2017 NFC West Preview

It's Wednesday, and we're shifting things over to the West Coast as we continue our preview series for the upcoming NFL season.

Today is day three of eight straight weekdays of going division by division, alternating conferences, until I've hit all 32 NFL teams. So far, we've done both the NFC and AFC North, and no wild card spots are accounted for quite yet. We'll see if that changes today.

Before I get into the previews, I'm making yet another shameless plug for the upcoming season and my continuing Pigskin Pick 'Em series that Adam Quinn will join me for once again. You can come pick against us here.

And now, onto the NFC West.

NFC West

Common opponents on schedule: NFC East, AFC South 

1. Seattle Seahawks
2016: 10-5-1 (1st), lost in NFC Divisional Round

Running back is settled at least for now, with Eddie Lacy taking on the mantle of Beast Mode to take some of the pressure off of Russell Wilson, not that he really needs it. He still has some great weapons like Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, while Jimmy Graham is a question mark in this offense, and the offensive line is a question mark, period. That doesn't change the fact that this defense is still a terrifying force, led by Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett up front while the Legion of Boom remains looming in the secondary. The Seahawks remain a force in the NFC for the foreseeable future.
2017 Prediction: 11-5

2. Arizona Cardinals
2016: 7-8-1 (2nd), missed playoffs

I'd pegged Arizona for a Wild Card last year, but I can't come to grips with what happened. Statistically, they were one of the better teams with a high scoring offense and a pretty good defense. Then I look at the turnover numbers and it makes a little more sense. David Johnson projects to be the top fantasy running back this year, which has to count for something, but I wonder how much both Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald have left in the tank. Their defense is good though, and it has me optimistic that last year was more of a fluke than anything else, and the Cards will be in contention for a playoff spot.
2017 Prediction: 10-6

3. Los Angeles Rams
2016: 4-12 (3rd), missed playoffs

Looking at our first of two NFL teams in Los Angeles that the city doesn't really deserve, I don't know. Sammy Watkins is a decent #1 receiver, but Todd Gurley fell off a cliff last year, and Jared Goff isn't that good. I like their front seven on defense (the were 9th in the league in yards per carry allowed last year), but they give up more than their fair share of points because their offense isn't that good. And yet somehow, they aren't even the worst team in their division. Football is weird.
2017 Prediction: 4-12

4. San Francisco 49ers
2016: 2-14 (4th), missed playoffs

Well, the Niners have some extra draft picks for their rebuild thanks to the Bears overpaying to move up one spot. They get rewarded with former Bears Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley as their quarterbacks, while Pierre Garcon is their top target. Carlos Hyde is an okay running back, but offensively, this team is not going to be very good. I don't see them being much better defensively either after allowing the most points in the league last season and giving the 7th most yards per play. Expect them to be around where they were last year, but without the Colin Kaepernick situation in the background.
2017 Prediction: 2-14