Flying Around the Round Table: Who Will Win the NFC West?
By Baily Deeter
Jun. 11, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) during mini camp at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The NFC West has rapidly shot up the ranks of NFL divisions, and at this point, there isn’t a better division.
While they are poised to build on last season’s poor performance, the Arizona Cardinals are going to have trouble. The Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams are also great teams, and all three will be in the hunt for the division title.
But who will emerge from the pack with the elusive prize? For answers, we asked our staff. Here are some responses.
Sean McConnell
Unfortunately I think that San Francisco has the best chance to take the NFC West, they just have to much firepower. I do think that the Cardinals will surprisingly be right behind them. The Red Sea has a lot going for them this year. Not to mention that they is a good chance that the era of running QB’s (Kaepernick and Wilson specifically) will get figured out and will have to go back to a more “one dimensional” style of play. If this happens, you can see a lot of shake up in the NFC West.
Edgar Valenzuela
I’m predicting the NFC west will produce 3 playoff teams, but the Seattle Seahawks will win the West their team is just so talented all around. They have a deadly running game, a potent passing attack and the league’s best defense. They added a receiving weapon in Percy Harvin while the 49ers lost one in Michael Crabtree. The Seahawks have the potential to be Super Bowl Contenders for many years to come.
Michael Russell
As a Cardinal fan it really pains me to say this. But I think the San Francisco 49ers will win the NFC West. I’m one who is not sold on the future of the read-option, but I just don’t see any weakness on this team. Plus when you add in the additions they made on both sides of the ball, it’s clear to me they are the favorites to win the division. I think the Cardinals will be better, and I honestly think they will be at least in contention, along with Seattle as well. But I just think at this point the Rams are just too talented.
Matthew Gay
In my opinion the Seattle Seahawks will win the NFC West. All four teams are in the top 10 regarding strength of schedule so I can’t use that to determine a clear-cut winner. Seattle has a good program and only added talent to aid their success. San Fransisco will likely regress to the “mean”. These last two seasons were their shot and will likely battle for second place in the division. The entertainment this year will be watching the three remaining teams fight for the number two spot and possible wild card position.
Cyle Gill
The NFC West is considered as the toughest division in the league. There is the San Francisco 49ners, who are the defending champs of the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks, the St. Louis Rams, and the Arizona Cardinals.
Every football fan knows who the 49ers and Seahawks are and what they can do. The Rams on the other hand, are a team that’s flying under the radar (per say) and shouldn’t be over looked.
The Rams division record was 4-1-1, losing only to the Seahawks in the last game of the season and tied the other game with the 49ers. That’s an impressive division record and it shows that they can hang with the best.
The Cardinals had QB problems, O-Line problems til the second half of the season, the running game had seen better days, and the defensive couldn’t stop the run for the life of them. They have addressed all of those position and brought in talent to fill those holes.
Every single one of these teams have the talent and the ability to win the division. Also each one of these team very well could end up like the Roman Empire and come crashing to the ground in one day with a key injury or two.
This question definitely is a head scratcher, anything could happen at any moment and the other teams could be right there to take that number one spot. You really can’t go wrong with picking any one of them.
With this question being tough to answer, being a Cardinals fan, and being optimistic about the new Cardinals regime, I can’t go against my home town team (the Arizona Cardinals) at this moment in time, even though I won’t be shocked if the Cardinals end up finishing in last place, once again.
Baily Deeter
I’ve got to go with the San Francisco 49ers here. They have all-around depth, as they can move the ball through the air or on the ground. As for the defense, it will be carried by dominant linebackers and superb pass-rushers. The Seattle Seahawks have a better secondary, but they don’t have as many weapons on offense. As for the Arizona Cardinals, they are a solid team, but they don’t have the all-around talent to contend for first place.
Lucas Robbins
There was a time when the NFC West was a joke and one of the worst divisions in the league. Now they are arguably one of the best. The San Francisco 49ers are the defending NFC Champions, the Seattle Seahawks made a deep playoff run, the St. Louis Rams only had eight losses and the Arizona Cardinals were 4-0 to start last season.
Making a prediction for this year, the 49ers should win the division again, they have the best roster. The Seahawks will also contend again and should make the playoffs as well. Even the Rams should be better than they were last year. The Cardinals could also be better, but they are definitely the biggest question mark in the division.