NFL: Preview NFC West: A new balance of power?

The NFC West comes along as a miracle bag before the start of the coming season: The Los Angeles Rams have upgraded strongly, but there are still some question marks as to whether they can simply continue last year’s season. The 49ers are well on their way back as a playoff team, while the Seahawks and Cardinals are in upheaval. But it could go faster than once thought.

Balance 2017: 8-8.

Most important additions: QB Sam Bradford, QB Josh Rosen, OG Justin Pugh, WR Christian Kirk, S Tre Boston.

Most important retirements: QB Carson Palmer, DB Tyrann Mathieu, CB Tramon Williams, OLB Kareem Martin, WR John Brown, WR Jaron Brown.

Arizona could surprise some teams in the coming season as the core of the team still brings a lot of elite quality even after a drastic upheaval. In David Johnson the Cardinals get back one of the two or three best running backs and probably the most versatile back of the league, which will shape Arizona’s offense significantly. Larry Fitzgerald and Sam Bradford are a solid receiver quarterback duo, D.J. Humphries, Mike Iupati and Justin Pugh form a good line structure.

The offense will not be as explosive as under Bruce Arians – even last year the cards had all three (!) quarterbacks (Palmer, Stanton, Gabbert) in the top 10 as far as Average Intended Air Yards per pass are concerned. Under Mike McCoy more horizontal pass concepts will be introduced, which should relieve the line and put Fitzgerald and Kirk well in scene. The defense, on the other hand, will remain similarly aggressive, despite a new basic formation and a different coverage approach.

Under the new head coach Steve Wilks, last year the Carolina Panthers’ defence flashed most often (44 percent) on first-down passes together with Houston, third most (41 percent) on second-down passes and second most (48 percent) on third-down passes.

This fits Arizona’s approach of the last few years, it will be interesting to see how Wilks implements his zone coverage concepts behind it. The pass rush with Chandler Jones, returning Markus Golden and the up-and-coming Olsen Pierre and Vontarrius Dora should be dangerous even without Blitzing.

The answer to this is not difficult to construct. Arizona should have an above-average line in run-blocking, in pass protection it might look quite different again.

Sam Bradford’s long and serious medical record is no secret, so the Cardinals run the risk that Josh Rosen will have to go behind a fragile line prematurely and with a receiving corps consisting almost entirely of question marks except for Larry Fitzgerald. Humphries, Iupati and Pugh also had to fight with injuries again and again in the past years.

However, the defense still has a lot of potential, but first has to implement a drastic change of pattern. The linebacker corps is under special observation, while the second cornerback spot next to Patrick Peterson is once again a construction site and the team will start with a rookie head coach.

The Cardinals are in a year of transition. The defensive talent is enormous, while one hopes to have finally found a long-term quarterback answer in Josh Rosen. Arizona could turn around quickly, but the construction sites will be even more noticeable in the coming season. About six victories seem to be the maximum. Forecast: 4th place in the division.

Page 1: Arizona Cardinals

Page 2: Los Angeles Rams

Page 3: San Francisco 49ers

Page 4: Seattle Seahawks