niners did a good job retaining, and Abrayo Franklin to share time inside at nose. The 49ers line is going to be solid, the problem is they don't really have any elite pass rushers and in the NFC West you see a lot of passing offenses. This would be less of a problem if they had found a linebacker who could do this.

That is why they will again be relying heavily on Manny Lawson. Lawson, a young player yet to prove himself, missed most of the season with a torn ACL. He is back and will handle one outside spot. The other outside spot will mostly be manned by Parys Haralson. He is a better early down defender than pass rusher. Look for Tully Banta-Cain, who was brought in as a pass rushing specialist last year to try and improve on an awful year last year. The inside linebackers are Patrick Willis, who few will argue is a tackling machine, and free agent Dontarrious Thomas. The should be solid up the middle. However, when you look at this group in its totality, and with the D-line the Niners have, you just wonder if they will consistently get pressure this year. The have invested a lot of money in cover guy Nate Clements, but without a pass rush it could be another substandard year.

Along with Clements, who is a good corner, the Niners will choose from Walt Harris, an aging vet, or Reggie Smith, a rookie at the other spots. Smith will likely start as the nickel back. The still have Shante Spencer as well. Michael Lewis, a free agent signing from last year is one of the safeties with Mark Roman, who is 31, on the other side. If Smith can't hack it as a corner he could end up as a safety.

All and all when I look at the Niners defense, I just don't see anything special. Justin Smith is a solid player, Willis was great last year, but he can't be much better than 170 some tackles right, and Clements is solid corner. Nolan and Niner fans are always raving about this defense, but I just don't see it as a spectacular unit. I challenge them prove different, however they were on the field a lot of the time last year, and Mike Martz is infamous for leaving his defense exposed. He is going to have to show a different side for this team to really be successful.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Niners have arguably the best special teams in the division. Andy Lee was by far the best punter in the league last year, and he had plenty of chances to prove it. Joe Nedney is solid but doesn't have the leg some kickers do. The Niners added Allen Rossum, who is a little past his prime but still gives them a threat in the return game. Special teams is not all specialists however, but the Niners have enough depth throughout their team (everywhere but O-line) to make their coverage units good. Good special teams + Mike Martz should be enough for them to improve, even if only a little bit.

SCHEDULE REVIEW:

No team in the West has an easy schedule this year, and much like the Rams, the Niners are going to have to be sharp out of the gate. They open with AZ at home. Normally this would be good, but the Cards may be more focused on the Niners this year than they are on the Hawks after being swept by San Fran last year. The Niners then head to Qwest for the home opener. They may be in hole in the division early, but if they impress they could send a message. The rest of the first half is tough but fair. They go Lions, @ NO, then Pats and Eagles at home. That is a tough three game stretch. It is followed by a trip to NY and then at home vs the Hawks before the bye. I would say they are in a good position to make a second half run, but two back to back road sets makes their 2nd half taxing, even if the teams aren't so tough. If they have any depth issues on the o-line, the road games will expose it. The hardest games will be at AZ on a Mon Night and At Dallas.

PREDICTION: I think the Niners are going to be slightly improved, but they are literally hanging on by a finger nail. They have a low upside, but a huge downside. My best guess is that go 6-10. They have the talent to get a 7th win somewhere, but they could very easily implode as well. No quarterback equals inconsistency. I think 6 is fair, and that leaves them in third place in the NFC West. Bye Bye Mike Nolan.

VS THE HAWKS: The Niners are always gunning for Seattle, but they are in a tough situation having to play the Qwest opener. The other game is week 8. The Hawks have a night game in Tampa the week before, so they will be jet lagged early in the week which will make the game in SF competitive. With the Hawks having an early bye, they should overcome the Tampa trip in time, plus Holmgren is going to be very motivated to contribute to a house cleaning in San Fran, it seems he might be itching for a Parcells like job down in the Bay Area. Read More!

NFC West Preview: St. Louis Rams

by: Michael Steffes


Today begins the week long preview of the NFC West. We are starting with the St. Louis Rams. The Rams had a season last year that can only be described as "ouch". It was painful for the fans and it was painful for the players. Steven Jackson, Orlando Pace, Leonard Little, Marc Bulger and about three waves of offensive linemen all missed time with injuries. In a way, the injuries saved Scott Linehan's job. After lofty expectations, the Rams managed a mere 3 wins which earned them the 2nd pick in the draft.

To Continue...

--2007--

Last Season Record: 3-13

Total Offense: 24th
Total Defense: 21th
Points Scored: 28th
Points Allowed: 30th

--2008--

ESPN PWR: 28
USA Today PWR: 23
Peter King PWR: 29

Key Additions: K Josh Brown (Seattle), OG Jacob Bell (Tennessee), QB Trent Green (Miami),WR Reche Caldwell (Washington), TE Anthony Becht (Tampa Bay)

Key Subtractions: SLB Brandon Chillar (GB), K Jeff Wilkins (retirement), WR Isaac Bruce (SF)

OFFENSE:

To begin with, the Rams brought back Al Saunders as offensive coordinator. He will bring his legendary 9000 page playbook to St. Louie. To be honest, it is hard to access the impact Saunders may have because the DC folks were watching a Joe Gibbs influenced offense. That was clear. Linehan is an offensive coach too, so it is unlikely Sauders will have full reign. But if he does, and the Rams can learn it in time, they should be more efficient.

A lot of that starts with the QB. Marc Bulger has proven to be a Pro Bowler when protected. But when he gets hit... ooh it is a fun day in the opposing secondary. His back up this year is Trent Green. He is a guy who needs his jersey to stay clean as well, as he has been knocked out cold two years in a row. You can tell where this is heading.

The name of the game for the Rams this year will be keeping the quarterback upright. This starts with the offensive line. As previously noted, last year the Rams entire line was injured at some point or another. They have done a decent job adding depth re-signing Goldberg and Brett Rohmberg. The also drafted linemen in John Greco and Roy Schuening. However, if either of those players get significant time the Rams will be in trouble. Signing Jacob Bell was big. He is an underrated player, but he is also undersized and I am not sure how well that fits the Rams system. He should help them in the run game more than the passing game. The passing game for the Rams relies heavily on Orlando Pace. Pace has suffered season ending injuries in the last two years. Chances of him ever playing at a Pro Bowl level again are slim. Alex Barron the other tackle is a disaster. He seems to have a knack for getting bad penalties and giving up sacks in key situations. If Pace stays healthy, this offense could be one one of the most improved units, if he gets hurt again it will be another long year.

The running game suffered last year due to Steven Jackson's injury. He should be healthy and motivated this year because his contract is up at the end of the season. It will be interesting to see how that effects him. Players respond differently to contract years, but my sense is that Jackson will be raring to go. He is really the Rams best player.

The wide receivers are where the Rams have really declined since their days of Division favorites. This year they are throwing out a motley crew (yes!). Torry Holt is great, but he has chronic knee problems, hates the coach, and wants to move to NC. I am not sure what type of mentor he really will be. Drew Bennett steps into the number 2 role. However, he is oft injured as well, so expect to see Reche Caldwell and the rookies Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton before too long. Rookie WR's receivers are rarely very productive, and Al Saunders offense is a challenge to learn, so expect the Rams to struggle putting up points through the air this year.

As for the tight end, well Randy McMichael has seen his best days come and go. But Saunders pointed out to him that he has coached the Pro Bowl tight end for 8 years running. We will see if that continues. I say it would be a huge upset for McMichael to be anything better than average. The second tight end is Anthony Becht, a free agent addition. He is solid, not flashy. But don't discount the comfort factor, Bulger and Becht were teammates at West Virgina, and if McMichael doesn't perform, Becht could see an increased role. The team may just use two tight end sets and less 3 and 4 wide packages than recent years.

Overall this simply is just an average offense these days. Steven Jackson is really their only explosive player unless Torry Holt is in better health and a better mood. One injury to a tackle and it will be more of the same, Marc Bulger getting hit, taking sacks, and throwing picks. It may happen anyway if Pace doesn't come back in his usual form.

DEFENSE:

The Rams saw fit to use the #2 overall selection on defensive end Chris Long, so lets start with the defensive line. The team has invested their first rounder in the d-line two years running. Will this be the year it is up to snuff? Well we will wait and see, but they simply aren't a bunch to be feared yet. They Rams got a total of 3.5 sacks from the defensive ends who started the season, Hall and Little. There most effective pass rusher was tackle Leroi Glover. He had 6 sacks. If the Rams want to make noise in the NFC West they are going to need Chris Long to improve those numbers dramatically. It would also help if the run defense improved. The Rams gave up 115 yards a game. Carriker moving inside with Glover should help the interior, but having a rookie on the end will allow teams to run outside. This unit should be improved, but it is not quite ready to strike fear into o-cordinators yet.

The one unit that does, or did, was the Rams linebackers. Will Witherspoon was everywhere against the Seahawks last season in St. Louis. He is easily their best defensive player and led the team with 7 sacks. The team still has Pisa Tinoisamoa on the weakside. However their biggest weakness may be the other linebacker spot. The Rams waited to address linebacker until the 6th and 7th rounds. They are sorely missing needed depth and a third quality starter. Right now it is Quinton Culberson.

As for the back end, the Rams finally found a playmaker in Oshiomogho Atogwe. He ended the year near the top of league in interceptions. The Rams avoided near disaster when Fahkir Brown won an appeal and wasn't suspended for the year. He will start on one side while Tye Hill mans the other. The Rams also added Justin King in the draft, but he will need time to develop. The corners just aren't good enough to match up in this division, and the weak pass rush leaves them exposed. Expect the Rams to have trouble again defending in the secondary.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

Well, we all know the Rams spent their big free agent dollars on Seahawks kicker Josh Brown. Linehan said they had Brown as their top rated free agent. He certainly will give them a reliable replacement for Jeff Wilkins, but if he will be in position to win games like he was Seattle we will have to wait to find out. Plus, many may point to the long snapping situation, but the numbers say Josh Brown was a below average kicker last year. Because of the Rams general lack of depth, I would expect Brown to be the strongest part of the special teams unit, and the fact that he tends to allow a lot of kick returns won't bode well.

SCHEDULE REVIEW:

As much as the Rams, and their supporter are saying a little health and this team be much improved, they are ignoring their schedule. The Rams open with an extremely difficult set of games: At Philly, NYG, AT SEA, BUF. Honestly, I think they will at most have one win going into their bye week. It doesn't get easier on the other side either as they play Washington, Dallas, and New England coming out of it. That is 5 playoff teams in their first 7, plus a healthy Philly and upstart Buffalo. I would be worried if that was the Hawks schedule, and this is the Rams. What does this mean?

It means the tough early part of the schedule is going to deflate the team and put them in a pretty hard spot to climb out of. They second half of their schedule appears much easier , but even games like at Atlanta in Week 17 could be tough because they will be young and getting better as well. Really with the Rams, there are no gimmes. There easiest game is probably Miami or San Fran at home, but both of those teams seemed to have made bigger strides than the Rams. Sorry St. Louis, it is going to be another long year.

PREDICTION:

I really can't see the Rams winning more than 5 games. That is a two game improvement, and I think the Rams should be better, but their schedule is just going to kill them. I think they end up last in the NFC West again with a 5-11 record. Another year in the dumps and with their aging stars in Pace, Holt and Bulger, this team is going to need a major rebuild. Luckily they should have another high pick. I long for the days of a good Rams/Hawks rivalry, but my crystal ball says it isn't coming soon. Read More!

Previewing the NFC West

by: Michael Steffes

Just a friendly service announcement. I wanted to clue you all in to my thoughts on the week. With on field work at a standstill until the first week of June, I thought that this week would be a good time to preview the NFC West. Each day this week I am going to take an in-depth look at each team. Here is my proposed schedule:

TUES: St. Louis Rams
WED: San Francisco 49ers
THUR: Arizona Cardinals
FRI: Unit By Unit Rankings

If you want to get a head start on what is going on in the division, I suggest you check out Football Outsiders post draft Four Downs: NFC West column. It gives a good look at what each team did on draft day, and what the needs still appear to be. I am planning on doing a unit by unit analysis, plus a schedule review for each team. This will include a guess on record and finish in the division. If you have any ideas of something you think would be useful to include for each team, make sure to leave it in the comments and I will see if I can work it in. END Read More!

Checking In With Josh Brown

by: Michael Steffes

The Rams held their mini camp over last weekend. One of the big stories was Josh Brown who was making his first appearance as a Ram. So far, not so good for Josh. While he is not a "slave to the business man", he still has a dark cloud hanging over his head. Apparently it won't stop raining. He is grateful its not tornadoes. Nice.

As for actually being a member of the Rams, Brown says the team is ribbing him for beating them so many times. He is also extremely pleased to be kicking indoors. Hopefully the Seattle weather system will crank up something nasty for him September.

Not in the article, but via a source, Brown threw out the first pitch at a Cardinals game recently too. Leave it to the Rams to make a kicker their highest profile signing. Hey, "he was the best free agent at any position," right Scotty? END Read More!

First Sign of the Seahawks Demise?

by: Michael Steffes

Or better phrased...first idiot to go on record doubting the Hawks. Get ready for the same offseason talk we as Seahawk fans have heard for the last four years. Don Banks is the first one making the case for the Seahawks to fall flat this year.

NFC West: Seattle (Going down) -- When I do the math, I realize that I expect the three-win Rams, the five-win 49ers and the eight-win Cardinals to all improve upon those totals in '08, making it difficult to project another division title for a Seahawks team that went 10-6 last year to win its fourth consecutive division title. While I think Seattle made a solid choice with its coaching line of succession in Jim Mora, my sense is that Mike Holmgren's final go-round won't come off with a storybook ending. The Seahawks skill positions aren't in the best of hands, and the loss of kicker Josh Brown to the Rams could swing a key game or two. Defensively Seattle didn't substantially change the unit that Green Bay abused in the snow at Lambeau.

As difficult as Don Banks finds it to project a Seahawks division title, I find it difficult to project anybody else. The Cardinals have been collecting turds and they seem to have a total of 1 player happy with their contract and situation, Larry Fitzgerald. The 49ers found it hard to protect Alex Smith last year. Wait till they see the emphasis Mike Martz puts on protection, just ask John Kitna. The Rams will certainly be better if they stay healthy, but that is not a given. Orlando Pace and Torry Holt have been battling injuries almost every year. They are counting on a rookie to increase their sorry sack totals, so I would guess they are still going to have issues stopping people. That spells doom in a pass happy division. Good luck with your predictions Banks. Please keep doubting us, you won't be the last. END Read More!

Cardinals and Seahawks: Different Approaches

by: Michael Steffes

Now with two drafts under the belts of the new crew in the desert, it is becoming clear that these teams are taking different approaches in adding players. To me this makes the rivalry, and that they appear set to battle each other for the NFC West crown again, more interesting.

I don't need to fully document the Seahawks strategies again, especially in regards to the draft. However it is clear that the Cardinals don't share the same philosophy. Over the weekend they selected two players with red flags for character. I documented one during the draft, Kenny Iwebewa. Iwebewa doesn't have major legal issues, but he has similar issues to 2nd round pick last year Alan Branch. Many teams had these players crossed off their boards because they were known as lazy, uninterested, and medical risks. There were also some concerns about "Buster" Davis if I recall, and after being chosen in the 3rd round, he was released.

However, that doesn't mean that legal issues scare off the Cardinals either. 7th rounder Brandon Keith was only available at that point because of an incident last month where he charged police and was subsequently tasered. Three misdemeanors are pending.

Look, I am not going to pretend that bad guys can't play football. Sometimes it even helps. However, when you consider that the team is now having troubles with both Anquan Boldin and Darnell Dockett, you wonder if a change in organizational philosophy would help. I am not trying to say that the Seahawks are immune to these issues, Rocky Bernard was just arrested, and as for the contract issues, they suffered them with Darrell Jackson. However, as time moves on it seems these things are less likely to happen because the Hawks don't bring these guys in. Both of those players were of the pre-Ruskell character filter era. With the Cardinals ignoring character issues, we will be given a great measuring stick over the next few years as to the correlation between character and success, especially since there are two games a year and a division title on the line every season. END Read More!

Rams Get Schuening

by: Michael Steffes

Ouch, I am heartbroken! Not only do the Hawks not get him, but the Rams do. He is going to be a mean and nasty guard the Hawks will be dealing with for years to come. I would be surprised if the Hawks addressed O-line with this pick now. Doesn't seem to be much value, unless they go center. Either way I am sure they will find a quality player. END Read More!

Cardinals Get A Running Back

by: Michael Steffes

The Cardinals, who many thought would land Jonathan Stewart, but stayed defense in the first day, finally got a running back to pair with Edge. It is Timothy Hightower out of Richmond.

Hightower is far from a burner, he is a power back. He has good hands too. This is the type of runner that the Stealers would love. He will run you over if you use solid technique in tackling. No surprise Wisenhunt and Grimm are high on him. Good thing the Hawks have some new big bodies to slow down the new and improved AZ ground game. END Read More!

Recent NFC West Activity

by: Michael Steffes

The Cards got Early Doucet in the 3rd. He projects to be a pretty good pro, but he will be stuck behind the big two for at least a year, which may be a good thing, However, in my opinion the Cards are failing to take advantage of having Russ Grimm on staff by shying away from O line and running back. Did anybody see Edges YPC last year?

The Rams took Justin King, CB, Penn St. Junior who came out early. Mayock says he needed to work on his technique more. Glad to know the Rams have no one who can coach him up. Can you say...burnt toast?

The Niners took Texas A+M center Cody Wallace. He is a solid pro and a smart pick. The Niners are going to find a way to keep whatever QB they decide to start upright. At least that way they can get an accurate read on his potential. However, that team was in desperate need of a playmaker. Bryant Johnson and Issac Bruce simply are not.

The Hawks will be up in about 30 minutes....END Read More!