This is another division where I didn’t cover myself in glory. By my own admission it was the one that I struggled with most, but my call of Seattle and Arizona as a wildcard. The Seahawks were appalling, and the 49ers finished strongly to take second but were way short of the playoffs.

Graham did well though, calling the Cards as divisional winners and 49ers as runners up but missing the playoffs. Nice work.

What will happen this year?

Seattle Seahawks

Jim Mora stepped up as head coach at the beginning of last season, and things started going wrong almost immediately. They were unable to make a long-term deal with linebacker Leroy Hill and he and many others – such as Bobby Engrams and Julian Peterson – were lost to free agency or to other clubs. A promising pre-season and a shutout against the Rams in week one set a high mood, but that was to be the only week the ‘Hawks would have a winning record in the season. The eventually limped home to 5-11 on a 4 game losing streak. There were some bright spots, such as tight-end and fantasy football hero John Carlson, but overall it was a season to forget.

Mora was fired shortly after the season end and Pete Carroll has been given another shot at the NFL. There were other changes in the front office and as is the way with a new head coach there were many changes to the rest of the coaching staff. With the 6th and 14th picks in the NFL Draft Russell Okung and Earl Thomas come in to address obvious needs, LenDale White and Kevin Dickerson came in from the Titans.

This is a team that is better set than last season, when there were questions in a number of areas, but there remains a big question mark over Pete Carroll’s NFL credentials. He does have a winning record, but is considered by many to be better suited for the college game in terms of his style and man-management abilities. If he can control the team, earn their respect and get them playing for him then this team could again take the division. That’s a big IF at the moment though.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers finished the season much better than they ended it. After restructuring his contract and then losing the starting role to Shaun Hill, Alex Smith regained the position halfway through the season and got better as he went. Shaun Hill has now left for the Lions and the talk coming out of the Niners camp that Smith more of a leader than ever and the offense is excited to have him. For the first time in a while, the 49ers will have the same offensive coach for more than a single season and that will only server them well. The line has been improved with first round picks Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati. Ted Ginn Jr also joined from the Dolphins and will be looking to kick on a promising career that had stalled. Add in Vernon Davis’ growing maturity and production and Frank Gore and you have a unit to be wary of.

Defensively this was a great unit, as you would expect from a Mike Singletary team, and only the Ravens, Cowboys and Jets allowed fewer points. Taylor Mays, one of Pete Carroll’s Trojans and once described as being faster than Chris Johnson, comes in to bolster the secondary. This unit otherwise has seen little change.

There’s definitely a feeling of optimism around San Francisco, and with doubts about the Cardinals and the Rams.. well, the Rams being the Rams they are strong contenders in an admittedly weak division.

We’ll be watching closely as they are the designated home-team for the NFL International Series game in London this year. They’ll take on the Broncos at Wembley Stadium (where Ted Ginn Jr could become the first player to score two TDs at Wembley) in late October.

Arizona Cardinals

The big question in Arizona is can Matt Leinart step up and lead the team. Kurt Warner retired this off-season and I don’t think there’s a single fan in the world who would wish him anything but the best. Leinart was taken with the 10th overall pick of the 2006 Draft, after Vince Young and one pick ahead of Jay Cutler. His maturity has been questioned at times, but it could be that he’ll have learned from the time on the sidelines… it could well pay off in an Aaron Rodgers style way. However he plays, he’ll be doing so without Anquan Boldin as a target. Big Boldin is now plying his trade in Baltimore.

Kerry Rhodes will attempt to help a secondary that was incapable of stopping the ball towards the end of last year. The draft gave them defensive end Dan Williams, who has improved the line straight away but this unit really struggled in the post-season last year, giving up 45 points in successive games and going out. They’ll have to improve on that against the top quarterbacks to do well this season.

I said this last year, but I think it’s more appropriate this… I see them struggling this season and I can’t see them in the post-season at all.

St. Louis Rams

The only way is up for the Rams. Let’s be honest about that.

Everyone saw them taking Sam Bradford in the draft and sure enough they did. He goes straight in as starter and it’ll be great to see him in action, as long as he’s not getting sacked left right and centre. Steven Jackson remains an outright stud out of the backfield and his production in the last few years has been nothing short of stunning but this team has had problems all over the place.

Coach Spagnuolo has said he was pleased with the effort shown last season and I can’t say that I ever saw the Rams quit in what must have been difficult times. Beyond that though… I’m going to watch the pre-season develop but I can’t look to anyone else to come in 4th here.

Predictions (made 27th May 2010)

Thumbnail Credit: Alfred Benway

M&T Stadium, Baltimore

Well, the draft is over and the mini-camps are getting underway. Figured I’d wait until this point to give my opinion on the last few months, well, as a Raven anyway.

The Anquan Boldin Trade:
This really did take me by surprise. I could see us trading for a solid wide receiver, but to be honest I never really expected it to be Boldin. A pleasant surprise by all means though. Boldin really is a quality player. He may have had a few injuries lately but his effort and his production is nothing to be dismissed. I really can’t wait to see him in the Purple of Baltimore. He came at a pretty reasonable price too. A 3^rd and 4^th round draft pick? Bargain, especially since we recouped those by trading down in the draft.

Off-Season pick ups:
We’ve picked up a couple of notable players this year so far. Let’s start with wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth, a player with his share of controversy to say the least. Now, I won’t pretend that I know all the details of his past, but according to the law he has now served his time, he is showing genuine remorse and he wants to make up for what he did. That’s all I need to know. He’s come in looking as quick as he was, he’s been making some good plays with Flacco in training and he is still looking sharp. I’m looking forward to see if he can reproduce this on the field, he definitely gives us a solid option for a pretty minimal cost.

New Raven Boldin

Secondly, we picked up defensive tackle Cory Redding from the Seahawks. A good move after we lost Dwan Edwards to the Bills. He can produce, he’s shown he can. Last season wasn’t his best and I believe he only started 3-4 games for Seattle, but in 7 years he has picked up 18 sacks. He’s a big guy, 6’4” and over 290lbs, but he is versatile and quick on his feet. I expect him to take some downs off Pryce to keep him fresh and mix it up a bit. Redding signed a 2 year contract so let’s see what he can do as Raven.

Ed Reed:
Will he retire, won’t he retire? Well I certainly hope he doesn’t! Ed is an amazing talent who has been hit with injury as of late. So bad there is talk of him calling it a day. Latest reports say he has undergone surgery to try and rectify this problem, hopefully a sign that he isn’t quite giving up just yet. If this is true, and it all goes to plan then I can’t wait to see what he does next year. Ed Reed is a game changer, and you just know the opposition offence hate it when he is playing, and playing well.

I

Re-Signs:
Biggest re-sign of the off-season is definitely Derek Mason. The man is still in amazing shape, more so than probably half the NFL players, and he is 36. He still has his pace, he still has good hands, and he still has that smile on his face when he plays. A 2 year contract hopefully means he will be retiring as a Raven.

Draft:
I’d say the trading down from the first round surprised me, but it didn’t. What DID surprise me is what we got for it and for who the traders got with our pick. Still, it worked out really well; we got 3^rd and 4^th round picks back which means effectively we got Boldin for peanuts. Anyway, here is a breakdown of the picks for the Ravens from the 2010 draft.

Sergio Kindle (OLB) – Pick 43 – A potential 1^st round pick taken in the 2^nd round. Great pick in my eyes. Kindle can slot nicely into the Ravens formation and go straight to work. There was a bit of talk about his knee but it looks like no work is needed. This is probably why he didn’t go in the 1^st round.

Terrence Cody (DT) – Pick 57 – ‘Mount’ Cody as he is known to his friends. This guy is huge and I’m very excited to see him in the Purple of Baltimore. A lot of talk about his weight, but I have no problems putting faith in the Ravens staff to keep him fit and healthy. This bloke can destroy offences.

Ed Dickson (TE) – Pick 70 – The first of 2 Tight Ends taken in succession by Ozzie. Ed is a more traditional ‘block’ tight end. He’s athletic, big frame and can make a catch or two if needed. Would work well and gives Flacco a target who might work himself into some space.

Dennis Pitta (TE) – Pick 114 – The second of 2 Tight Ends. Pitta is more of a receiving tight end. He’s quick, he’s got amazing hands and he can run routes well, probably more of a wide receiver, definitely an exciting player to watch. Flacco will be rubbing his hands together with all these targets for him to hit.

David Reed (WR) – Pick 156 – Didn’t see us picking a wide receiver in this draft but I can see why Ozzie has picked him. He’s a young talent with good potential, and he’ll be practicing with Anquan Boldin and Derek Mason, who better could be learning from? I can see him probably getting a couple of downs, possibly in the slot.

Arthur Jones (DT) – Pick 157 – Jones is a big defensive tackle, i’m actually shocked that he made it all the way down to the 5th round. 6’3″ and 300lbs, but he’s quick and he hits hard. I don’t think he’ll be in the team straight away, but he might play a bit part of a few downs to give the other guys a rest.

Ramon Harewood (OL) – Pick 194 – This guy is interesting. He is basically a raw product, but at 6’6″ and 340lbs i’m sure we can do something with him. The guy is massive, a giant, he’s got decent speed for his height and weight (think he ran just over 5.0 in the 40yd dash), so let’s get him settled and get him working at the camp. He’s got drive to succeed so let’s help him reach his potential and scare some opposition.

The one thing I would have liked us to do is pick up a good corner, and I think most Ravens would agree. That didn’t happen but Ozzie did make some great moves in the draft. He hasn’t gone wrong yet and I trust that he will be looking at this position over the course of the remaining off-season. In Ozzie we trust.

Optimism:

Overall I have to say I am very pleased with the way things have gone so far. We have definitely improved in positions we needed to improve in and we have some quality young talent on the roster. We had a good campaign last season that ended too early and with the additions we have made I can’t help but think that we’ll be challenging not only for the Divisional win, but for a Superbowl ring once more.

Image Credits:
M&T Stadium: kevygee
Boldin: xoque
Ed Reed: Keith Allison
Cheerleader: Keith Allison, again.

These are based on what we’ve been watching, what we’ve been following, some blind faith and our guts. These are are our predictions for the 12 post-season teams of the 2009 season.

This topic and tables will be locked and not edited once it is published. It will then be used for mocking, gloating, fighting (and probably crying) throughout the course of the season. We’ll come back to this every few weeks to carry out at least one of the above acts.

Andrew’s Predictions

NFC
If you’ve been following my First and Second look articles, then there shouldn’t be any surprises here.

In the NFC, I have the Giants topping the east. I’m hoping that the Redskins can surprise me here and edge a playoff spot, but I don’t really see it. In the west, I’m calling Seattle after a lot of deliberation. I’m also giving a wildcard spot to the Arizona Cardinals, in one of the divisions I’ve struggled with the most. The North is just as bad, I’m going with Green Bay. I’d really have liked longer to make a call on the Vikings’ prospects but here we are…

Finally from one of the hardest to one of the easiest: The Panthers to win in the south.

The final NFC wildcard is very tricky. It’s between the Falcons and the Eagles and as much as I hate to go against the Falcons, I can’t see the NFC East not sending at least two teams. So I’m going with the Eagles.

AFC
Things are easier in the AFC. A little bit, anyway – I see all four divisions as two-horse races

The Pats to take win the AFC East. I’m taking a gamble here (of a sort) that Brady is back to something like his best, but I’m confident with it. I see the Titans edging out the Colts in the south, though I’m putting the Colts in the wildcard mix and they can never be counted out.

The north will see the Ravens as winners, beating the Steelers into second – this will be a close division though. Finally the west will crown the Chargers, because… well, because there’s really no-one else there who can mount a serious challenge.

The wildcard spot is a three-way battle (sorry Denver) between the Steelers, Dolphins and Colts. Like last year, I see a valiant AFC East team being left out – the Steelers and the Colts going into the post-season. I’m sorry Graham, I don’t see the Dolphins there… but at least the ‘Skins won’t be there either!
I wish there was room for the Texans, but I don’t see it this year.

Graham on Andrew’s Predictions…
Not much to disagree with here (other than the Dolphins not making the play offs). I have gone with some different choices, but it is difficult to predict at this early stage.  It will be interesting to see what our readers think, I am sure there are a few who could beat us hands down.

[table id=11 /]

Graham’s Predictions

NFC
In the East I can see the Dallas Cowboys being bouyed by their new home and looking for a good season to overcome the tragic events at their practice facility. Can they beat the NY Giants in the NFC East? Well I don’t think so, but I do see them taking one of the wildcard spots.

Heading to the North I am going with the Green Bay Packers.  I also think the arrival of Jay Cutler at the Bears will bring some improvement, but not enough for a wildcard.

In the south I have to agree with Andrew on the Panthers.  I am hoping for a good season from Tampa Bay though as I am hoping for a great game at Wembley Stadium this year.  It is a Bucs’ home game so – sorry Pats fans – I will be supporting them.

Finally to the NFC West.  I am going with Arizona.  I am looking for some 49ers improvement this season and was tempted to pick them as my second wildcard, but I think it will be out of reach this time.

With the above in mind, my second wildcard pick goes to the Atlanta Falcons.

AFC
Starting in the East, I am going to upset Pats fans again here.  I would agree that Tom Brady is the best, but he is not Superman.  A year off will leave him hungry but maybe a bit rusty.  Miami will be looking to build on last years amazing improvement and now have a team strong enough to do even more damage.  Yes they have a tough schedule, but I still see them taking the AFC East again with the Pats in a wildcard spot.

In the North I am also going with the Ravens. I also think the South will be as Andrew predicted with the Titans winning and the Colts taking the second wildcard.

In the West the Raiders should storm it… only joking. Sadly I can see the Raiders taking the Lions’ place as also-rans this season, things seem far from settled in Oakland.  The Chargers should wrap the West up without too much trouble.

Andrew on Graham’s Predictions…
I think you’re letting your heart rule your head re: Miami and I think the Steelers won’t make the mistakes of a few years ago and will be in the post-season in some way.

I’m glad you’ve picked Atlanta though. I only just left them out

I have Dallas battling the Washington for 3rd place in the NFC East too, so I’m not sure about that. Otherwise it’s hard to argue with your picks. Like you said: I bet there are readers who could beat us. They should be writing these articles!

[table id=12 /]

In the QB battles…

Matthew Stafford struggled against Cleveland, being out-performed by Daunte Culpepper and also by Drew Stanton. On the other side of the field, Derek Anderson was given more attempts and moved the ball well but threw an interception. Brady Quinn only had a handful of attempts, so it’s hard to judge him.

So Culpepper moves in front in Detroit, but probably still too early to call in Cleveland yet.

The Indianapolis Colts did well against an under-strength Eagles. The question of how they’d adjust to the coaching changes seems to be being answered with “Just fine, thanks.”

Matt Cassel looked like a starter again against the Vikings, but most people were watching for another new QB: Brett Favre didn’t play much, but just seeing him in purple was strange. Tarvaris Jackson had a great game, and with rumours circulating that he could be released he reminded everyone out there that sometimes, he’s a decent option.

Elsewhere…

Miami looked good all around against the Carolina Panthers too. Our favourites Ronnie Brown and DeAngelo Williams both did well.

San Diego looked very good against the Cardinals, besting them on both sides of the ball. Of course it’s hard to read too much into these games, but our predictions looked true from this game. The same could apply to the Seahawks who also looked very nice against the Broncos. Kyle Orton looked better – a lot better – than he did last week. So did Jay Cutler in his Soldier Field debut.

The Redskins looked better, but still not great. The 17-13 win over the Steelers papers over the cracks a bit but still… no panic yet.

Chad Ochocinco is the star this week. The frankly bonkers receiver performed some kicking duties this week against the Patriots. He converted a PAT, and also kick-off that went at least a par distance. Watch it at nfl.com.

It’s great to see him enjoying himself.

Well, there have been a whole load of injuries… here are just some that could have wider impact.

Note that this update does not cover the four games that took place on the 13th August.

Rams’ wideout Donnie Avery is out for up to 6 weeks with a fracture in his foot. He’ll probably miss the games at the Seahawks and the Redskins. As their presumed #1 receiver, that could hurt them in a couple of difficult road games. The Rams beat the ‘Skins last year, largely on the back of thier mid-season coaching change. So I’m pleased to see them weakened even a little.

Steve Smith has a shoulder injury which will keep him out a little while. Bad news for the Panthers, who’ll be hoping it’s not too long. Another injured receiver is Antonio Bryant of the London-bound Bucs. He’s due to miss the whole of the pre-season, but hopes to be ready for week one. If he misses that game against the Eagles, then the week two divisional matchup with the Falcons is a good target.

Speaking of the Falcons… Roddy White is back and training after a short holdout for a new contract. And, oh my, he’s getting paid a fair whack to be Matt Ryan‘s main target. Even missing 8 days, you’d have to think he’ll be up to speed and raring to go.

Tarvaris Jackson is back with the Vikings after an injury forced him to sit out for a few days. That might affect his competition with Sage Rosenfels. I’ve also realised that I’ve been spelling his first name wrong for a while now… I think I’ve got it sorted now though.

Dallas Clark is still suffering with a concussion, so will rest up as needed in the pre-season. Expect to see him raring to go come the regular season. With him out and Marvin Harrison not about the Colts need a receiver to step up to support Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzales.

The Saints are looking to add a veteran linebacker or two: Derrick Brooks and Derek Smith both have work outs this week. Mark Simoneau is heading for surgery, so if one of them gets a spot they could be giving depth that he can’t anymore.

Texans’ rookie linebacker (and announced starter) Brian Cushing is also due to miss some games. Gary Kubiak has shown some skill with protecting rookie players and getting most out of them. We expect the same here.

There have been five pre-season games now, and a whole load more are happening this weekend. We’ll take another look at who’s doing well or got injured once those are out of the way.

(Take a look at the First Look… to refresh your memory of our initial thoughts)

After some half-hearted flirting with other teams, Kurt Warner is back. Of course, he was never going anywhere and he played it straight, as is his way. It’ll be interesting to see if Leinart gets a shot this season, either through injury or bad showings from Warner. He’s shown flashes during his cameos, and will one day – he hopes – need to lead the team.
If Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin can be kept on the field at the same time, then with Breaston the receiving threat this team offers is a real as anywhere else in the league.

A healthy Steven Jackson is critical to the Rams

I talked about the Seahawks in my article about the soon-to-start Training Camps, where I admit that I was a little optimistic about their chances. I still fancy them, but think that it’s going to be a lot closer than I said before.

San Francisco have still got to sort out their quarterback situation, and that sort of uncertainty for any teams pulls the rankings down a little bit. We also have to remember that this is a unit that came on very strongly over the second half of the season, going 5-3 where they were only 2-6 in the first half.
Rookie Glen Coffee will be in place to spell Frank Gore, giving them a Smash and Smash approach to running the ball. Explosive receiver Michael Crabtree will be a real deep threat once they get him playing, and is one reason I see the battle between Shaun Hill and Alex Smith going Smith’s way.

Summary
This is becoming a three-way battle at the top with Seattle, Arizona and San Francisco competing for the division. Ask me tomorrow, and I’ll probably say something different. But today I’m leaving it as it is. I am very close to moving the 49ers into 2nd, but without a named QB I hesitate.
I’m also pretty close to moving the Cards above the Seahawks, but haven’t seen enough from them yet.
So it’s no changes.
[table id=4 /]

These are four questions that I’m hoping to learn more about. Because they’re interesting, and because they’ll likely affect my NFL predictions.

Will the Bengals receivers stay looking strong?
Coles, Ochocinco and Henry are all looking good so far. I’ve previously had digs are all three of these guys, but the early signs are that they are all in the mood and shape to make plays. Give a healthy Carson Palmer these three to throw to, include Andre Caldwell, and the chances are that good things will happen with this team.

Last year the Bengals averaged only 150 passing yards a game (a rank of 30th) but were straight last in points per game. Of course, they were pretty poor running the ball too, and there are many small issues to address, but willing and able receivers are a big positive. They remain in a tough division, but could easily do more than just play spoiler to the Ravens and Steelers.

Who will be the Lions starting QB
We’ve talked about this one before, but it’s still interesting.

Which one will it be come week 1?

As ever this time of year, there are a number of teams who have decisions to make (the Jets, Browns, possibly the Vikings) and some that do-but-don’t-really (the Dolphins, the Chiefs).

The financial commitment shown to Stafford means he’s the undoubted future of the team, and he’ll play a part this season. However, there is always the desire to protect a rookie QB; to let them grow into the role, to learn the system and the intangibles that are necessary to lead a team. But he’s come straight into the team and impressed his coaches and teammates immediately. He could be ready to go from week 1.

From there, it looks like an easy decision. However Culpepper is doing his best to make the decision tough: He’s impressing too, he’s lost weight, is looking fit, mobile and motivated, and wants to play.

Whoever starts is in the unique position that they cannot possibly do any worse than last year, however I’m sure they’re both setting their targets a little higher than 1 or 2 wins.

Will Seattle be able to reclaim the NFC West?

TJ Houshmandzadeh, one of the new Seahawks

Last year for the Seahawks was awful by any standard, but atrocious for them. Looking for their fifth divisional title, things started badly and got worse. Injuries to Matt Hasselbeck affected the team across the season. Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace and Charlie Frye were all largely ineffectual.
Other injuries, such as the nine games Patrick Kerney missed, hurt them elsewhere. This was a team on the back foot for most of the year.

Whether the team was harmed by all knowing it was Holgrem’s last year as coach cannot be said for sure, but Jim Mora has come in and made sweeping changes across the staff. New coordinators on both sides of the ball, new coaches all over the place. This is a team that knows it needs to make changes, and is addressing that aggressively. The playing staff too have seen a high turnover.

My First Look at the NFC West had the Seahawks taking 1st place back. I may have been a bit optimistic on their behalf, but I still see them as this year’s turnaround team. This team will compete in the division, but it’ll be closer than I’ve made it sound in that article.

How strong is that sense of unity coming out of Dallas?
As a Redskins fan, I always worry about the strength in the NFC East. Last year – Washington aside – Dallas were the weakest link, with many things seeming to go wrong come the end of the season. The week 17 44-6 blowout against the Eagles is not only a surprising score, it’s a completely embarrassing one for them. The playoffs beckoned for the winner of that game, yet the whole team seemed to quit.

The departure of Terrell Owens is both a blessing and a curse (much like his arrival is), and it’s widely known and accepted that he’s a difficult but brilliant player. His leaving will change the shape of the offense – they lack a genuine deep threat now, but that’s not a bad thing. It may well be the case that him not being in the locker room will improve morale, and that could be a trade-off worth taking.

The whole team has suffered an horrific scare already, when their practice facility collapsed around and on them. Whilst the paralysis suffered by scouting assistant Rich Behm and the other injuries incurred cannot be forgotten or lessened, even then there were clear signs that the team was working together.

Going into their new stadium (which is very impressive) and with a unity that was missing last year, this team could be a real danger. Not just in the East, but in the NFC as a whole. Of course, they could self-destruct as readily as they have the last two seasons. A big part of me hopes so, a little part… not so much.

The Arizona Cardinals were truly the Cinderalla of last season, and to put it bluntly, those stories don’t repeat. I don’t see them making 9-7 again, and I think they’ll fall behind Seattle in division and probably miss the playoffs. I hope this isn’t the case, but I just think too many things went right last year (or wrong for divisional competition) for them to win out and coast into the playoffs again.

The St. Louis Rams had a terrible year last year, plunging to 2-14. The only reason, I’m sure, they didn’t join the Lions was the coach-change mid-season that immediately gave them two victories agains the NFC East. (at Washington, ggrrr… and against the Cowboys). They should be better all around this year, though they’ve turned over a fair few important players. Defensively this year, with Spagnuolo as the head coach, you would expect more. But more than 2-14 isn’t really saying much… I still don’t see them making a serious dent in this division, other than perhaps a spoiler or two here and there.

The Seattle Seahawks came off a good run of divisional titles and basically fell apart. But there were a lot of reasons for that, and they weren’t blown away that much by the opposition. This year, they’re settled (in terms of coaches) and improved (in terms of players). Everyone’s looking for the ‘turnaround team’ and I think it could well be the Seahawks this year. And unlike 4 of the 5 previous seasons, I think they’ll have earned their place in the post-season.

The San Fancisco 49ers had a good second half of the season and will be looking to carry that onwards to upwards. However, they’re currently not commited to a quarterback and will have Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, Damon Huard and Nate Davis competing to be the starter. Smith has restructured his contract and taken a cut to stay in San Francisco and I’d like to see him make it, but Hill was steady last year and Huard will surely fall into the number three spot.
They’re a difficult team to predict, and I could see them pipping the Cardinals to runner-up, but I don’t see this division sending two teams into the post-season.

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