As the NFL season is right around the corner, optimism is at its finest. Every team is 0-0, tied for first place. No team has been eliminated from the postseason yet. Every rivalry’s bragging rights are still up for the taking. Every player could have THAT career-defining year. The point of these articles is to give every team’s hopeful season and every team’s disaster season. While some teams’ best scenarios involve Super Bowls, other teams are simply hoping for signs of great potential from young players. I will disregard injuries in worst case scenarios (unless talking about an injury-prone player) because obviously anyone can get injured in football. This article will focus on the four NFC West teams: San Francisco, Seattle, Arizona and Saint Louis.
BEST AND WORST CASE SCENARIOS IN THE NFC WEST
San Francisco 49ers
Best Case: A new-look roster proves not to be decimated by departures. The team gets back to a ground-and-pound type of play as Carlos Hyde has a breakout season and finishes top-five in rushing yardage. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is also significantly better and utilizes a revitalized Vernon Davis to his advantage. The 49ers defense is stingy as usual and Arik Amstead looks like a future star. The 49ers finish 8-8 and know they are a couple pieces away from returning to the postseason.
Worst Case: The 49ers are the worst team in football in 2015. Yes, it is actually possible. The defense lost everybody this offseason and is in for a rough year. This team, once of the deepest in football, is actually now one of the thinnest. Kaepernick struggled in 2014, and his recession continues in 2015. The 49ers have the first pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
Seattle Seahawks
Best Case: The Legion of Boom continues to dominate the NFL while Jimmy Graham provides a major boost on offense. Russell Wilson now has that elite receiver and the Seahawks have the perfect balance on offense. The team makes a third straight Super Bowl appearance after winning the NFC.
Worst Case: Losing Byron Maxwell hurts the secondary a lot. Now teams can abuse the side where Sherman isn’t and the Seahawks take a step back on defense. Kam Chancellor’s contract issues continue and he doesn’t suit up for a while in 2015 (he will eventually). Seattle has a tough schedule: they play the AFC North and the NFC North as well as the NFC division winners. Seattle barely misses the playoffs due to tiebreak after a 10-6 finish.
Arizona Cardinals
Best Case: Carson Palmer returns and Arizona looks like a lot it did the first half of the 2014 season. Bruce Arians has a beautiful offense and Palmer has plenty of weapons to work with. If he stays healthy, and so does Andre Ellington, this could be a special team. Patrick Peterson returns to dominant form and the Cardinals win the NFC West at 12-4.
Worst Case: Carson Palmer shows signs of aging after coming off of ACL surgery and struggles in Arians’ vertical offense. Fitzgerald shows signs of slowing down and the team struggles in a tough division. The Cardinals finish 7-9 and cannot post their third straight winning record.
Saint Louis Rams
Best Case: The Rams have been missing offensive weapons their past seasons to complement their stellar defense. In 2015, the Rams finally achieve balance. Nick Foles solves the Rams problem at quarterback as he makes full use of the speed and youth of the Saint Louis receiving core. First-round draft choice Todd Gurley returns healthy by week three at the latest and rumbles through the NFL in his rookie year to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. All the close games Saint Louis has lost to division rivals in the past few years are no longer, as the Rams win the NFC West at 11-5.
Worst Case: Nick Foles looks lost and the Rams receivers cannot get open for him. Gurley’s recovery takes a step backwards and he is delayed more weeks than the Rams can afford. The team watches another wasted year of a dominant defense where the team struggles to put points on the board. A 6-10 finish has this team likely moving to Los Angeles.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell, right, runs with the ball after a pass interception as San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller, left, tries to make the stop in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
