The NFL is back, and Sportsnet has been breaking down everything you need to know about the 32 teams looking to book a trip to Super Bowl LVII.
Kickoff for the regular season is set for Thursday, Sept. 8 and today we look at the NFC West division…
ARIZONA CARDINALS
2021 record: 11-6, second in NFC West, fell apart vs. Rams in wild card game
Notable roster additions: WR Marquise Brown, G Will Hernandez
Notable roster subtractions: DE Chandler Jones, WR Christian Kirk, RB Chase Edmonds, DT Corey Peters
The good news: Kyler Murray is signed long-term and we can all finally stop studying his social medi—er, did someone say “studying”? Okay, so it’s been a long and silly off-season in Arizona, but with the ink now dry on his new deal the face of this franchise can focus solely on football moving forward. He’s got a new target in newcomer Marquise Brown, who along with speedy second-year receiver Rondale Moore looks ripe for a real breakout performance. With a player like Murray at the helm, we know this offence can harness magic like they did in the first half of 2021.
The bad news: We also know what it looks like when that magic fizzles out in the second half, down the stretch, and in the playoffs. Resilience is key, and it hinges on learning from last year’s lessons. Can they? They’d better, as they’re about to face their toughest test with the second-hardest strength of schedule this season, and will do so without star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for the first six games after he was suspended for violating the NFL’s PED policy. They also didn’t do much to improve defence or line play this off-season, and have an almost non-existent pass rush after the departure of Chandler Jones. The first sign of a losing streak will have those familiar lingering doubts from last year front and centre. Can they silence those, or will they be doomed to repeat the same mistakes?
Super Bowl Odds: +3000
Division Title Odds: +333
Wins Total: 5.5 wins (Over -135/Under +115)
LOS ANGELES RAMS
2021 record: 12-5, first in NFC West, won Super Bowl LVI on home turf
Notable roster additions: WR Allen Robinson, LB Bobby Wagner, CB Troy Hill
Notable roster subtractions: OT Andrew Whitworth, WR Robert Woods, WR Odell Beckham Jr., DE Von Miller, RB Sony Michel, G Austin Corbett, DT Sebastian Joseph-Day
The good news: The same core that just won the Super Bowl – Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald – is reunited and looks ready to run it back. Rams management has done a nice job of keeping Stafford well-stocked in offensive weapons, most notably with the addition of former Bear Allen Robinson, who’s got the potential to open up the field opposite Kupp now that he’s healthy (and out of Chicago). McVay promises an even bigger playbook, and this year he’s got more run-game options considering Cam Akers is available after missing the entire 2021 regular season with injury. Donald went from having Miller on his side to another veteran defender in former Seahawk and Legion of Boom co-founder Bobby Wagner – what kind of impact can he make in this new environment? But the best news of all is about Matthew Stafford’s elbow following a long off-season of speculation:
The bad news: Here’s thing about Stafford’s throwing arm: the speculation is going to follow him all season long, and considering the lengths the team went to find answers this summer, it doesn’t appear to be going away completely. Do we see any kind of snap-count limitation down the stretch? The Rams have the toughest strength of schedule in the whole league, so there’ll be no coasting back into the post-season or laurel-resting here. Additionally, some departures along the line of scrimmage – most notably, the loss of now-retired OT Andrew Whitworth, whose veteran voice brought a lot of leadership to this locker room – shouldn’t be overlooked.
Super Bowl Odds: +1100
Division Title Odds: +130
Wins Total: 10.5 wins (Over -110/Under -110)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
2021 record: 10-7, third in NFC West, lost to Rams in NFC Championship
Notable roster additions: CB Charverious Ward, G Spencer Burford (rookie), CB Samuel Womack (rookie)
Notable roster subtractions: RB Raheem Mostert, G Laken Tomlinson, C Alex Mack, CB K’Waun Williams, CB Dontae Johnston, S Jaquiski Tartt
The good news: After they were unable to trade Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers made the best out of a tough situation by restructuring the quarterback’s massive contract and keeping the starter-turned-backup in-house as they hand the reins over to Trey Lance. Lance, the team’s top pick of 2021, comes with lofty expectations and boasts a more dynamic skillset than Jimmy G, and the prospect of this defence and these weapons with that added mobility has got to excite a 49ers fanbase hungry for more playoff success after last year’s run. So loud was the chatter around this club’s QB situation that the talk around Deebo Samuel’s health and that trade request reported this past spring kind of quieted. The impactful offensive weapon is back, and should he remain motivated to move, he’ll have a little extra to prove. San Francisco’s elite defence, led by Nick Bosa, remains intact and – most importantly – healthy. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the NFC West.
The bad news: Should we be reading more into the Jimmy G situation? A clean break wasn’t possible considering his contract, and having a backup who’s capable of taking your team to the Super Bowl (twice) feels like an incredible luxury… but how will this affect Lance’s development? All reports point to a harmonious relationship in this QB room, but how patient will the rest of this roster be if Lance doesn’t quite live up the hype out of the gate?
Super Bowl Odds: +1400
Division Title Odds: +170
Wins Total: 9.5 wins (Over -160/Under +135)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
2021 record: 7-10, fourth in NFC West, missed playoffs
Notable roster additions: QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, DT Shelby Harris, DT Uchenna Nwosu, CB Tariq Woolen (rookie), CB Coby Bryant (rookie), LT Charles Cross (rookie)
Notable roster subtractions: QB Russell Wilson, LB Bobby Wagner, RB Chris Carson, TE Gerald Everett, OT Duane Brown, C Ethan Pocic, DE Carlos Dunlap, CB D.J. Reed
The good news: Pete Carroll is still your head coach, which brings some semblance of normalcy after an off-season overhaul and a steady voice as the club embarks on what’s looking like a major rebuild. He’s built this team up and guided it to the playoffs before when few believed he could, and as a result has earned the benefit of the doubt before we declare this a totally lost season. Considering how much the relationship between the team and Wilson had deteriorated last season, trading him was a necessary – albeit tough – step back in order to ultimately move forward. It’s hard to see much good news in this QB room, but whoever winds up taking the bulk of the snaps will at least have a pair of top targets at their disposal in Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.
The bad news: Oh, you mean aside from kicking off the very first game of the post-Russ era staring down Wilson himself in his debut outing with the Broncos? Week 1 could bring the emotion, but Weeks 2 through 18 appear to promise some pain as the Seahawks officially embark on the first season of a new rebuild. While you’ve got to believe Carroll has a plan, it’s tough to see it – particularly at the game’s most important position, where instead of drafting or recruiting Wilson’s successor, Seattle’s got a pair of largely unproven backups in Geno Smith and Drew Lock. Add to that the fact the Seahawks are poised to travel the most of any team in the NFL this year (29,446 miles, according to this count) and play in a division as strong as this one, a pile of losses kind of feels inevitable.
Super Bowl Odds: +8000
Division Title Odds: +1400
Wins Total: 5.5 wins (Over -135/Under +115)
