2015 NFC West Projections

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X-Seattle Seahawks 11-5

So close, yet so far; that is what people will be thinking about when they see the Seattle Seahawks take the field this season. The Seahawks were mere inches away from winning consecutive Super Bowls this past February and you have to wonder if that will fuel them or weigh them down in 2015?

Marshawn Lynch

The Seahawks possess one of the best rushing attacks in the National Football League and you can expect another heavy dose of it this season. The past five years have seen Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch emerge as one of the most physical runners that the NFL has ever seen. Lynch has been dubbed as “Beastmode” and he’ll once again be vital to any success that Seattle intends on having. Lynch is 29-years of age and you have to wonder if his physical style of play will allow him to continue to be effective in 2015?

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has a career record of 36-12 and even though he threw a costly interception in Seattle’s Super Bowl loss, he is trustworthy with the football as he doesn’t make that many mistakes. 2015 was going to be the final year of Wilson’s rookie deal, but he came to an agreement on a new contract with the Seahawks that will rank him amongst the highest paid quarterbacks in the National Football League.

The Seahawks were 27th in the NFL last season in passing which should improve this year. Over the off-season, the Seahawks acquired tight end Jimmy Graham from the New Orleans Saints. Graham is a tight end by trade, but he is more of a hybrid wide receiver that is so tough to defend, opponents cannot simply have an outside linebacker or safety cover him as it sometimes takes a cornerback to be on him and he will be a big time target for Wilson in the red zone this season.

In order to acquire Graham from the Saints, the Seahawks were forced to send longtime center Max Unger to New Orleans who has been an anchor on Seattle’s offensive line. But the Seahawks still have left tackle Russell Okung who is one of the best in the National Football League as far as protecting the quarterback’s blindside; provided that he is healthy.

The best way to describe the Seahawks defense is as the “Wild Bunch”. The Seahawks have 11 alpha-males on defense that take pride in not allowing opposing offenses to score on them while also frustrating quarterbacks.

The Seahawks secondary is known as the “Legion of Boom” as there are three All-Pros back there in cornerback Richard Sherman, strong safety Kam Chancellor, and free safety Earl Thomas. The Seahawks did lose cornerback Byron Maxwell in free agency as he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, but they’re hopeful that corners Cary Williams and Tharold Simon will be able to offset his departure. During last season’s NFC Championship Game, Sherman suffered an elbow injury while Thomas injured his shoulder and the Seahawks cannot afford to have that linger over into the 2015 NFL season.

But the Seahawks know a thing or two about rushing the passer as well being that outside linebacker Bruce Irvin along with defensive ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett practically live in opponent’s backfields while middle linebacker Bobby Wagner could be the most underrated player at his position in the National Football League.

The beginning of the season will find the Seahawks facing a ton of adversity as their first two games will be on the road where they’ll meet the St. Louis Rams who have not been an easy out for them in recent years which will be followed by a trip to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers whom they defeated in last season’s NFC Championship Game. It won’t be as easy as it was for the Seahawks last season, but they should still be in play to win the NFC West for a third consecutive year.

St. Louis Rams 9-7

Jeff Fisher

In three years under head coach Jeff Fisher, the St. Louis Rams have become one of the most physical teams in the National Football League, but that physicality alone hasn’t been enough to result in a winning campaign and get them to the playoffs. The Rams enter this season stacked with depth at every position except at quarterback which is a huge question mark for them.

Over the off-season, the Rams acquired quarterback Nick Foles from the Philadelphia Eagles. In parts of three seasons in Philadelphia, Foles was able to compile a record of 15-9 as a starting quarterback which was mainly in the quarterback friendly system of Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. Foles has also been unable to remain healthy during his brief career which cannot give St. Louis that much optimism.

For the Rams to be effective on offense in 2015, they must lean on their running game. Last season as a rookie, running back Tre Mason gained 765 rushing yards and if he is able to get 250 carries this season, he should be able to get at least 1,000 yards on the ground. The Rams shocked some people at the 2015 NFL Draft when they selected running back Todd Gurley early in the first round. Gurley is a dynamic runner, but he suffered a torn ACL last year while at the University of Georgia. The Rams are hopeful that Gurley will be able to bounce back and in order to team with Mason to give them a tough combination in their backfield.

The Rams do have speed in their passing game with wide receivers Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, and Kenny Britt. But St. Louis would benefit from leaning on the running game in order to set up the pass between Foles and his receivers.

The Rams also have one of the biggest offensive lines in football and led by guard Greg Robinson, they play with a mean streak.

Chris Long

Defensively the Rams can be a physical bunch, but they must become more disciplined and improve from finishing 17th last season in the National Football League for total defense. Led by defensive ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn, the Rams defensive line can put ton of pressure on opposing teams in passing situations. The Rams signed defensive tackle Nick Fairley this off-season and he can be another disruptive force for them on their defensive line. Led by middle linebacker James Lauranitis, the Rams have a very athletic core of linebackers that can play the run as well as the pass. The St. Louis secondary is full of youth and potential, but like everyone other part of that defensive unit, the must play more disciplined football in 2015 if they are going to be a playoff team.

The Rams were the sixth most penalized team in the NFL in 2014 and along with the questions surrounding their future in St. Louis as well as the uncertainty at the quarterback position, it will be difficult for them to make the postseason in 2015, but they will still be a tough out.

Arizona Cardinals 8-8

In 2014, the Arizona Cardinals got off to a hot start with a record of 9-1. But just when it appeared that the Cardinals would be the first team to host and play in a Super Bowl in the same season, the injury bug crept up on them and ended a once promising year. And the Cardinals team that was eliminated in the NFC Wild Card Game at the hands of the Carolina Panthers this past January will look totally different when the 2015 National Football League season begins in September.

Todd Bowles spent the last two years as the Cardinals defensive coordinator, but he is now the head coach of the New York Jets as he’ll be replaced in Arizona by James Bettcher. In 2014, the Cardinals possessed one of the best secondaries in the NFL, but they suffered a huge blow when they lost cornerback Antonio Cromartie in free agency as he signed with the Jets. At the other starting cornerback position, the Cardinals still have Patrick Peterson who remains as one of the best cover corners in the National Football League. And after losing Darnell Dockett on the defensive line in free agency as he remained in the NFC West by signing with the San Francisco 49ers, the Cards must find another anchor in their front seven.

Bruce Arians

Under head coach Bruce Arians, the Cardinals were able to sneak up on some teams last year, but that won’t be the case in 2015. Whereas the Cards were 24th in the NFL in total offense last season, they must improve on that if they intend on getting back to the playoffs. Arians and the Cardinals are backing on quarterback Carson Palmer returning this year healthy. Palmer’s 2014 NFL season was cut short due to a knee injury. But the Cardinals need to have Palmer ready to go due to the fact that he is 16-6 as a starter with Arizona.

Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd

The Cardinals do possess two of the bigger wide receivers in the National Football League in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd who can both get physical as well as being aggressive with defensive backs and their effectiveness in 2015 will come down to the overall health of Palmer. The Cardinals are also backing on youth on their offensive line. Guard Jonathan Cooper has only appeared in 10 games after being a first round pick by the Cardinals in 2013 while offensive tackle D.J. Humphries was the team’s first round choice this year and they are expected to be a big part of what Arizona intends to do this season.

The Cardinals have the potential to get off to a quick start this season as their first four opponents didn’t qualify for the playoffs last year. But things will get tougher for the Cards in Week 5 when they begin a three-game stretch that will see them meet the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens as they look to secure three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1984.

San Francisco 49ers 6-10

The past four years have seen the San Francisco 49ers emerge as one of the top teams in the National Football League, but that wasn’t enough for head coach Jim Harbaugh to keep his job. In four seasons as the 49ers head coach, Harbaugh never had a losing season and San Francisco made one Super Bowl appearance along with three trips to the NFC Championship Game. But Harbaugh consistently clashed with Niners general manager Trent Baalke which led to a messy divorce this past January.

Jim Tomsula

Harbaugh has been replaced as the head coach of the 49ers by Jim Tomsula. Tomsula has spent the last eight seasons as the Niners defensive line coach, including a brief stint as the team’s interim head coach in 2010. Tomsula has never been a head coach at any level of football, but he is someone that Baalke feels that he can work with. Tomsula’s first order of business will be to get the most out of starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick still has wide receiver Anquan Boldin to throw the football to and even at the age of 34, he’s still one of the toughest and most physical wide receivers to covers in football.

Colin Kaepernick

In four years with the 49ers, Kaepernick has an overall record of 25-14 with a trip to the Super Bowl on his resume. But for all that it’s worth, Kaepernick is an athlete that is playing the quarterback position and the Niners need him to be more of a pocket passer going forward.

Under Harbaugh, the Niners bread and butter on offense was their running game as they were one of the more physical teams in the National Football League and a big part of that was running back Frank Gore who is now with the Indianapolis Colts. Gore left San Francisco as the 49ers all-time leading rusher and now running backs Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush have some big shoes to fill. Bush and Hyde will have the luxury of running behind one of the best offensive lines in the National Football League that is anchored by offensive tackle Joe Staley who has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last four years. But will Bush and Hyde be able to replace Gore’s leadership?

Vic Fangio was the 49ers defensive coordinator for the last four years and he led one of the best units in the NFL, but he is no longer in San Francisco as he is the new defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. Fangio has been replaced in San Francisco by former New York Jets and Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini who will run a similar 3-4 defensive scheme.

Just like the leadership of Gore on offense, the 49ers lost leaders on the defensive side of the football as well this off-season with the retirement of defensive end Justin Smith and middle linebacker Patrick Willis. The 49ers were able to sign former Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett who like Smith, plays with a high motor. The Niners are expected to have a healthy NaVorro Bowman at middle linebacker this year after he missed the entire 2014 National Football League season as the result of a knee injury. Prior to Bowman’s knee injury, he had tremendous lateral range which will be tested even more this year without the presence of Willis beside him. Over the past few years, outside linebacker Aldon Smith has become one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, but after his latest arrest, the Niners and Baalke felt that it was time to move on as they released him this off-season.

Three of the 49ers first three games this season will be on the road as they’ll travel to meet the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and New York Giants. And the Niners can ill afford to fall too far behind the Seattle Seahawks if they want any chance of winning the NFC West in 2015.

X-Clinched Division

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