With the NFL division breakdown series in full swing, the next division in focus is the NFC West. The first NFL training camps are now opening, and the first football game of the year is just a few weeks away. You can join our NFL experts as we go around the league, division-by-division, and position-by-position breaking it all down for you. Today, we look at the NFC West Defenses.
NFC West Breakdown: The Defense
Defensive Line
The Best: STL The Rest: AZ, SF, SEA
The Rams offense was their main problem last year after their star quarterback Sam Bradford tore his ACL. However, this year, they have one of the best defensive lines in the NFC West, which is known for having stellar defenses and possibly the best in the entire NFL. The Rams’ daunting defensive line features one of the greatest young defensive ends, in Robert Quinn, who racked up 19.0 sacks in 2013 as well as veteran pass-rusher Chris Long, who added 8.5 sacks himself last year. The Rams also have the rock-solid defensive tackle duo consisting of Michael Brockers who had 5.5 sacks and Kendall Langford who had 5.0 sacks. Finally, to top it all off, the Rams added one of the best defensive players in college football last year and quite possibly the best pure interior pass-rusher in Aaron Donald. Good luck too all of the teams who face the Rams this upcoming season as they will need it with this impressive defensive line.
The Arizona Cardinals had the sixth best ranked defense in 2013 and ranked first against the run. The Cardinals defensive front which is very good consists of starters Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett and Dan Williams as well as rotational guys Alameda Ta’amu and Frostee Rucker are all coming back for the 2014 season and in my opinion, the sky’s the limit for the Cardinals.
The San Francisco 49ers defensive line consists of elite players such as Justin Smith, Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith, an extremely solid core in Dorsey, McDonald, Jerod-Eddie, Williams, Dobbs and Dial and some potential question marks in Carradine, Lemonier and Lynch. With all of this being said, the question lies in Aldon Smith with his issues off the field. There is no denying that on the field, Smith is one of the best pass rushers in the game, but when off the field, the 49ers, similar to Seattle, will test their depth on their backups and see if it could be a match made in heaven or a disaster waiting to happen. Only time will tell which is why I don’t have them ranked higher at this point.
The Seattle Seahawks, the 2014 Super Bowl champions, released veterans Red Bryant and Chris Clemons and lost Clinton McDonald in free agency this past offseason. The news is not all bad, as the Seahawks did re-sign Michael Bennett, inserting him into a defensive line with Brandon Mebane, Tony McDaniel, and Cliff Avril. The Seahawks have a good looking front four as their defensive line poses as an impressive threat. The main problems that the Seahawks may run into is how their high potential, untested and inexperienced players will fill the void for the stars they lost this past offseason.
Linebacker
The Best: SF The Rest: STL, SEA, AZ
With the electrifying trio of NaVorro Bowman, Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith, the 49ers have, when healthy, one of the most elite linebacking corps in the NFL. The dynamic duo of Bowman and Willis are two of the best inside linebackers in the game. They are Pro Bowl-caliber productive athletes, they have excellent tackling ability, play very aggressive and have raw talent. The 49ers also have a great outside linebacker in Aldon Smith; he’s been very productive on the field, especially when Justin Smith helps clear a free running lane. Smith is a player with pure athletic ability and long arms to rush the passer and has racked up 42 sacks in three years. However with all of this being said, NaVorro Bowman is coming off a knee injury he sustained in the NFC Championship game last season and Aldon Smith is facing a possible suspension because of his numerous off the field issues he’s had this past offseason. So with all of this being said, Patrick Willis will look to continue to show people that he’s one of the game’s best linebackers and San Francisco has too much depth in this position to not be ranked first in the NFC West.
The Rams ranked 15th out of 32 NFL teams in opponent passing yards, allowing 225.1 yards per game. They also came in 15th in opponent rushing yards, giving up an average of 117.5 yards every outing. However, the Rams starters will consist of Alec Ogletree, James Laurinaitis, and Jo-Lonn Dunbar as these guys may be one of the best linebacking corps the Rams have put out on the field in decades. Laurinaitis again was the chief of the defense, a role the man in the middle has held since he got to St. Louis in 2009 and he has totaled 142 tackles for the second consecutive year. If these players pan out and don’t sustain any injuries and play to their best potential, this Ram’s linebacking corps will make some noise.
The Seattle Seahawks are lucky to have raw talent at every position on both sides of the ball. It goes without saying that Malcolm Smith, Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin will make up a formidable linebacking corps for the Hawks. The question that lingers is how will Bobby Wagner respond after having an injury riddled 2013? Can Malcolm play like the Super Bowl MVP he was this past season and how will the key contributors such as K.J. Wright, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and O’Brien Schofield pan out?
Arizona is preparing to take the crown for the worst at the linebacking position as Daryl Washington has been suspended for the entire 2014 season for another violation of the league’s substance-abuse policy. Not only did they lose Washington but they also lost Karlos Dansby, a productive and athletic run-and-hit linebacker with good speed and range to Cleveland. This position will get tested and good luck to Arizona in figuring out their linebacking corps.
Cornerback
The Best: AZ The Rest: SEA, SF, and STL
The cornerback position in the NFC West was a toss-up between Patrick Peterson and the self-proclaimed “best corner in the game” Richard Sherman. I am giving the advantage to Patrick Peterson for a few reasons. First, during his first three seasons in the league, Peterson started all 48 games and earned three Pro Bowl trips while being named All-NFL twice. Secondly, in coverage, he is a lockdown corner as he plays more man to man than Richard Sherman, possesses a play making ability at the position which is quite incredible and whose style is to cover space rather than a specific player. Peterson waits for the ball to be thrown his way and then he picks up the nearest player and since 2011 has recorded 12 interceptions, 161 combined totals and 42 passes defended, which isn’t better than Richard Sherman in terms of numbers but is sure good. Patrick Peterson is only getting better every season and at the rate he is going people are saying he plays like the Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders.
The second best cornerback in the NFC West and possibly the entire NFL, only to Patrick Peterson aforementioned above, is none other than Richard Sherman. He tipped Colin Kaepernick’s throw to Michael Crabtree in the end zone which ultimately led the Seahawks winning the game. Sherman led the league with eight interceptions and 38 tackles last season and one of those picks was famously returned for a touchdown against the Houston Texans. Since 2011, Sherman has recorded 20 interceptions, 59 passes defended and 176 combined tackles which is better than Patrick Peterson’s statistics since 2011. Sherman is an elite player and it will be interesting to see if he can play up to all of the hype he has been receiving.
Heading into the 2013 season, Tramaine Brock had never started an NFL game; during his first three years, the former undrafted free agent had mostly seen spot duty in San Francisco. However it only took Brock seven starts to haul in five interception and help fill a void in a cornerback positon that had some questions before he made a statement. Tramaine is an impactful player for San Francisco and showed what he can really do when he was on the field. As a result, the Niners locked him up with a four-year, $16-million deal in November, ending a brief two month search for the solid cornerback.
The Rams cornerback position needs to see big improvements out of second year players Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson without team captain and anchor of the secondary, Cortland Finnegan, who went to the Dolphins. These players are looking to make a big improvement and add some legitimacy to a Rams secondary which is the worst in the NFC West and the biggest question with their dominant defense.
Safety
The Best: SEA The Rest: SF, AZ, and STL
The Seattle Seahawks easily take the top spot in the NFC West for the safety position. The Seahawks have two of the top 5 best safeties in the NFL with Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. Earl Thomas, the leader of the “Legion of Boom”, has become the new prototype at the position as he is a forceful presence against the run and possesses a hustle and non-stop mentality that always have him around the football. Thomas will not shy away from contact as he has a well-known reputation for delivering punishing hits on any player he can get his hands on. As a pass defender, Thomas has a put his body on the line type of mentality which has produced 15 career interceptions in four seasons, including five in 2013. With all of these characteristics and his competitive win now mentality he always hypes up the “Legion of Boom” and thrives off the noise the 12th man in Seattle makes. Seattle also has Kam Chancellor, the 6-foot-3, 232-pounder, who is known for laying out receivers over the middle of the field; most notably on Demaryius Thomas in Super Bowl XLVIII. Kam has the athleticism, size, alertness, and versatility to wreak havoc on opposing team’s offenses. To speak to just how good Chancellor is, he allowed Jimmy Graham only one catch in the divisional round of the playoffs this past year.
The biggest loss for the 49ers this past offseason was strong safety Donte Whitner, but San Francisco quickly snagged former Indianapolis Colts safety Antoine Bethea, who is a veteran that will help add depth to the safety position. Last season, Eric Reid, who was a rookie, started every game and had 4 interceptions as he showed very promising play at times and looks to have an even better season than he did during his rookie campaign. Reid will start at free safety and Bethea at strong safety and this duo may not be as good as Seattle’s infamous “Legion of Boom”, but they sure are going to be daunting to go up against.
With Arizona currently waiting until free safety Tyrann Mathieu returns from ACL and LCL surgery, the Cardinals replaced Yeremiah Bell, who was the previous strong safety, with Deone Bucannon out of Washington State. He is a good-sized, athletic and a physical safety who stands out as a straight-line striker on tape and sets the tone. My question is this: Can a first round rookie live up to the hype and make an immediate impact for the Cardinals? Only time will tell. In the meantime Rashad Johnson, entering his sixth season, will hold down free safety until Tyrann Mathieu returns from injury and this will allow Rashad a chance to make an impact and make a name for himself.
With the Rams bringing back two of their two starters from a season ago, TJ McDonald and Rodney McLeod, the addition of new defensive Greg Williams will help find ways to make these players more effective and allow them to play to their full potential. With a new defensive coordinator for the Rams and players who all are eager to play, only time will tell if the Rams safety opposition will turn out to be winners or losers.
Special Teams
The Best: SEA The Rest: STL, SF, AZ
With every team in NFC West having a strong special teams, choosing which team had the best one wasn’t easy. Seattle takes the top spot for a plethora of reasons. First off, Seattle’s opponents gained just 82 yards on punt returns last season and they averaged just 3.9 yards per return, the second lowest figure in the NFL. Secondly, opponents waved for 30 fair catches, while returning just 21 punts. So opponents really averaged just 1.6 yards per returnable punt, which is slightly less yardage than the typical adult male could gain by catching the ball and falling forward. If this isn’t a testament to how good punter Jon Ryan is and how fast and well coached the special teams for Seattle is, then I don’t know what is. Thirdly, kicker Steven Hauschka is as reliable as they come nailing 33/35 field goal attempts last season. With Percy Harvin showing what he could do in the Super Bowl returning a kickoff for a touchdown to start the second half, he is always a dangerous threat just as much as Jermaine Kearse and others who will look to handle returns in 2014.
The Rams special teams gave Seattle a close run for the top spot in the NFC with the Seahawks allowing just 3.9 yards per return and produced 30 fair catches last year. The Rams allowed just 2.6 yards per return, with 23 fair catches. The Rams punter Johnny Hekker is a solid punter and their coverage unit gets downfield very fast and causes an inordinate amount of fumbles. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein is nicknamed that for a reason since just about two-thirds of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. Zuerlein made 26/28 field goals last year and he’s reliable, has a strong leg, and is a key asset to the Rams to say the least. Also, let’s not forget about Tavon Austin, who is an electrifying, speedy return man who recorded a 98-yard punt return last year, and there is plenty more where that came from.
The 49ers have some strengths and weaknesses on their special teams. One of the strength is their kicker Phil Dawson, the 16 year veteran, who is one of the best in the business. Dawson made 26/32 field goal attempts this past season and knocked down a 56 yard attempt which was a career long for Dawson. In a situation where the game is on the line and you need a kicker who can knock one through the uprights, Phil Dawson is a safe bet to have. Another strength is their coverage unit. C.J. Spillman had 33 special teams’ tackles during his last three years and Kassim Osgood, who made the Niners roster last year, recorded seven special teams’ tackles, recovered a fumble and blocked a punt against the Seahawks. Now the weakness of the 49ers special teams is LaMichael James, as his longest kickoff return last year was 41 yards and he has not shown much on punts either. This is an area of improvement that San Francisco is looking to better this upcoming season.
Finishing worst in the special team department are the Arizona Cardinals because of the mere fact that Patrick Peterson averaged a measly six yards per punt return with a long of 22 yards in 2013. It was a far cry from his four-touchdown campaign in 2011. Whether Patrick Peterson, arguably the best cornerback in the game, will keep returning punts is unknown as the team brought in Ted Ginn Jr., who may take over Peterson’s job. Ginn has a healthy career average of 11.2 yards per punt return and he has six combined touchdowns in the return game and he will look to help boost the Cardinals special teams, which was quite disappointing to say the least last season.
Best Coach
The Best: SEA The Rest: SF, STL, AZ
In the two seasons before Pete Carroll came to the Emerald City, the Seahawks were a combined 9-23 and now they are Super Bowl champions. Since Carroll took over the Seahawks, he has a 38-26 record with a 5-2 postseason record. At the end of the day, a Super Bowl championship trumps all, which is the main reason I have Carroll ranked one spot higher than Harbaugh. The Seahawks have made it to the playoffs in three of the four years Carroll has been head coach and he creates a fun football atmosphere to play in, and in doing so, Carroll is building one of the most successful programs the NFL has seen in recent years. With Russell Wilson signal calling for the Seahawks, “Legion of Boom” and the 12th man going strong, the Seahawks will be a force to be reckoned with this season once again.
With Jim Harbaugh coaching the 49ers to three straight NFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl appearance in his first four years in the league as well as posting a winning record of 36-11-1 is a great way to start out his career in the NFL. To coach in the brutally competitive NFC West division is no easy task to say the least and Jim has had great success in doing so. One of the reasons that Harbaugh had such great success in the NFL is because of his in your face coaching mentality, which doesn’t tend to work with a lot of players or teams, but it works for the 49ers. With Colin Kaepernick and Jim Harbaugh not going away anytime soon, neither will the San Francisco 49ers.
The Rams have the unfortunate pleasure of playing in one of the toughest divisions in football and the future looks bright thanks in large part to their head coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher had to face an injury to the team’s star quarterback and work with a group of players that were nothing to write home about. He’s an excellent motivator, a proven winner, and had an A+ draft so it looks like the Rams will be heading back to the postseason sooner than later.
Bruce Arians led the Cardinals to a credible 10-6 record in his first year with the team and don’t forget the Cardinals were just a mere 5-11 in 2012 under Ken Whisenhunt as he turned a franchise upside-down. Arians coaches in the unforgiving NFC West and he needs all the help he can get on both sides of the ball and now Cardinals will need to fill voids at linebacker left by Karlos Dansby and Daryl Washington. With Arians having players like Andre Ellington and Michael Floyd who are looking to improve their numbers from last season, the Cardinals have a lot of potential with their new stud head coach.
2014 Prediction
The Best: SEA The Rest: SF, STL, AZ
Three of the four teams in the NFC West last season had 10 wins or more and the Rams, who went 7-9, drastically improved. The Rams upgraded their offensive and defensive lines by adding Greg Robinson and Aaron Donald in the NFL draft’s first round and the key for the Rams will be Sam Bradford and getting him the protection he needs so he can play to his full potential. If the Rams play their cards right with a sneaky strong defense/special teams, they look to be a strong contender for a NFC Wild Card spot. With the Cardinals losing Karlos Dansby to Cleveland in the offseason and Daryl Washington due to a suspension, it’s hard for me to see Arizona drastically improving. Carson Palmer needs to cut down on his interceptions and turnover prone ways, and resort back to the great pocket passer he used to be for the Cardinals to have a chance in a brutal NFC West. Finally, it was a toss-up for me, as I can make cases for both the 49ers and Seahawks to win the NFC West. With Russell Wilson under center for Seattle, their rock-solid defense and their skilled position players, how can you bet against these guys, especially when they are the home team? Although the 49ers are very strong and in all likelihood will grab an NFC Wild Card spot, with Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman questionable for the start of the 2014 season, can the defense hold down the fort until these dominate players return? So with all of this being said, the Seahawks are my pick to win the NFC West for the second straight year.
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