NEOSI Previews the NFL’s NFC from Top to Bottom Heading Into 2016

NFC West

1.) Arizona Cardinals 13-3

The Arizona Cardinals finally had a chance to show what they were capable of last year having Carson Palmer for the playoffs. Their run ended in bitter defeat after getting blown out by Carolina in the NFC Championship. Overall they still have one of the best teams in the NFL. David Johnson emerged as an elite RB and their WRs are probably the best in football. Combine that with a strong defense that added Chandler Jones and Arizona should pick up right where they left off.

2.) Seattle Seahawks 12-4

A weak division is the best beneficiary for Seattle. The Marshawn Lynch era is finally over and while it looks like Thomas Rawls will be the next RB, some uncertainty remains. The offense was wildly inconsistent in 2015 too. After a slow start, they were red hot down the stretch. Which offense shows up in 2016 is yet to be determined. The strong defense and the home advantage will propel Seattle back into the playoffs.

3.) LA Rams 4-12

The Rams might now be playing in Los Angeles but the talent on the roster is still lacking. Offensively the team has nothing outside of Todd Gurley. Teams will load the box to shut him down and force whoever the Rams have at QB to beat them. The defense also took some losses in free agency. The still have one of the best defensive lines but outside of that there is a lot of work to be done.

4.) San Francisco 49ers 3-13

The Chip Kelly experiment failed in Philadelphia and I don’t see it succeeding in San Francisco either. The 49ers are a bad football team. Colin Kaepernick has drawn controversy over the National Anthem and Torrey Smith is about the only WR they have. Defensively they lack a lot of talent as well. The Harbaugh exodus brought the team from a Super Bowl contender to a rebuilding team.

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