Arizona Cardinals
A lot of people who are betting
NFL divisions are expecting the Arizona Cardinals to fall off. Regardless
of how feeble they looked in the regular season last year, one thing people
have to understand is that last year was a building block for Arizona, and they
can continue their success this year. Their high-octane passing offense returns,
and now first-round pick Chris Wells should help shoulder the load of the
running game. With a more balanced attack, the Cardinals are rightfully favored
to repeat as West champs.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers finished up strong in 2008, but
there are a lot of question marks heading into 2009. They still don’t have a
quarterback - as Shaun Hill and Alex Smith are marginal options - plus the
offensive line is a work in progress and the defensive line is weak. Mike
Singletary is a coach that will make his team overachieve, but overachieving
for this team would be eight wins. They are a seven point underdog on the NFL week 1 odds to Arizona.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a talented team but it’s hard to
gauge just how good they will be without Mike Holmgren in the equation. Matt Hasselbeck is still present, but the
offense has struggled since they lost Shaun Alexander as a capable running
back. Without balance on offense, the defense might once again get hung out to
dry. The Super Bowl
odds for this team are enticing but they still have plenty of work to do to
prove they are back as NFC contenders.
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are under construction, and new head
coach Steve Spagnuolo will need a hard hat to get the job done. The Rams
offense is decrepit as Marc Bulger may not even be a starting caliber
quarterback any longer. On top of that, the Rams have lost all of their quality
wide receivers, which leaves them with just Steven Jackson and a so-so
offensive line on offense. They’re about the same on defense, with O.J. Atogwe
is the main highlight. Aside from him, the Rams will need some huge growth out
of former first-round picks Adam Carriker and Chris Long if this team is to
turn it around. No sports predictions have the Rams winning the
division. There has been too much of a roster overhaul expect this team to
compete.