In the latest of our fan preview articles ahead of the new season, we look to the NFC West to see what their fans think of their respective teams and the NFL as a whole.
'The Best in the West' is a pithy phrase that can be thrown around a lot, but when it comes to the NFL, you can make a pretty reasonable argument that the best are in the West.
With the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams residing there, as well as the NFC runners-up in the form of the San Francisco 49ers, this division holds a lot of pedigree and leaves the rest of the league looking up at them as we prepare to enter the 2022 NFL season.
But what do the fans make of the state of their teams and how do they think it will play out? We reached out to a number of fans from all teams in the NFC West and asked them their views on their respective franchises, asking five of the same questions to each responder before giving them one unique question each, after which we will reveal our prediction for how the division will look come the end of the regular season.
Seattle Seahawks, @Brogan_Clasper
What went well for you last season?
There is probably very little that can be taken away from the 2021 season as a positive. However, the latter stages of the season saw Rashaad Penny finally show those in Seattle why they picked him in the first round back in 2018. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks shone and broke the franchise single-season tackle record (183) in the process. But a lot more pressure will be stacked on his shoulders following Bobby Wagner’s departure.
What area do you need to improve on?
Where do we start? The issues at quarterback are known so let’s put that to one side - for now. Probably the best description of Seattle’s defence last season was ‘bend but don’t break’. Our yards allowed per game was almost comical but there was some resilience shown down at the business end of the field. And although there are definitely positives to be taken from that, with what could be a disastrous season offensively, this style of defence just does not seem sustainable.
How confident are you going into this year and what do you expect your record to be?
As many would imagine, the confidence levels among Seattle fans are incredibly low. We are likely to be staring at the prospect of a season where wins are few and far between. Fortunately, Seattle fans have not had to worry about seasons dominated by defeats so this will certainly be an experience. Perhaps the only positive to come from the low expectations for the Seahawks is the lack of primetime billings for the UK fan base.
Who is winning MVP and the Super Bowl?
What an off-season of trades the last few months have provided us. It is perhaps because of this that there are so many question marks hanging over teams that have been busy off the field. And it is also because of this that the Buffalo Bills are a lot of people’s - and my - favourites to get their hands on the Lombardi Trophy. If this is to be the case it is hard to see past Josh Allen being awarded MVP.
Who is going to end up with the worst record in the league?
Hopefully not Seattle. The Seahawks have been scrutinised following their showings in the pre-season games - and rightly so. I personally don’t think Seattle will end up with the worst record with the likes of Houston and Atlanta boasting far less talented rosters. But if I had to narrow it to one, I'll go for Houston.
Do you think that one of Drew Lock/Geno Smith can be the man of the future, or are you putting all your hopes on the team pick someone else out of college/free agency/a trade?
I don’t think any Seattle fans believe Geno Smith or Drew Lock offer anything more than a stop-gap solution. It will be interesting to see how the battle to become QB1 will develop with Geno seemingly leading the way going into the curtain-raiser against none other than Russell Wilson’s Denver Broncos. Although Wilson’s exit has put Seattle’s 2022 season in disarray, it has provided us with a wealth of draft picks for next year. So I’d expect John Schneider and Co to be keeping an eye on the performances of a select few college quarterbacks this season too.
Los Angeles Rams, Jordan from @LARams_UK
What went well for you last season?
Everything, really. The off-season trade for Matthew Stafford worked and Raheem Morris was able to replace the outgoing Brandon Staley and keep the defense playing at a high level. Then the in-season moves for Von Miller and OBJ helped the Rams overcome a poor November and go on to win the Super Bowl.
What area do you need to improve on?
Not improvements as such, but certainly a couple of things worth keeping an eye on. Losing Darious Williams to the Jaguars leaves an open spot at Cornerback opposite Jalen Ramsey. The Rams will hope to have an in-house answer with the likes of Robert Rochell and David Long returning. Similarly, the left tackle position is one to watch after the retirement of Andrew Whitworth. Joe Noteboom has played well in relief, but it will be interesting to see how he holds up over a 17-game season.
How confident are you going into this year and what do you expect your record to be?
Confidence has to be high coming off a Super Bowl win and keeping the bulk of that roster together. In terms of the record, the NFC West seems to have weakened with Russell Wilson moving to Denver, the 49ers playing what is essentially still a rookie in Trey Lance at QB and a new Call of Duty coming out to keep Kyler Murray occupied, so I expect the Rams to get around 12 wins. The schedule outside of the division is pretty rough, though.
Who is winning MVP and the Super Bowl?
I'll go with Josh Allen (of the Bills not the Jaguars for clarity) to win MVP. Buffalo should win their division and look like one of the Super Bowl favourites. I have to stick with the Rams to win it all again. I do think the NFC is weaker overall, so whoever they potentially come up against from the AFC is likely to have gone through a much tougher and draining playoff run to get there.
Who is going to end up with the worst record in the league?
The Houston Texans still have the worst roster in the NFL in my opinion so I'll have to go with them to end up with the worst record.
What do the Rams need to do in order to avoid a 'Super Bowl hangover'?
The Rams had the dreaded Super Bowl hangover in 2019, so I don't expect Sean McVay to allow it to happen again. There's enough veterans on the roster to avoid similar as well, and adding Bobby Wagner to a leadership group that includes Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp will only help that.
San Francisco 49ers, Conor Ryan from @49erFaithfulUK
What went well for you last season?
A bunch of things went well for the 49ers last season in my opinion. Now, I'm biased so I'm going to say it was a positive season but, there was one point during the season where I wouldn't have said that. There was painful viewing at times but I’m all for focusing on the positives.
The defense welcomed back the freak athlete Nick Bosa who missed the majority of the 2020 campaign with a torn ACL he came back with a bang and registered 15.5 regular season sacks and 4 in the postseason. Another success story was on the other side of the ball, turning out attention to Eli Mitchell, the 5th round running back who ran for 963 yards in 11 games, he seems to be another late-round gem at Kyle and John seem to find in every draft and arguable the star of the offence during the 2021 season was Deebo Samuel, he broke records and had over 1000 receiving yards, truly the heartbeat of the offence and was instrumental throughout the playoffs.
What area do you need to improve on?
Heading into the 2022 season, from a fan's perspective I would say this is the strongest roster that Kyle Shanahan has had during his tenure. I'm going a bit left field with this answer and using poet licensing, so bear with me. What I would improve is Kyles' decision-making when closing games out. Let me just say I'm no expert just a fan, and I'm 100% behind Kyle being the HC of this franchise, I mean who isn't, but there were times during the 2021 season, like the opener against Detroit in which he seemed to take the foot of the gas which allowed the Lions to find a way back into the game. It would be interesting to hear what fellow 49ers fans make of my point.
How confident are you going into this year and what do you expect your record to be?
Would I really be a true fan of my team if I didn't say we are going unbeaten and winning it all? No, but seriously I'm very confident heading into the 2022 season and expect the 49ers to have a record of 11-6 making the playoffs and going one step further than the 2021 season.
Who is winning MVP and the Super Bowl
Who is winning the Superbowl, my answer is the 49ers, yes I'm really that confident about the 49er's chances this coming season, and who’s winning MVP? Step forward Deebo Samuel.
Who is going to end up with the worst record in the league?
I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Apologies Texans fans but I can see you lot finishing the 2022 season with the worst record in the league.
Are the 49ers making the right decision moving on from Garoppolo, or you are happy that Trey Lance is going to be the man moving forward?
In my honest opinion I can’t wait for the Trey Lance era to officially get underway for the 49ers. Don’t get me wrong, Jimmy G turned the fortunes of the franchise when it was needed the most, he does have his limitation and he always has one that INT in him where you think “what on earth are you doing”.
But I believe now is the right time to give Trey the starting job. He showed flashes of brilliance in the few starts he made during the 2021 season, he did however make some rookie mistakes, obviously. I hope he doesn’t continue to slide headfirst because he’ll have a short NFL career. He adds another dimension to this offense with his legs, something that Jimmy G never really possessed was his running/scrambling ability when the play broke down. It’s going to be an up-and-down season with Trey no doubt showing signs of why Kyle and John picked him, but patience is the key throughout the season.
Arizona Cardinals, Tom from @BritishBirdgang
What went well for you last season?
The season, up until Week 8 or so, went very well for the 2021 Arizona Cardinals. Undefeated, on top of the world and strolling into the playoffs. Then a second-half season collapse happened and the team ended up limping into the post-season before being put out of our misery by the eventual Super Bowl champions. A painful end to such a promising season. But, ever the optimist, we’re back for another year.
What area do you need to improve on?
It would be nice to see the Cardinals be a strong outfit the whole season and not just in the first few weeks - perhaps the return of DeAndre Hopkins should help to combat any collapse in the second half of the season? Closing out games will also be key, scoring more touchdowns and not settling for field goals. I guess the most improvement will be needed in the treatment room, the Cardinals do not have the best depth in some positions so losing a starter could be disastrous. So an improvement in availability will be key.
How confident are you going into this year and what do you expect your record to be?
It’s one of those ones with the 2022 Arizona Cardinals - yes, they have one of the toughest schedules in the whole league both on paper and also ‘strength of schedule’ but also their offence is so stacked throughout that they should be able to hang with the best of them. If the offence can score and the defence can manage a few stops each game, they will win games but I think we’re heading for a frustrating season where we’ll score lots and concede lots. 9-8 would be my prediction but could see anywhere from 8 to 11 depending on how optimistically I look at the schedule.
Who is winning MVP and the Super Bowl?
In an ideal world, Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals. In reality? Patrick Mahomes for MVP and I’ll go for the LA Chargers winning the Superbowl. Someone different.
Who is going to end up with the worst record in the league? Seattle Seahawks. Hopefully.
What does Kyler Murray need to do to take the next step and become one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL?
He’s been given a solid offensive line, they’ve re-united him with Hollywood Brown and surrounded him with more offensive weapons that you can shake a stick at - the only thing holding him back is himself. And injuries that have niggled him the last few seasons, causing his play to drop off. If he can stay healthy and away from the latest Call of Duty release, he should be able to take that next step to NFL stardom.
GiveMeSport prediction: Rams, 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks