The Case Files: NFC West

Expectation vs Reality

In this article we are looking at what each respective team in the NFL is hoping for from their rosters this coming season. Keep in mind that the expectation portion is a hopeful assessment of a team, baring injuries and the regression of some players. Whilst the reality section is an assessment of what may happen if things go very wrong. So without further ado lets get started.

San Francisco 49ers

This is a team that has fallen a long way from the lofty heights of a Super Bowl only four years ago. Now in a rebuilding phase they are a team that will attract a lot of attention this year, especially with the hiring of contentious coach Chip Kelly.

Best Case 10-6

The 49ers front office hired Kelly in the hope that he can bring the Niners back from the depths of their previous seasons, and this all starts with the offence. If Kelly can get the players to buy into the high tempo offence that he employs, then there may be some hope for this franchise. One of the main linchpins for this offence is the polarising quarter back situation. Whilst Blaine Gabbert may be a serviceable quarterback for this team, he is not a game changer, like the once prominent Colin Kaepernick. If Kelly is going to have any substantial success in the bay area, it is going to have to come from Kaepernick. Kelly may be the only coach in the NFL who has a shot at rejuvenating Kap’s career, Kelly employs a fast high tempo offence that relies on the shotgun offence, and also seeks for the quarterback to make a high percentage of short to intermediate throws.

This team’s defence is steadily improving, by adding DeForest Buckner to an improved defensive line, and coupling that line with a solid line backing crop lead by the gladiator Navorro Bowman, the Niners may cause a few problems for teams. Yet their weakness lies in their corner backs and lack of a true pass rush. All in all, the expectation of this team is that they will have an offensive resurgence under Kelly and finish the season with a respectable record.

Worst Case 4-12

Whilst the 49ers front office may believe in Kelly, the flaming wreckage of the Philadelphia team should have served a warning. Reality is that in most likelihood the Kelly experiment wont work and this team will struggle to move the ball. Couple this with the fact that the Niners have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL this season (facing the Panthers, Seahawks and Cowboys in the first four weeks), its an uphill battle for this once great franchise. If the offence does struggle this will lead to the defence being on the field for large periods of the game, a prospect that no defensive coordinator would like to face. In reality for the 49ers things may get ugly fast, this team could potentially finish the season is a precarious position.

LA Rams

So great to see the Rams go back to LA, a market that has been crying out for an NFL team since the Raiders left. With the Rams making a big splash to acquire the number one pick in the draft, all attention will be on this coaching staff and Jared Goff.

Best Case 11- 5

With Jared Goff under centre and a young stud by the name of Todd Gurley running the rock, this Rams team could see a dramatic resurgence. Gurley may be in line to be the top running back in the NFL next year, even if teams stack the box against him, his ability is unlike anything we have seen since Adrian Peterson came into the league.

If Jeff Fisher finds a way to fully utilise players such as Tavon Austin, and designs schemes in which Gurley will have room to run, this offence could trouble some teams. It hinges on the development of Goff, in order for Gurley to have open running lanes, Goff must show that he is capable of leading this offence, and taking the pressure of Gurley.

This team also boasted one of the best defenders in the game at the moment, Aaron Donald a truly remarkable talent. [AS1] [ll2] The speed and quickness that Donald possesses makes him a nightmare to block up front. Combine Donald, with such players such as Alec Ogletree, Robert Quinn and Trumaine Johnson, and this defence may provide a few surprises down the stretch.

Worst Case 6- 10

The Goff gamble doesn’t pay off, and this directly affects the Rams ability to put up any decent point totals. Gurley will still have a good year, but if Goff can’t take the pressure off him in the back field, then Gurley may find it hard to find suitable running room. One of the biggest issues for this offence is their lack of play makers at the wide receiver positon, this team is missing a true number one receiver and this may have a detrimental affect on Goff in his first year in the league.

The defence also has lost a number of key pieces. Chris Long a mainstay in this system was let go at the end of last season, combine this with the departure of Janoris Jenkins, and the lack of a play maker at the safety position and the Rams secondary may struggle. This defence will not be the force that it was a few years ago and this could directly translate into large scores being posted against this young and inexperienced Rams team.

Seattle Seahawks

One of the perennial power houses in the NFL, this team with the guidance of Pete Carroll has become one of the mainstays in the post season.

Best Case 13-3 (Win a Wildcard Spot)

With the continual development and evolution of Russell Wilson at the quarterback position, this team is in a prime positon to make a deep push in the playoffs. The emergence of young rookie Tyler Lockett last year, combined with the phenomenal eight game stretch that Doug Baldwin had at the end of last season, has solidified this Seahawks team as a pass happy offensive juggernaut. If Thomas Rawls can come back healthy, combined with the talented stable of running backs the Seahawks have at their disposal, then points will come with regularity.

This offence is in a perfect position to establish themselves as a true passing offence, especially if Jimmy Graham can have a bounce back year. Combine this young and talented offence with arguably one of the best defences in the NFL and you have a Seahawks team that could potentially make it all the way back to the Superbowl.

Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman enable this defence to shut down opposing wide receivers and tight ends. Chancellor and Thomas are arguably the two best safety’s in the game today, and their ability to stifle offences is something to marvel at. Yet this defence also has one of the best young line backers in Bobby Wagner, as well as key position players such as KJ Wright and Michael Bennett. At the end of the day this team offensively and defensively is well balanced and primed to have a big year,

Worst Case 8-8

The departure of Marshawn Lynch may be a bigger deal than previously conveyed. Previously this team’s success came from the running game and the stout defence, if Wilson regresses this season and shows that he is not ready to take the keys to this offence, then the Hawks may face some concerns. Thomas Rawls is also coming off a serious ankle injury, and whilst he is slotted to make it back for training camp at this stage, if he doesn’t have the same explosive power that he displayed last season, or is not able to make the same cuts as previously displayed then the running game may be the Achilles heal of this offence (a sentence I would have previously scoffed at).

The defence may also take a step back this season, whilst the talent cannot be denied, last season opposing offences started to work out how to beat the Seahawks, by exposing their zone scheme. We need only look back to the Panthers and Bengals win over this team to see that the once dominate defence may have lost its shine.

Arizona Cardinals

This is a team stocked with talent at almost every position, this Cardinals franchise may be in the best position this coming year to go back to the Superbowl.

Best Case 14-2 (Win the Division)

Where to start with this roster that is dripping with talent. If we look to the offence first, we can see a veteran quarter back in Carson Palmer, who when healthy can sling it with the best of them. The receiving corps for this offence is one of the deepest in the entire league, Larry Fitzgerald seems to be ageless posting another 1,000 yard receiving total last year. Combine Fitzgerald with the likes of Michael Floyd and John Brown, and Carson Palmer is spoilt for choice. On top of the fact that this Cardinals offence is one of the best passing units in the league, now Bruce Arians has a bell cow running back in the explosive and electric player named David Johnson, who on numerous occasions last season solidified himself as one of the most talent young players in the league. The sky is the limit for this offence, baring any injuries this entire unit could blow opposing teams out of the water.

Defensively the Cardinals are right on pace to challenge any team in the league. With a fierce pass rush lead by Calais Campbell and now the acquisition of Chandler Jones, this defensive unit is going to cause opposing quarter backs fits in the pocket. Not to mention the fact that the Cardinals boast one of the best corner backs in the game right now in Patrick Peterson. And you cannot overlook the honey badger (Tyrann Mathieu) roaming in the secondary, Mathieu is one of the most exciting hybrid safety’s to be playing the game right now, the loss of him towards the end of the season last year was a massive blow for the Cardinals.

Worst Case 10-6

If Carson Palmer doesn’t have a clean pocket in which to operate from, then production across the entire offence will suffer, this also ties into the durability of an aging Palmer.

The emergence of David Johnson last season was remarkable, yet it remains to be seen if whether or not he can shoulder the load for an entire season and still produce at a high level, the run game will be key for this offence to produce lofty results.

Defensively this unit is looking to take a step towards elite status. Yet it remains to be seen whether or not Chandler Jones will be able to replicate some of his early successes in his career, he is a key acquisition in order to provide a much needed pure pass rusher to take the pressure off Campbell.

With all this being said though, I do not see the Cardinals finishing any lower than 12 wins next season. The Cardinals are in prime position to take advantage of a wealth of talent on their roster. If injuries are kept to a minimum and the defence can play at a high level, then I see the Cards making a very deep run in the playoffs.