This edition: The NFC WEST
Now as the 2016-17 NFL season approaches (yeah guys, I did pinch myself a few times thinking that football is back every weekend until the end of Jan) it’s probably in our best interests to weigh up each team and realistically evaluate their chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Now I know there will be a lot of people who don’t agree with this and if so let me know what you think by chucking us a comment below. Now as they say , “LETS GET THE CHAINS MOVING.”!!!
Arizona Cardinals
First off the block, we have and I proclaim, one of the most balanced teams in the NFL. The Cardinals under Bruce Arians have been the epitome of class and are poised to make a deep run into the playoffs. They bring back much of their talent on both sides of the ball with the only notable absence being Dwight Freeney who just signed with the Falcons. With both David Johnson and Carson Palmer anchoring an explosive offense that has shown to be no slouch when putting points on the board, accompanied with the best duo of DB’s in the league the defense remains stout but as shown last year, they can sometimes not deliver when the going gets tough. I expect a fierce Arizona team who will finish the regular season 11-5. Though when it is all said and done, I do not believe Carson Palmer is going to go far into the playoffs as he seems to seriously crumble under pressure (and I am a USC fan).
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams under Jeff Fischer have been a model of consistency, well..consistently underperfoming. The team in recent years is well-balanced and has decent talent in the skill positions with the likes of Todd Gurley, Tavon Austin and Trumaine Johnson. But through all these years they have missed a significant cog in the well oiled machine that is a football team. This so-called “cog” is the quarterback position, a position they have had not luck in filling through recent years. I don’t like to say this about a team but their entire season does hinge on one player : Jared Goff. The number one draft pick from Cal seriously carry’s the fate of the entire city of Los Angeles. Now most of you will say it hinges on Todd Gurley and in most ways it does, but when defenses load the box, it’ll come to Goff to make the throws into single coverage. From what I have seen of him during college, he seems like the real deal, an elite pocket passer whose accuracy is his greatest strength. I believe Goff will have a good rookie season having a 23-12 Td-Int ratio. This in conjunction with Todd Gurley who I believe will rush for 1500 yards will allow the L.A rams break the.500 curse and go 9-7. You may look at this as harsh for all the praise I have just given them but look for this team to become a serious contender next season when Goff gets more comfortable.
San Francisco 49ers
Now this is one team that I find hard to praise. What I can say is that they have a stud running back in Carlos Hyde as well as a stud middle linebacker in Navarro Bowmen (note: he just signed a 4 year contact extension.) But that’s where it ends, rookie DeForest Buckner out of Oregon will be good for the pass rush but not great. The rest of the team, let’s be honest is complete mess. As for this so-called quarterback competition, i believe it is an absolute joke that some suggest even for one second that Blaine Gabbert will be a better starter for the team than Colin Kapernick, who by the way guys has proven himself again and again, even nearly leading the 9ers to a Superbowl win over the Ravens. But what peeves me the most about this organisation was the willingness to hire an overrated, over payed and under performing coach whose methods have been proven to be disastrous, Chip Kelly, a man who single-handedly ruined an organisation that was extremely talented when he arrived. All I can say to 49er fans is that you will probably have to dig deep as I do not see any brightness in your near future especially if Chip is your coach. I see you guys going 3-13 or maybe 4-12 if i am feeling generous. Good luck 9ers fans.Good Luck!
On another note, what kind of name is Chip anyway-it makes him sound like he has 7 teeth whose pet goat is his best friend.
Seattle Seahawks
As a USC fan I long for the day when Pete Carroll will return to us and make us a powerhouse again. But alas I have to come to peace with the current situation, a situation which sees him as the head coach of one of the most powerful teams the NFC has to offer. I could try to name all their studs but the list would go on for a few paragraphs, so i would have to condense it into a few names; Russel Wilson, Jimmy Graham, Michael Bennett and Kam Chancellor. The team is extremely well-managed and coached on both sides of the ball, and it is set to get even better with Russel Wilson poised to become an elite pocket passer as well as mobile quarterback. Look again for this team to go extremely far into the playoffs again and maybe even win it all. The big question though aside from their sub-par offensive line is whether Thomas Rawles and Notre Dame rookie C.J Prosise can become powerhouse one-two punch combo of running backs. If they do, you will see this team physically destroy most of their opposition and make it all the way to NFC championship game. By the end of the regular season they will have a record of 12-4, just because of the sheer toughness of their schedule. By the way just had a look at it again and WOW!!
Thanks for the read guys, really appreciate it. If you have any queries or questions or simply just want to tell me how much of a moron I am, just chuck a comment below and I’ll get back to you when I can.
The Sideline Report 