How I See It: Steelers Capture Number Six in SB XLIII

As a life-long fan, I was very happy to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the underdog Arizona Cardinals last night in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa Bay, Florida. Not only did they win their record 6th Super Bowl title by defeating Arizona 27-23, but also Ben Roethlisberger proved, once again, why he is well on his way to a Hall of Fame career. I understand he still has a lot to prove, but the fact that he already has two Super Bowl championships under his belt at age 26 is remarkable. Let's not forget about his rookie season in '04 where he went 13-0 as the starter in the regular season and took his team to the AFC Championship game against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. I will put it this way, Roethlisberger is a play-maker--that's all there really is to say about that. A clutch play-maker. Say what you want about holding on to the ball too long, but the reason why he's so good is because he uses his huge body (6 foot 5, 240 pounds) to avoid defenders and find the open man. That's exactly what Big Ben did on that final drive, which includes the last 6-yard TD toss to eventual MVP Santonio Holmes with :35 to play.

Roethlisberger, Holmes, Arizona's mental errors on defense. They all played a key role on that final, 78-yard TD drive which put Pittsburgh ahead 27-23. I don't want to hear anything about those penalties--that's not why I wrote this article. Arizona killed themselves, I will put it that way. There was no need for Adrian Wilson to run Mitch Berger over after Jeff Reed's field goal attempt. And how about all those holding calls enforced against Mike Gandy going up against James Harrison? Arizona can only blame themselves for all those penalties.

Arizona gave a valiant effort, but they truly only played one quarter of fabulous football. Pittsburgh went out there on fire in the first quarter and Arizona pretty much just dug themselves too big of a hole early on. Pittsburgh continued their first quarter donination from the rest of this season by holding on to the ball for 11:28 of the 15 minutes and producing two scoring drives, giving them an early 10-0 lead. Arizona had a nice goal line stand, stopping Roethlisberger inches from the end zone--had Ben gotten in, Pittsburgh would've had a two TD lead instead of a 10-point lead.

Warner bounced back from his three passing yards first quarter by leading his offense down the field, 83 yards, in approximately five and a half minutes. The nine-play drive was capped by a one-yard TD pass from 37-year old Kurt Warner to TE Ben Patrick. 10-7 Pittsburgh. The two teams exchanged punts for the next several minutes--with a Ben Roethlisberger INT thrown in the mix--until Arizona put together a nice little drive after the two-minute warning. Six Warner pass plays (4/6 for 33 yards) and a Tim Hightower run play later the Cards found themselves knocking on Pittsburgh's door with :18 left to go in the first half of play. After a four-yard pass complete to Anquan Boldin failed to stop the clock, head coach Ken Whisenhunt decided to call his final timeout of the half. So with no timeouts remaining and Arizona had the ball at PIT's one-yard line, Whisenhunt and his offensive coordinator Todd Haley had no choice but to put the ball in Warner's hands and pass the ball--well, duh, what else would Arizona do! Either way, Arizona ended up paying the price. The NFL's defensive player of the year, James Harrison, smelled the end zone, and after snagging the ball out of the air and running 100 yards (a new SB record, by the way), Harrison found it as well.

The veteran QB Warner makes a costly mistake with no time left in the first half and that proves to be at least a 10 point TD for Harrison, who needed his oxygen after the Jim Brown-like run to paydirt. The play was reviewed by the booth (inside two minutes) but the call on the field was confirmed and the TD stood. Despite the final drive for Pittsburgh, I think Harrison's INT returned for a TD was the play of the game. Had Arizona scored a TD there, or even just kicked a chip-shot FG, the second half may have been totally different, therefore ending a little differently.

After Bruce Springsteen's solid effort during halftime, play got back underway with a Jeff Reed kickoff to Arizona's return man, J.J. Arrington. On Arizona's first possession, Pittsburgh's defense got a heavy dose of Edgerrin James, but they held up and even forced another Warner fumble (even though it was challenged and the call was eventually overturned). Shortly afterwards, Arizona was forced to punt. Pittsburgh's first possession of half number two resulted in almost nine minutes elapsing, and after the big Adrian Wilson "unneccessary roughness" penalty gave the Steelers a first down deep inside Cards' territory, the Arizona defense got back to work. Just three short plays after the big penalty against Arizona, Pittsburgh was forced to attempt another short FG, which Reed (and his crazy dyed-blonde hair of his) kicked throught the uprights for a 20-7 lead.

But, not so fast Pittsburgh fans. With just over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Arizona's offense really started clicking, and Pro Bowl WR Larry Fitzgerald finally broke out and was the heart of Arizona's eight-play, 87 yard drive which was capped by, yes, a one-yard TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald himself.

Still 20-14 with three minutes left, Pittsburgh was caught in a pickle. Arizona punter Ben Graham had a fantastic punt, downing Pittsburgh inside their own five-yard line. Ben Roethlisberger, on third and 10 at their one, threw a 19-yard bullet to Holmes for the first down. But..center Justin Hartwig was called for holding--which was quite obvious and VERY stupid, by the way--and a safety was called against Pittsburgh since the penalty took place in the end zone. As you all know, safeties are worth two points for the opposing defense. PIT 20, ARI 16.

Safeties also mean the Cardinals would get the ball on a free kick, giving them solid field position. It took just two plays for Warner to throw a short pass to Fitzgerald, who was running a 5-yard slant route. Of course, Fitzgerald has that speed burst, and he turned up the center of the field for a 64-yard TD. Kicker Neil Rackers put Arizona ahead 23-20 with his extra point, which split the uprights easily.

Arizona and their fans must not have watched much of Pittsburgh football this season, this game was certainly not over, and Arizona gave Roethlisberger way too much time to get into the end zone (just over two minutes, in fact), not to mention that Pittsburgh had two timeouts remaining plus the two-minute warning which stops the clock.

Roethlisberger got right to work, throwing a 14-yard strike to Santonio Holmes right after a 10-yard holding penalty called against guard Chris Kemoteau. That pass is really what got the GW drive going. The highlight of the drive: A 40-yard pass and catch by Holmes, who later caught the go-ahead six-yard TD catch, which was a phenomenal, tight-rope catch in the back of the end zone--the pass happened to go right over the outstretched arms of THREE Arizona defenders. Again, the play was reviewed by the officials but the call on the field stood as called--a TD--which was, in fact, the correct call.

Pittsburgh left about :30 for Arizona to drive down the field and score, but Pittsburgh's defense held up, forcing a questionable fumble (LaMarr Woodley with his second sack of the night AND the forced fumble). Defensive end Brett Kiesel recovered the fumble, wrapping up the sixth SB victory in the team's history. The officials should've reviewed the play, that certainly would've stopped most of this "controversy" and "bad officiating" talks, even though I believe the call would've stood as was. The ball was coming loose before Warner's arm went forward, the ball went forward because it was still against his body, but it was obvious Warner had no control over that ball.

Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23

Great game, nonetheless! One of the best in the past 10 or 15 years, and I will give the Cards credit, they played a heck of a game, but Mike Tomlin deserves this one. Six pack, one for the other thumb, whatever you want to call it, it belongs to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But, one of the best parts about all this, Pittsburgh has the chance to do this again next year, and the year after, and even the year after that. Could this be another Steeler dynasty? Who knows. But it's a good start (two of the last four SB wins). Great way to end the season, Pittsburgh. Congratulations, let's do it again!

The Official NFL Conference Championship Preview (2008-09)

This is it. Four teams will play til the death this Sunday. Four teams will give it all they've got and leave it all out on the field. The winner? Well, all the winner will get to do is travel to Tampa Bay and play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in two weeks, a chance at NFL history. Both the NFC teams, Philadelphia and Arizona are looking for their first-ever Super Bowl championship. Baltimore is looking for their second title since returning to Baltimore in 1996 while the Pittsburgh Steelers are seeking their record-breaking 6th Super Bowl win.

Three of the four QB's in this weekend's games have played in a Super Bowl, two of those three have a ring in their possession (Kurt Warner with STL in '99, Ben Roethlisberger with PIT in '05).

The Phildadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals will kickoff at 3 PM ET in Glendale, Arizona. The Eagles must stop the duo of Warner and Pro Bowl wideout Larry Fitzgerald after the two went for 166 yards and a TD against the Carolina Panthers last week. Eagles safety, Brian Dawkins, is nearing the end of his career and has yet to win a ring. Dawkins, the heart and soul of Philly's D for years, is Donovan McNabb's and the rest of the Eagles' motivation. Arizona's motivation in this game? How about losing season after losing season. They have rarely even managed to make the playoffs and they finally realized they are just one game away from the Super Bowl in Tampa. What more can you ask for??

As for the Ravens/Steelers game in Pittsburgh (scheduled to kickoff at 6:30 PM ET), many believe the third time's the charm for Baltimore's stingy defense. Pittsburgh has come out on top in both of the two team's previous meetings this season, and that was a Steelers team suffering injury after injury. But, after watching the Steelers 35-24 route of the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, the Steelers look to be as healthy as ever. This game will be better than the Super Bowl itself. The cold, snowy weather will make due for a very physical, run-based game. Both defenses are on the top of their game and are looking to knock off their division-rival. The winner of this game has a very good chance in the Super Bowl. I present you the third of four Playoff Previews (4-4 in eight playoff games, ew that's not good):

• What I, myself think.

• What Madden 09 (for XBOX 360) says.

and, of course...

• What 'Whatifsports.com' says (FYI: WIS just recently released the 2008 rosters).

NFC Conference Championship

Philadelphia Eagles @ Arizona Cardinals

Sunday, January 18th, 2009 at 3 PM ET

ME: PHI 24, ARI 17

Donovan McNabb has played tremendously this playoff season and even when Philadelphia's run game has struggled, Philly has been able to win games anyway because of solid defensive play. Asante Samuel and Brian Dawkins have had great games in the defensive secondary and if they can double-team Larry Fitzgerald it will be a much easier win for Philadelphia than expected. Give Brian Westbrook the ball early and often to take pressure off McNabb and continue giving him the ball if/when Philly gets a comfortable lead. Yes, Arizona winning this game will be a great head-liner, but I'm doubting them once again. Prove me wrong, Arizona!

Madden '09: PHI 16, ARI 23

Kurt Warner led his team to victory with a little help from the best WR in the league, Larry Fitzgerald of course. Warner went 23 of 32 for 238 yards and 2 TD's against Brian Dawkins and Asante Samuel. Guess they should've double-teamed him, huh? Fitzgerald caught both TD's for 24 and 32 yards in the second and third quarters. The rest of the scoring came off the once Pro Bowl kicker Neil Rackers who booted three FG's from beyond 43 yards. Donovan McNabb passed for just 195 yards and a TD, Brian Westbrook caught a TD and ran for another. A safety on Kurt Warner in the third capped Philly's scoring as Arizona rolled on to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Can you believe it!?!?

WIS: PHI 27, ARI 13

Well, it appears as though WIS knew exactly what Philly had to do to stop Warner and Fitz...double-team them, of course! I've mentioned that in this article several times now and yes, it works occasionally. Arizona couldn't stop Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook. McNabb threw for 321 yards while Westbrook ran for 128 and a TD. Brian Dawkins made 8 tackles and record 1.5 sacks with a forced fumble on Warner. Now, that's how you win ballgames!

Overall: PHI (2-1)

AFC Conference Championship

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, January 18th, 2009 at 6:30 PM ET

ME: It's a toss-up! (but really, Pittsburgh wins 17-14)

Literally, I'm not sure I can pick a winner. Pittsburgh is favored by 6 points, but it will be much closer than that. People are continuing to say that Baltimore has more motivation and "third time's the charm" but that's just bull. Pittsburgh is just as motivated as Baltimore is. The two teams have the hottest defenses in the league right now and both QB's have very similar abilities and are about one inch and 10 pounds size difference. Ben Roethlisberger will be playing in his third career AFC Championship game and this defense seems to have a little more playoff experience on their side but that's about it. Like I said earlier, though, Pittsburgh seems to be healthy for the first time in what, 12 or 13 weeks at least. Baltimore's defense did struggle to stop Tennessee's run in the first half of last game, Pittsburgh will need to mimic what Tennessee's Chris Johnson did while actually on the field. I picked a generic score of about 17-14 and flipped a coin. Baltimore won two out of three times. But, I'm going against those odds and saying Pittsburgh wins. Call me bias all you want, I'm not a professional, I do what I want!

Madden '09: BAL 17, PIT 20

Ed Reed picked off Ben Roethlisberger once and sacks him twice, but James Harrison and James Farrior lead Pittsburgh's defense with 2 sacks each (PIT sacked Joe Flacco 6 total times), and Troy Polamalu picked him off twice. Ray Lewis led Baltimore's hard-hitting defense with 13 tackles and a sack as Roethlisberger completed 18 of his 29 passes for 202 yards. Hines Ward was clutch as he caught seven passes for 89 yards and the game-winning 24-yard TD catch with less than a minute to play. Jeff Reed's two 40+ yard FG's were huge, too. Baltimore got off to a 14-0 start and led 14-3 at the half. But, just like most other games this season, Roethlisberger led a second-half comeback. Pittsburgh outscored Baltimore 17-3 in the third and fourth quarters on their way to another Super Bowl appearance.

WIS: BAL 7, PIT 6

Talk about a defensive slugfest! In the end, Baltimore late big-play makes the difference. Rookie QB Joe Flacco throws a 79-yard bomb to TE Todd Heap with just under four minutes remaining. Heap has made a couple big plays in the past couple of games and he had 94 of Flacco's 174 passing yards in the one-point win. Ray Lewis' 10 tackles and Ed Reed and Justin Bannan's interceptions of Ben Roethlisberger make the difference in the game as Roethlisberger goes 11 of 22 for 99 yards and 2 INT's. The game may not have been as close if veteran kicker Matt Stover hadn't missed the 45-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter for Baltimore.

Overall: PIT (2-1)

Super Bowl Match-up:

Philadelphia v.s. Pittsburgh

Battle of PA!

NFC West Week 2 Preview

Week 1: 3-0

Season: 3-0


San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

Seattle swept the season series from the Niners last year by a combined score of 47-3, but that was last year. Despite losing quarterback Alex Smith for the season with a torn rotator cuff, the news is even worse for the Seahawks. Down to one healthy, experienced wide receiver heading into week one, the Hawks lost Nate Burleson on the opening drive against Buffalo with a torn ACL in his left knee. The receiving situation is so desperate, the Hawks are considering starting backup quarterback Seneca Wallace at split end. With two second year WR in line to start, and a rookie tight end as well, QB Matt Hasselbeck will need to be on his game for the Hawks to prevail.

On the other side of the ball, Niners RB Frank Gore averages more than six yards per carry during his career against Seattle, with QB J.T. O'Sullivan again being asked to manage the clock and to avoid turnovers if at all possible.
Prediction: The Hawks injuries on offense are just too much to overcome, and Hasselbeck can't do it all himself, especially considering he isn't at 100% himself. If O'Sullivan can manage to avoid multiple turnovers, and if Gore can match his career averages against Seattle, I can't see them winning.

Prediction: 49ers, 17-13.

New York Giants @ St. Louis Rams

The Rams suffered a big loss on offense last week, WR Drew Bennett will miss at least a month with a broken foot. RB Steven Jackson should be in better shape than last week, although he is still not 100% after missing training camp and the pre-season following a hold-out. The Rams offensive line is its weakest link, the Giants should have little trouble pressuring QB Marc Bulger, putting even more pressure on Jackson.

The Giants offensive line, on the other hand, is a strength, they should have no trouble driving the Rams DLine off the ball, opening large holes for the Giants backs. QB Eli Manning should be aware of a potential mismatch between 6'6" Plaxico Burress and 5'9" Rams cornerback Tye Hill.

Prediction: Giants big, 38-13.

Miami @ Arizona

Here's a stat for you, in the third quarter of last week's opener at San Francisco, the Cardinals time of possession in the third quarter was 13:17. After a shaky first half which ended in a 10 all tie, QB Kurt Warner settled in and executed Coach Ken Whisenhunt 's short pass offense to perfection. In the first half, Anquan Boldin had zero catches, Larry Fitzgerald had seven. In the second half, after a 49ers adjustment, Boldin caught eight balls, with Fitzgerald grabbing three. Expect more of the same against Miami, as their secondary lacks a dominant, shutdown cover guy, which should result in Boldin and Fitzgerald once again approaching double digit catches apiece.

Falling behind early is what the Dolphins would like to avoid, as they are a run dominant team, led by Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown. Last week against the Jets, they combined for 23 carries, the Dolphs would like to see them approach forty combined carries.

Prediction: The Cardinals, behind the ever-confident Kurt Warner and the unstoppable duo of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald win comfortably, 27-10.

NFC West Week 1 Preview and Predictions

Published simultaneously at www.armchairgm.com

Seattle Seahawks @ Buffalo Bills
The key to this game is the Seattle injury situation. Wide receiver Bobby Engram is out, with Deion Branch listed as doubtful, although he has said he will play. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has a back injury, which limited him to just two series of plays in the pre-season. The Hawks have a bevy of talented, albeit inexperienced receivers in Jordan Kent, Courtney Taylor and Logan Payne, each of whom should see significant reps playing opposite veteran Nate Burleson. The lack of playing time for Hasselbeck prevented him from working with the youngsters, which will have an effect on the Hawks passing game. The Bills, with quarterback Trent Edwards listed as 100% despite missing the final two preseason games with a bruised thigh, will have to work hard behind a patchwork offensive line which struggled during the preseason, a fact emphasized by the continued holdout of weakside tackle Jason Peters. Look for RB Marshawn Lynch to carry the ball at least 30 times. The first month or so should be the test for Seattle. If they can reach their Week 4 bye week no worse than 2-1, then they should control the division throughout. If the injuries prove too much to handle, then their season likely could be over before the break.
Prediction: Behind the offensive scheme enacted by new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, the Bills control the clock with short passes and a 33 carry, 130 yard performance from Marshawn Lynch and squeak out a 16-13 win.
St. Louis Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles
The Rams start the season behind the eight ball, as RB Steven Jackson missed the entire pre-season due to an ill-advised holdout. Tackle Orlando Pace returns after missing all but two series in 2007 due to injury, quarterback Marc Bulger will feel less pressure, but how much will he miss Isaac Bruce? The Rams defense allowed more than 115 yards per game on the ground, a point not lost on RB Brian Westbrook. Joined in the backfield by short yardage specialist FB Tony Hunt, the Eagles should have little trouble controlling the line of scrimmage. With WR Kevin Curtis out, QB Donovan McNabb will rely on shorter passes in an attempt to keep the defense honest against Westbrook.
Prediction: Behind the running of Westbrook and Hunt, and with the Eagles linebackers blitzing the Rams inexperienced offensive line at will, Philadelphia dominates from the opening kickoff and wins convincingly, 36-20.
Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers
Save their inability to beat San Francisco, the Cardinals would have reached the postseason the past two years. This is the third consecutive season the Cardinals have opened in San Francisco and are looking for their first win. Not surprisingly, Kurt Warner won the QB battle with Matt Leinart in the pre-season, and despite not playing well in San Francisco throughout his career, looks to get the Cards off to a 1-0 start. Warner isn't as mobile as Leinart, and has had a career long battle with fumbles, so the offensive line will need to hold onto their blocks a fraction longer to give Warner the time he needs. Fifth round pick Tim Hightower had a great camp and should see quite a bit of playing time spelling Edgerrin James and as another pass option out of the backfield. No report on the Cardinals would be complete without mentioning arguably the top WR duo in the league in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. San Francisco shocked the world when he named journeyman J.T. O'Sullivan his starting quarterback. New offensive coordinator Mike Martz, the offensive genius behind the Warner led offensive machine in St. Louis, has put in place a benign game plan for O'Sullivan, one designed to control the clock and avoid turnovers. The key to its success is the durability of RB Frank Gore, who not only is the focal point of the running game, but a factor in the passing game as well. WR Isaac Bruce followed Martz to the 49ers and brings with him his 942 career receptions, it remains to be seen how much he impacts a short, ball control offense.
Prediction: It isn't often you hear a Week 1 matchup being a "must win", but that's exactly the case for the Cardinals. With division rival Seattle struggling with injuries, it's imperative the Cardinals start strong and get themselves a cushion heading into the middle, and most difficult, part of their schedule. With a relaxed Warner leading the way, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald both reach the 100 mark in receiving yards, with Edgerrin James doing so on the ground. Cards win surprisingly easy, 34-10.

KD's NFC West Preview

Published also at www.armchairgm.com

As the 2008 NFL season dawns, the fortunes of the NFC West reside where they have been in recent seasons...the division sucks. The NFL version of baseball's National League Western Division, often referred to as the "NL Worst", the NFC West is home to arguably the two worst teams in the NFL, and a team which has made the postseason in a non-strike year just once since 1975. And even the division's best team, the four time defending champion Seattle Seahawks enter the season with more questions than answers, starting with the health of All-Pro quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
Hasselbeck is expected to start the season opener despite back issues which go back to last year, at least. Another question is who is Hasselbeck going to throw to? With D.J. Hackett gone and Bobby Engram and Deion Branch injured, the most experienced receiver on the roster is Nate Burleson. The Hawks picked up a couple of second tier running backs in an attempt to re-start the running game following the departure of Shawn Alexander, Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett. The signing of left guard Mike Wahle and the drafting of tight end John Carlson should offer Hasselbeck a bit more blind side protection, which is his "back" side in the pocket. Courtney Taylor will likely see most of the opposite side snaps in place of Branch, although Branch declared himself ready to play this week on Wednesday. Rookies Jordan Kent and Logan Payne will play in the Hawks multi-wide set, with RB Maurice Morris the short yardage back. The Hawks are also thin defensively, especially in the secondary, where they will start a second year pro and a rookie. If Hasselbeck struggles with his back, it will be imperative backup QB Seneca Wallace stays within Paul Holmgren's game plan, turnovers and ineffectiveness will have the defense on the field more than anyone would like. The Hawks did catch a big schedule break, after their season opener in Buffalo, two home games follow, against the Rams and 49ers, then the bye week in Week 4. If the Hawks can get to the bye with no further injury problems and a record no worse than 2-1, they could be looking at their fifth consecutive division title and sixth playoff spot in a row.
The St. Louis Rams are coming off a 3-13 season which prompted changes on Scott Linehan's coaching staff. New offensive coordinator Al Saunders is joined by new QB coach Terry Shea and RB coach Art Valero. Linehan has turned over the offense to Saunders, with the hope their combined NFL experience can turn around the Rams often inept offense. The Rams problems last year can point to both lines. All-Pro OL Orlando Pace was lost for the season in Week 1, while the Rams DLine accounted for the fewest sacks in the NFL. The return to form of Pace and injured defensive end Leonard Little will go far in once again in stabilizing the Rams running game and pass rush.
Quarterback Marc Bulger follows along in the same vein as his predecessors in St. Louis, Trent Green and Kurt Warner. What they lacked in mobility they made up with pocket awareness and an uncanny ability to wait til the last second before executing the play. Problem is, for a "timing" type QB to be successful, he needs protection, and he needs another threat around him. Pace and his OLine buddies will need to have Bulger's back alot more this year, and will also need to not only open, but keep open, holes for superstar RB Steven Jackson. The Rams, to some, surprisingly released Isaac Bruce, leaving off-season pickup Keenan Burton and rookie Donnie Avery to run alongside Torry Holt. While both players, especially Burton, bring much needed speed to the Rams offense, one must remember they are both still young and also learning a much more complicated offensive system, which the Rams staff understands will require patience. The Rams dominating linebacking corps, led by Will Witherspoon and Quinton Culbertson will be joined by Chris Draft in what is hoped to remain one of the top run defenses in the league.
Fresh off what he calls "the best pre-season of my career", Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner enters the season with his rear view mirror covered. No more looking over his shoulder at the ever shrinking shadow of Matt Leinart. The only thing that can knock Warner from his starter's role is an injury, no longer will the Cards QB situation revolve like the stage at Phoenix' Celebrity Theatre. Plagued by fumbleitis his whole career, Warner will need to keep the turnovers to a manageable level, with the talent of his receiving corps and the still productive Edgerrin James in the backfield, the Cardinals should rack up the points this season. Backup running back Tim Hightower, a legit breakaway threat, had a tremendous camp and should average a dozen or so touches per game. Tight end Ben Patrick is a solid route runner with good hands and an excellent on the run blocker. WR Anquan Boldin caused a minor flap in camp over his contract situation has told the Cardinals he will give 100% on the field, teams with All-World teammate Larry Fitzgerald, giving the Cards the best one-two WR tandem in football. On the defensive side, the move of Antrelle Rolle to safety, where he will pair with the league's best DB, Adrian Wilson. Rolle, a former cornerback, had problems in tight coverage situations, the freedom the safety position brings should alleviate that concern. Wilson, so dominating he on occasion will line up as a linebacker in certain coverages, is coming off a camp Coach Ken Whisenhunt described as "stunning."
The San Francisco 49ers surprised most everyone by naming journeyman quarterback J. T. Sullivan the opening day starter over Alex Smith. The 49ers must improve on their league worst 145 yards per game passing average in 2007, and have signed former Rams standout WR Isaac Bruce to help in that area. Former Rams head coach and offensive genius Mike Martz is in as the new coach and won't have any trouble designing a new offensive scheme, the problem will be in having the necessary pieces to execute it. RB Frank Gore is a legitimate 2000 yard from scrimmage guy, but despite his ability to find open ground, will find the going tough if O'Sullivan can't bring respect to the passing game. Defensively, cornerbacks Nate Clements and Walt Harris are former All-Pros, with Clements propensity to gamble has led to big plays by the offense. Harris is more of a stay at home kind of guy, yet is always scrambling to cover for Clements, which takes him out of his comfort zone.
With the Rams and 49ers likely not to reach ten wins combined, the Seahawks and Cardinals are left to fight for the division amongst each other. The problem there is they will struggle to win 18 games combined, leaving for a tighter than expected race. The Cardinals end the season against Minnesota, at New England, and home vs. the Hawks, while Seattle's final stretch is at St. Louis, home vs the Jets, and at Arizona. Seattle's first month may go farther in deciding the division however, with so many injuries, a 1-2 or 0-3 start could doom their hopes right off the bat.
I see the division thusly;
Arizona Cardinals 9-7 Seattle Seahawks 8-8 St. Louis Rams 5-11San Francisco 49ers 4-12
The division will be decided in Week 17, with the Cards and Seahawks squaring off in Arizona with identical 8-7 records. The Cards, realizing what was at stake and with a sell-out crowd going nuts in a nationally televised affair, jump on the Hawks early and continue the onslaught with a double digit route.

On The Brink: An NFC West Preview

The NFC West last year was perhaps one of the least exciting divisions to follow in the entire NFL. The only remotely successful team, Seattle, had their ups and downs during the season but generally had the division on lock by the end of Week 4.

There were many reasons for such non-parity.

The Rams were racked by injuries and were tasked with playing with a 'Replacement-esque' offensive line. Marc Bulger was sacked fifty times per game and Stephen Jackson missed much of the season due to injury.

The 49ers, such a trendy sleeper pick these past couple years regressed once again and Alex Smith flirted with having his name thrown in with Ryan Leaf’s. Having the worst offense in the league, combined with a mediocre (at best) defense eventually summed up to a not-so-great year for San Francisco.

Arizona, who showed a bit of promise last year, was still playing with Kurt Warner as their starter thanks to a disappointing and injured Matt Leinart. Although he guided them to an 8-8 record, Warner showed his age and the offense lacked the explosiveness it could have potentially had with Leinart under center.

Going into this year, the hopes are high for each team. The 49ers have brought in Mike Martz to improve their anemic offense. The Rams are going into the season with a healthy Stephen Jackson, Marc Bulger and offensive line – all three things that make their offense scary. Seattle signed Julius Jones in the hopes he could be a big part of a potential committee at RB, although their WR situation at the moment is iffy. Finally, Arizona still has Larry Fitzgerald and Anquin Boldin on their offense and that’s essentially all that matters. Although they are hoping that this is the year that Matt Leinart finally realizes he is in fact a professional quarterback.

However, every team goes into the year with a positive attitude. If they didn’t than it would be scary, unprofessional and a bit pathetic. Thankfully, we the fans can be the realists and sort out who has a shot, who doesn’t and who probably should be the reason the NFL creates a minor league system.

The good thing is that every team in the NFC West is on a relatively equal playing field, save for San Francisco unless they make an extreme turnaround. It really could go a multitude of different ways and the season’s outcome, like every year, will depend upon a variety of factors.


Division prediction:
St. Louis (10-6)
Arizona (8-8)
Seattle (8-8)
San Francisco (6-10)

A healthy St. Louis offense is a potent offense and even though they lost Isaac Bruce to the 49ers, the offense still has the ability to put up huge numbers especially if Stephen Jackson can remain healthy. With little to no pass rush last year, Marc Bulger did everything he could to will the team to a win but to no avail. Still, he looked impressive for a QB who was basically playing in the face of a constant pass rush and the threat of broken ribs.

The secondary should improve with the off-season signing of David Macklin and the defensive line will get an instant upgrade with the arrival of Chris Long. While the Rams defense wasn’t the worst in the league last year, it can use the help and if it can be at least average, the offense will take care of the rest.

The Cardinals proved last year that they are finally to be taken seriously… or at least somewhat seriously. Having gone .500 last year, the only way they can go up is to make the playoffs and breaking even again or anything less would generally be regarded as a disappointment. It all rests on the well-moisturized, hot-tub-loving arm of Matt Leinart (what, is that joke dead yet?).

The defense, like the Rams was mediocre last year but has been improved upon with free agency and the draft. The key to the Cardinals season is going to be whether or not Matt Leinart can step it up and if Edgerrin James can continue to at least be mildly productive. If Leinart gets injured or cannot step into the starting role well, Kurt Warner can only take them so far. He’s performed valiantly up until now but it’s time for Leinart to show what he’s got, if anything.

It came as no surprise when the Seahawks offense declined slightly when Shaun Alexander fell off the map. On a side-note, what exactly happened to Shaun Alexander? One minute he’s breaking the rushing touchdown record and the next minute he’s a free agent and no one wants to sign him. It’s all very weird if you ask me.

The Seahawks fortunately still have Matt Hasselbeck in his prime. Unfortunately, his receiving corps is awfully banged up and mediocre when otherwise. The running back situation is still up in the air with T.J. Duckett, Maurice Morris and Julius Jones all competing for playing time. The defense was a tad above average last year and should see rookie Lawrence Jackson from USC make a significant impact.

Lastly, we have the San Francisco 49ers who after the Dolphins were easily the worst team in the NFL last year. The offense was horrible. It was horrendous. It was every possible bad term you could come up with all rolled into one nasty word.

Mike Nolan has brought in offensive guru Mike Martz to try and help turn things around and more importantly, try and kick Alex Smith’s ass into gear. Martz, who is known for his quarterback mentoring looks to turn the 49ers offense around with his extremely complicated yet amazingly effective offensive system.

It may not be the strongest division in football, but the 2008 season should be an interesting one in the NFC West. The Seahawks, who are going for their fifth consecutive division title in 2008 look awfully vulnerable and both the Rams and Cardinals have realistic shots at ending that streak this year. The 49ers are the wild card in the whole thing and while they realistically don’t have much of a chance of taking the division, I wouldn’t put it past them to finally be the sleeper team the year that everyone’s given up on them as a sleeper team. It’s just how the NFL works.