A few years ago the NFC West was heralded as the toughest division in all of football. To even suggest such a thing now would be a joke. There are a lot of people picking the eventual Super Bowl LI champion to come out of this division. I am not one of those people.
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Here’s your code key for this year’s 2016-17 GMS NFL Football Preview : Z = Clinches home field advantage, Y = Clinches division, X = Clinches wild card spot
Y – Seattle Seahawks: 12-4
The Seahawks should serve as the example of not only how to build a team through the draft and free agency, but how to keep one dominant. This will be Seattle’s first season in a long time where it begins without the services of Marshawn Lynch, but Beast Mode missed most of last season too and the Seahawks’ offense still rolled right along.
The biggest reason for that is quarterback Russell Wilson who has become a Top Five QB in the league since the Seahawks picked him in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. He’s probably the second most dangerous quarterback in football behind Cam Newton and he continually works on become better as a passer. The Seahawks have given him plenty of weapons he’s comfortable with and don’t be surprised to see tight end Jimmy Graham return to his old fantasy numbers form.
Last year: 10-6, lost to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Divisional round
Arizona Cardinals: 9-7
The Cardinals are built, in a lot of ways, the way I would build up a franchise on Madden. They had salary cap space and a crappy team, so they spent money in free agency to change it. They hired a great coach and have been contenders ever since. So why don’t I think they’ll make it all the way this year like most of my peers do?
Two words: Carson Palmer
Now here are some more words. Palmer is usually fine in the regular season, but his complete meltdown in the playoffs last year should hang on him like an albatross. Arizona shouldn’t have gone 13-3 in 2015. This is the same team that went 10-6 for two straight seasons and, if not for a handful of lucky breaks, would have done the same last year. They barely beat the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger, and piled up five more wins by a touchdown or less. The wheels of this thing are begging to come off. I say they will.
Last year: 13-3, lost to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship
Los Angeles Rams: 7-9
Jeff Fisher famously called out his team on HBO’s Hard Knocks this summer, telling them he wasn’t going to settle for 7-and-9 bulls–t. Well, Jeff, that’s exactly who you are and Rams owner Stan Kroenke shouldn’t settle for it either. This season should be nothing more than the Jeff Fisher farewell tour as he hands over the keys to a talented Los Angeles roster to a man who can actually coach them successfully on gameday.
As it is, there’s plenty to like about this team other than the coaching staff. They’re loaded at wide receiver and especially at running back, with two guys behind Todd Gurley that could start on pretty much any other team. On defense, the front four has starter-caliber players two deep. There’s no excuse for the mediocrity that Fisher has put on display. But he’ll do it again. One last time.
Last year: 7-9, did not make the playoffs
San Francisco 49ers: 3-13
Last and certainly least we come to Chip Kelly’s latest disaster in development. The 49ers managed five wins last season despite being the absolute worst team in football. They won’t get the gift wins this year using Kelly’s gimmicky offense behind Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick. Last season San Francisco was a dumpster fire. This year it’s a diaper fire.
As the 49ers race atop the 2017 draft board, at least they’ll have their pick of the next quarterback Kelly will completely ruin. I’d like to go ahead and apologize to Clemson’s Deshaun Watson right now. Tough it out Deshaun. Surely they’ll fire Chip in 2018.
Last year: 5-11, did not make the playoffs
