Last season the AFC North sent three teams to the playoffs (the division winner Pittsburgh Steelers along with the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens as wild cards) and, not surprisingly, the division was the best in football in terms of number of wins. The AFC North went 26-13-1 in non-division games in 2014 and they logged 38 total wins, the most in football. On the flip side, the NFC South was atrocious, as it sent the division winner Carolina Panthers to the playoffs with a 7-8-1 record. That historically bad division logged a total of 22 wins in 2014, which was the worst in the NFL. Which division will be the best in football in 2015?
The NFC West will be the best division in the NFL in 2015.
In 2014, the four teams in that division combined for the second most wins (37) overall. The Seattle Seahawks have played in the last two Super Bowls, winning one handily and barely losing the other, and Pete Carroll’s team might actually be better this season. Seattle brought in stud tight end Jimmy Graham, signed quarterback Russell Wilson to a four-year, $87.6 million contract extension, and they still have running back Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks also happen to still have a lot of talent on defense, including cornerback Richard Sherman, safeties Kam Chancellor (as long as the team and Chancellor can agree to terms on a new deal) and Earl Thomas (coming back from shoulder surgery, but he should be good to go this season), and linebacker Bruce Irvin. Look for Seattle to possibly be better than last season, but to probably finish with at least the same 12-4 record they posted in 2014.
The Arizona Cardinals do have to worry about the health of Carson Palmer, who was lost for the season to an ACL tear in 2014. But Bruce Arian’s squad has shown they can win when Palmer is under center. With the former USC Trojan handling the snaps in 2014, the Cardinals got off to a 9-1 start. With talented wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald still in town, along with young receivers Michael Floyd and John Brown, the Cardinals could be pretty good on offense, especially if running back Chris Johnson can add some productivity. In 2014, they had one of the best defenses, and, despite the losses of defensive end Darnell Docket (now with the 49ers) and cornerback Antonio Cromartie (now with the Jets), Arizona should still have one of the better defenses in the league in 2015. They went 11-5 in 2014, even though they lost their starting quarterback in Week 10. Don’t be surprised if Arizona finishes 2015 with roughly the same record as they did last season.
The San Francisco 49ers had a down year, at least for them, last season, finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs. They have experienced a lot of turnover this offseason, including head coach Jim Harbaugh (now the head coach at Michigan), defensive end Justin Smith (retired), linebackers Chris Borland and Patrick Willis (both retired), wide receiver Michael Crabtree (now with the Oakland Raiders) and running back Frank Gore (now with the Indianapolis Colts). But 49ers did have some depth last season, which will help them in 2015, and they signed wide receiver Torrey Smith and running back Reggie Bush this offseason, so the 49ers won’t drop too far in the win column. That being said, because of the turnover and quarterback Colin Kaepernick being overrated, San Francisco won’t make the playoffs either. Look for the 49ers to finish either 7-9 or 8-8 this season.
The St. Louis Rams, who finished the 2014 season with a record of 6-10, will be the most improved team in the division in 2015. The Rams had a good defense last season, and with defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who was added during the offseason, playing opposite defensive tackle Aaron Donald (2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year), the Rams could possibly have the best defensive line in football in 2015. The Rams traded oft-injured quarterback Sam Bradford to the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Nick Foles this offseason. Jeff Fisher’s team also has running backs Todd Gurley and Tre Mason, along with wide receivers Tavon Austin and Brian Quick. If the offensive line can keep Foles upright (this is a legitimate question) and he stays healthy and gels with the rest of the offense, the Rams could take a significant step forward this season, even if they still won’t make the playoffs. Look for the Rams to finish 8-8 or 9-7 in 2015.
If the Seahawks, Cardinals, and 49ers finish with around the same records as they did in 2014, and the Rams improve by two or three games, that should be enough for the NFC West to claim the highest number of wins in 2015. Especially since I believe that both the AFC North (specifically the Cincinnati Bengals), which finished 2014 with 38 wins, and NFC North (mainly the Detroit Lions), which had 35 wins last season, will likely both take a step back in 2015.
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