It's July, the slowest month of the year for the NFL, and it's driving you nuts. You need a fix. A hit. Anything NFL to pull you through the dog days. FanHouse is here to help with an in-depth look at each division that should have you plenty prepared for training camp. We're calling it Summer Scramble, and this afternoon we look at some Burning Questions in the NFC West and offer a ridiculously early prediction.
Will Arizona's defense play like it did in the playoffs? Or in the 2008 regular season?
Only four teams allowed more than the 26.6 points per game the Cardinals surrendered in the regular season last year. That number dropped to 22.3 PPG in the postseason, where Arizona went 3-1 and came within a tail feather of a Super Bowl championship. Free agent defensive back Bryant McFadden, along with draft picks Rashad Johnson and Greg Toler, should help shore up the secondary/ And if second-year defensive end Calais Campbell can step in for free-agent defection Antonio Smith and get some pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the Arizona pass defense should be greatly improved in 2009. In this division, if Arizona improves at all, in any area, that should be enough to get the Cardinals back to the playoffs.
How are the 49ers going to score points?
They don't know who their quarterback is going to be. Their top draft pick, WR Michael Crabtree, isn't in camp yet and is coming off foot surgery. They're working with their seventh different offensive coordinator in seven years. The offensive line gave up 55 sacks last year. It's hard to imagine San Francisco being any kind of serious threat to score through the air. That means it's all going to fall on running back Frank Gore, third-round draft pick Glen Coffee and fullback Moran Norris. The Niners' defense, led by emerging young linebacker Patrick Willis, is good enough to force turnovers and keep the team in games, but somebody's going to have to emerge in the passing game to keep opposing defenses from loading up against the run.
Can Matt Hasselbeck stay healthy in Seattle?
The Seahawks have worked to put the pieces in place around their 33-year-old quarterback, but it's not going to matter if he can't play any more than seven games this year. Seattle believes itself deep at WR with Nate Burleson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch and Deon Butler. They like their running game led by Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett. On defense, they feel they have as strong a linebacking corps as any team in the league, thanks to the addition of first-rounder Aaron Curry and in spite of the loss of Julian Peterson. But it's all going to come down to the healthy and effectiveness of Hasselbeck, whose back and knee problems made 2008 a lost season for him.
Is Steve Spagnuolo enough to make the Rams a good defensive team?
Gonna go with "no" on this one, even though we think very highly of Spagnuolo as a defensive coach and believe he probably has the leadership qualities it will take to make him a good NFL head coach. His problems this year, though, will result from the relative youth and inexperience of the players on his defense. Chris Long should improve under Spagnuolo and new defensive coordinator Ken Flajole. And draft pick James Laurinaitis will provide an upgrade in the linebacking corps. But this is still a defensive unit that has a lot of learning and improvement to do. And with the pathetic offense the Rams feature, they're going to need to be able to keep points off the scoreboard.
RIDICULOUSLY EARLY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. Cardinals (10-6): Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and that electric passing offense are still in place, and the defense should be better. They cruise back into the postseason.
2. 49ers (8-8): Mike Singletary's bunch is a team on the rise, but there's still work to do before they can contend in the NFC.
3. Seahawks (7-9): Hasselbeck could have a big year left in him, but at his age, it's better to bet the other way.
4. Rams: (3-13): They weren't much better last year than the Lions were. This year, they're worse.
Check out the entire Summer Scramble series:
July 7: NFC East Position Battles to Watch
July 8: NFC East Burning Questions and Prediction
July 9: AFC East Position Battles to Watch
July 10: AFC East Burning Questions and Prediction
July 14: NFC North Position Battles to Watch
July 15: NFC North Burning Questions and Prediction
July 16: AFC North Position Battles to Watch
July 17: AFC North Burning Questions and Prediction
July 21: NFC South Position Battles to Watch
July 22: NFC South Burning Questions and Prediction
July 23: AFC South Position Battles to Watch
July 24: AFC South Burning Questions and Prediction
Earlier Today: NFC West Position Battles to Watch
Tomorrow: AFC West Position Battles to Watch
Friday: AFC West Burning Questions and Prediction
