[ad_1]
NFC West preview: Which team has the best chance to win the division?
SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports’ Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the expectations for each team in the NFC West this season.
USA TODAY
The Arizona Republic’s Dana Scott takes a look at all 16 teams in the NFC ahead of the 2021-22 season.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
The Kliff Kingsbury Experiment enters its third year and has incrementally shown progress since it started in 2019 with a 5-10 record and 8-8 the following year. But the Cardinals were supposed to make the playoffs last year after a 6-3 start and expectations are even higher this year. Quarterback Kyler Murray’s emergence into the MVP candidate conversation and one of the league’s top receivers win DeAndre Hopkins developed the Cardinals into high profile free agency attraction, with the off-season additions of aging veterans A.J. Green, Rodney Hudson and J.J. Watt (all over 30 years old).
Seattle Seahawks
Last season’s NFC West champion Seahawks dealt with acrimony between the team’s management and Russell Wilson’s alleged dislike for team’s offense sparked widespread speculation about the quarterback’s future with the team. He led them to a 12-4 record and had early signs of an MVP-worthy campaign last season. The Seahawks have new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to lead with its weapons in wide receivers DK Metcalf, Freddie Swain and Tyler Lockett. Plus, the NFL’s highest-paid safety Jamal Adams will lead their secondary as it tries to develop its Legion of Doom 2.0 defense.
Los Angeles Rams
Rams head coach Sean McVay and the team’s management will soon find out if they made the right decision wagering the team’s future on the 33-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford. They missed the playoffs last year, and traded their four-year starting QB Jared Goff, who led the Rams to the 2019 Super Bowl. Also, they added their 2021 third-round draft pick and two first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 for the regular season-statistical darling Stafford, who’s never played in a playoff game, in the package. However, they could continue to have the league’s highest-scoring offense like last season at 23.3 points per game, and ranked first in defense. Rams starting running back Cam Akers will miss the entire 2021 season from a torn Achilles, but they have have Jake Funk, Darrell Henderson and newly acquired power back Sony Michel step up for TD rushes when they’re in the red zone. Plus, the Rams have Aaron Donald, the league’s best defensive player who’s No. 2-ranked overall in the NFL Top 100.
San Francisco 49ers
The return of Jimmy Garropolo and rookie Trey Lance are 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s starting QB dilemma. Despite leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl LIV in 2020, Garropolo is in a precarious position. He has to prove he can stay healthy after missing 17 games from when he initially signed with the team as the league’s highest-paid QB in 2017, and missing 10 games last year. After missing the 2020 playoffs, and if they want to level up in the NFL’s toughest division, the 49ers need a solid defense led by their best pass rusher Nick Bosa, who tore his ACL in Week 2 last season.
More: 2022 Super Bowl odds for every NFL team: Who will win Super Bowl 56?
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Brady Bunch is back at full strength this season with a bevy of top returning offensive and defensive players following its Super Bowl victory on its homefield, the only in NFL history to do so. BetOnline has the Buccaneers holding the second-best odds behind the Kansas City Chiefs to win their second consecutive league title, led by the 44-year-old GOAT Tom Brady and head coach Bruce Arians’ air attack-style offense (Bucs ranked second in passing offense behind the Chiefs in 2020). They had the NFL’s third-best offense last season, and top rushing defense which allowed just 80.6 yards per game in that category.
New Orleans Saints
After throwing 121 touchdowns and 88 interceptions in 70 starts in his first five pro years as a Buccaneer, and being the Saints’ third-string QB last season, Jameis Winston has earned the starting QB job over the team’s dual threat Taysom Hill. Winston made just 11 regular season passes last season, but head coach Sean Payton had a QB duel between them this preseason, rather than the money speaking for the dual-threat Hill, 31, whom the Saints signed to a four-year, $140 million extension compared to Winston’s $12 million for one-year deal, both in March, after future Hall of Fame QB Brees retired that month. Also, RB Alvin Kamara is poised for another solid year as one of the league’s top rushers, and they’ll have to fill WR Michael Thomas’ void after he underwent ankle surgery in July. The Saints defense lost several key players during the off-season, as tackle David Onyemata serving a six-game league suspension, and their 2020 sacks leader Trey Hendrickson exited in free agency.
Atlanta Falcons
This is the first full season of head coach Arthur Smith after he replaced Dan Quinn following a 0-5 start and 4-12 finish last season, missing the playoffs each of the last three seasons. Atlanta traded one of the league’s top wide receivers Julio Jones, 32, to the Tennesee Titans and its young receivers in Calvin Ridley and rookie tight end Kyle Pitts could help bring Atlanta out of obscurity. Plus, the Falcons didn’t draft a young QB in April, indicating they are sticking with former MVP Matt Ryan, 36, as their starter with three years left on his five-year, $150 million deal. Ryan and Smith will need to also resolve their clock management in blowing second-half leads and scoring woes to re-enter the postseason. The Falcons were among the NFL’s six worst teams in red zone scoring percentage at 53.4% last season, and had the lowest passing defense.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have been in rebuilding mode for a while, and this season doesn’t look any different. They traded three of their 2021 and 2022 draft picks for former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, who was the No. 3 overall pick in 2018,. The Panthers have gone through Cam Newton, Taylor Heinicke, Scottsdale Desert Mountain alum Kyle Allen, Will Grier, Teddy Bridgewater, and P.J. Walker as they’ve missed the playoff for the past three seasons.
More: NFL Week 1 odds: Money lines, point spreads, over/under for every game
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
The NFC East was NFL’s weakest division last year. The Cowboys second-year head coach Mike McCarthy could lead them to the postseason if QB Dak Prescott, their top receiver Amari Cooper and All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliot stay injury-free after going 6-10 last season. Also, their defense is now led by coordinator Dan Quinn with a deep linebacking roster could help the Cowboys get back to playoff contention.
New York Giants
Giants fourth-year running back and best player Saquon Barkley is returning from a torn ACL in the team’s 2020 season opener. Everyone knew Barkley would be the face of Big Blue when New York made him the No. 2 overall pick in 2018, and he set a litany of league and Giants rushing records (he eclipsed 1,300 rushing yards) that year toward NFC Offensive Player of the Year honors, but hasn’t played a full season since then. questions still surround quarterback Daniel Jones, the sixth overall pick in 2019. He led the league in fumbles the last two seasons. That’s partially because of the Giants offensive line issues protecting the pocket. Coming off a 6-10 record last year, the Giants have a strong chance get the NFC East title with WRs Kenny Golladay, rookie stud Kadarius Toney from Florida and tight end Kyle Rudolph as great options.
Washington Football Team
Second-year defensive end and 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young is the undoubted leader of this team. Washington is seemingly headed in the right direction after many years of on-field mediocrity and off-field scandals in front office. Washington had the fourth-best defense in the league last season, and won the NFC East with the fourth-best scoring offense in the NFL, all while holding a 7-9 losing record. Similar to its own team nickname, Washington is head coach Ron Rivera is still figuring out their starting quarterback after releasing QB Dwayne Haskins, Alex Smith’s retirement, and 17-year journeyman and Gilbert Highland product Ryan Fitzpatrick being the possible bridge QB to work his Fitzmagic until it might run out.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles aren’t expected to play like flightless birds this season. Philadelphia had an abysmal 4-11 record last year, the NFC East’s worst record. The team fired former head coach Doug Pederson, who led the Eagles to their Super Bowl LII victory in 2018, and replaced him with rookie head coach Nick Sirianni. The Eagles didn’t have much cap room to shop in the free agency market after they traded QB Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts in March and are taking a $34 million cap hit in dead money from his contract.
More: NFL Week 1 schedule: Cowboys vs. Buccaneers starts first week, Ravens vs. Raiders ends it
NFC North
Green Bay Packers
The unhappiness and requested trade by Aaron Rodgers was the NFL’s biggest story during the off-season. Whether the reigning NFL MVP’s frustration is with the team’s management or coaching staff, or the media chatter about the team’s selecting QB Jordan Love in the 2020 Draft, he eventually returned to training camp ready and could lead another Packers run to the NFC championship game like last season. They had the best offense in the league last season, and two of the league’s most electrifying players in WR DaVante Adams and RB Aaron Jones.
Chicago Bears
One of the Bears’ ongoing issues is their team identity. They have one of the top pass rushers Khalil Mack, but they have had much trouble drawing free agents to help him on the defensive line. On offense, the Bears are looking to get a restart with two bridge quarterbacks Andy Dalton, Nick Foles and a potential stud Justin Fields, who was the No. 11 overall draft pick in April. Fields had some flashes showcasing his mobility in the pocket and rushing talents in the preseason like he did when he led Ohio State to two consecutive college football playoff appearances over the past two years. But the big question is whether they have the offensive line to protect their QBs and get downhill, as they ranked second to last among all teams in conversion last year.
Detroit Lions
The only thing that’s draw eyes to the Lions heading into the regular season are two things: first-year head coach’s vague answers with WWE wrestler-style bombast to his plans for the team in press conferences; Jared Goff being traded from the Rams to the Motor City. The “Goff-ense” era in Detroit begins with as a rebuliding year, but that’s typical for the Lions, which haven’t advanced past the Wild Card playoff round in 30 years. But you’ll see them play on Thanksgiving outside of regional TV coverage per usual.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings should be heavily reliant again on their ground game after boasting the NFL’s fifth-best rushing offense, mainly behind RB Dalvin Cook. He had a career year in 2020 racking up over 1557 yards and was second in that category behind Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry’s 2027. Plus they have superstar-in-the-making Justin Jefferson, who set an NFL rookie record last year surpassing 1400 receiving yards and was named to the Pro Bowl. But the Vikings defense needs vast improvement on the edge following from their franchise-low 23 sacks in 2020.
Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.
Support local journalism. Start your online subscription today.
[ad_2]
Source link