FPC Division Previews: Anyone to Unseat Rams in NFC West?

The Rams unexpectedly emerged as the top dog in the NFC West a season ago, and have since added three All-Pros to their defense. As such, it would seem they head into the 2018 season as the heavy division favorite. That said, all three other teams have at least some reason to be optimistic. This division may overall have more unknowns and intriguing possibilities than any in the league. The FPC editors take a crack at answering some of the questions.

1. Which coach could find themselves on the hot seat by the end of the season? Which coordinator could see his stock rise this season?

Of the four NFC West teams, only the Seahawks have a head coach who has been in charge more than two seasons. Pete Carroll has been the head man in Seattle since 2010 with a 128-79 record. However, success and longevity eventually create inflated expectations and impatience when times get tough. The Seahawks finished the 2017 season with a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011. That was the year before Russell Wilson was drafted in the third round.

2018 looks like a transition season for the Seahawks, and with the rest of the division seemingly loading up for a run at the postseason, Carroll could be facing a bit of a hot seat. On the surface, a single down season shouldn’t be an issue. However, when adding in the player drama over the past few seasons, the coordinator switches and the overall displeasure that remains from deciding to throw the ball against the Patriots, Carroll needs to have a successful 2018 season. What would it take for the Seahawks to push Carroll out the door? The schedule leaves itself open to a possible 8-8 season. That should keep the doubters at bay enough to buy another year.

The division features two head coaches who are the de facto offensive coordinators for their teams in Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. With Shanahan running the offense, the 49ers rely on Robert Salah to helm the defense. The 2017 season was the first time Salah was in charge of an NFL defense. The former Seattle and Jacksonville assistant took over a young but talented 49ers defense. Salah brought with him the Cover 3 defense made popular by Pete Carroll and the Seahawks.

Salah’s unit finished 2017 in the bottom ten in yards allowed and points surrendered per game. Part of the problem was a disasterously anemic offense through the season’s first ten weeks. There were flashes for the unit where the talent could be seen, but the overall inexperience of the personnel held the unit back from being consistent. Overall, Salah is the pick by default as he is the most likely to have a change in fortune from last season. If the 49ers defense can crack into the top half of the league, expect the young coordinator to become a dark horse for possible openings next offseason.

– Ryan Adverderada is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Cardinals. Like and follow on Follow @ryanadverderada Follow @Cardinals and Facebook.

2. Which team will have the best offense? The best defense?

It is difficult to not buy into the hype that surrounds the Los Angeles Rams’ offense. The team added pieces to a unit which took the division by storm last season. The offense was already one of the best in the NFL in 2017. Adding Brandin Cooks during the offseason makes it even deadlier. It is another year of McVay’s offense with Jared Goff at the helm. Todd Gurley is the runaway candidate for top fantasy performer with his ability to run the football and make plays as a receiver. The offense is built to showcase his talents while also take shots downfield with Cooks and the rest of a talented receiving corps.

The division features four talented defenses. The 49ers are young but talented; the Rams added some major talent during the offseason; and the Seahawks still have Earl Thomas and Bobby Wagner on the roster. However, one unit has been consistently suffocating: the Arizona Cardinals. The team lost safety Tyrann Mathieu but his release was made possible by the emergence of Budda Baker. The rookie safety began on special teams but found himself earning playing time in sub packages as the season progressed.

The addition of head coach Steve Wilks brings a switch to four down linemen. Joining Wilks in Arizona is safety Tre Boston. Boston is a talented safety who saw his time with the Chargers come to a surprising end. The Cardinals quickly signed the veteran and his addition has brought another playmaker to the defense. The Cardinals now have talented pass rushers Chandler Jones and Markus Golden on the edge. Inside, the team features run stopper Corey Peters. Forgotten in the mix is all-world cornerback Patrick Peterson. The talented veteran has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league since his rookie season. Peterson has looked revitalized this preseason in a defense which attacks and swarms to the football. The Cardinals defense as a whole forced 17 turnovers in the preseason. The unit could be scary in 2018.

– Ryan Adverderada is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Cardinals. Like and follow on Follow @ryanadverderada Follow @Cardinals and Facebook.

3. Who will have the best position group on offense? On defense?

The Los Angeles Rams arguably have the best top-three group of wide receivers in the division, if not the league. In the offseason the Rams brought in Brandin Cooks via trade, who will join the returning Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. The duo of Woods and Kupp combined for 118 receptions, 1,650 yards and ten touchdowns for the Rams in 2017.  Cooks? Oh, he’s just coming off his third-straight 1,000 yard receiving season. He will be the deep threat of the unit. The group also returns Pharoh Cooper, who is an All-Pro kick returner.

With free-agent addition Ndamukong Suh joining Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald, there is no question the best defensive position group in the NFC West is the Rams’ defensive line. Donald, with a new contract, may be the most disruptive force in football, Suh is a perennial Pro-Bowler and Brockers has been solid, if not spetacular. Combined, the trio has 109.5 career sacks.  They will be an absolute nightmare for opposing quarterbacks this season. While there is some concern about LA’s defensive ends when they line up with four down lineman, the base 3-4 defense will be rock solid.

– David Rogers writes for Full Press Coverage and covers the Seahawks.

4. Which rookie will have the best season in 2018?

One of the players that stands out to me is the 49ers’ Dante Pettis at wide receiver. The second round pick out of the University of Washington is expected to be the 49ers fourth-receiver, with his biggest impact coming on special teams. Set to be San Fran’s primary kick-returner, Pettis will look to duplicate his collegiate success, when he returned nine kicks for touchdowns.

Dante should be good, but our money is on Seahawks’ rookie Michael Dickson turning in the Division’s most outstanding rookie season.  Seattle invested a fifth-round pick on the Australian-born punter and Dickson has not failed to live up to expectations. Pro Football Focus graded Michael as the highest-rated punter in the NFL through the preseason, where he averaged 48.6 yards on 17 punts. He excels at pinning opponents inside their own ten-yard line and unbelievably, has made punting fun to watch.  An incredible weapon who can flip field-position with ease, he has a realistic shot at winning Rookie of the Year.

– David Rogers writes for Full Press Coverage and covers the Seahawks.

5. Who is getting too much love? too little? (player/coach/team)

The player that is getting too much love this NFL season is Jimmy Garopollo. While Garopollo certainly has an impressive amount of talent and has displayed a wide array of physical skills, it has simply not been on display long enough to warrant the hype he is receiving. For instance, take his performance against the Rams in week 17 last season. Garoppolo threw two interceptions to a second-string Rams defense.

On the contrary, a player that is not getting enough love in the NFC West is David Johnson. Yes I know, Johnson is coming off of injury but it is only a hand injury and he surely will be able to find a way to bounce back in a Cardinals offense where he will be one of the sole sources of output. Yet, Johnson is finding a way to get lost in the shuffle behind names that are far proven than his (ex. Saquon Barkley, a talented, yet unproven player).
– Andrew Kelly is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Rams. He covers the Los Angeles Rams and is also the Divisional Editor for the NFC West. Like and follow on Follow @Andrew_K47 Follow @FPC_Rams and Facebook. 

6. Which offseason acquisition (signing or trade) will be the best? The worst?

The Los Angeles Rams knocked the offseason out of the park. They brought in an abundance of talent on defense and traded for wide receiver Brandin Cooks. The Rams signed Sam Shields and Ndamukong Suh while trading for cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. All this and handing out contract extensions to Brandin Cooks, Todd Gurley II, Rob Havenstein and most notably, Aaron Donald. Out of all of these, I expect Peters to emerge as the best acquisition. The 2015 Defensive Rookie of the Year is a two-time pro-bowler and an All-Pro. He has 19 interceptions over the course of his three seasons, the most of any corner in that same span. Last season, Peters forced three fumbles and even returned one for a touchdown. If Peters can replicate the same success under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, he’ll be the best acquisition in the NFC West.

The worst acquisition comes at the same position, but with a different team. The Seattle Seahawks lost three cornerbacks this past offseason in Richard Sherman, Jeremy Lane and DeShawn Shead. One guy they brought in to replace the ones they lost was Dontae Johnson. The former San Francisco 49er, Johnson struggled when he started for the 49ers this past season. Johnson was called for many holdings and pass interferences last season and was benched, most notably against the Houston Texans when DeAndre Hopkins torched Johnson for 11 catches, 149 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson only had seven pass breakups and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown. Maybe he plays better in Seattle, but it’s not likely looking at how he played last season.

– Sanjesh Singh is the managing editor for the San Francisco 49ers on Full Press Coverage He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @TheSanjeshSingh Follow @FPC_49ers and Facebook.

7. Who will be the offensive and defensive MVP of the division?

The offensive MVP of the NFC West this season will likely be Russell Wilson. This is because I am looking at this accolade in terms of Most VALUABLE Player. No player in this division means more to his team than Wilson. He was both their leading passer and rusher last season… and not by a small margin. If the Seahawks have any hope of returning to their former glory, it will be upon the shoulders of their fiery veteran quarterback.

The defensive MVP of the NFC will without a doubt be Aaron Donald. Donald, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is currently the most dominant player at his position. He has the capacity to change an entire game on his own and, when he is at his best, can take the Ram defense even higher.

– Andrew Kelly is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Rams. He covers the Los Angeles Rams and is also the Divisional Editor for the NFC West. Like and follow on Follow @Andrew_K47 Follow @FPC_Rams and Facebook.

8. What will be the best game (assuming standing and importance) within the division in 2018?

The Los Angeles Rams are entering the NFC West as the heavy favorites considering how they did last season and the amount of talent they acquired in the offseason. The San Francisco 49ers are considered to challenge the Rams but will most likely be going for a Wild Card spot. The Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks have fallen off since they have lost some talent but shouldn’t be challenging for the division leader (unless they surprise everyone).

The best games will be the 49ers-Rams matchups and both will come at very interesting times. The first game between the two will be a Sunday Night showdown at Levi’s Stadium in week seven. Both teams have tough schedules to open the season. For the Rams, the 49ers game will be their third-straight road game. If both teams start the season strong, the week seven game will definitely be the best game, as long as everyone is healthy. To make things even more interesting, both teams close out the season against each other in week 17. If both teams maintain close records and have a tiebreaker to end the season, it’ll be an even better game. And who knows, both teams could meet each other in the playoffs if the 49ers can make it there.

– Sanjesh Singh is the managing editor for the San Francisco 49ers on Full Press Coverage He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @TheSanjeshSingh Follow @FPC_49ers and Facebook.