More Likely: Worst to First or First to Worst?
While I feel comfortable in my assumption that neither will happen in this division, first to worst is the winner. The Seahawks had remarkable health en route to winning the Super Bowl last year, so the case could be made for a rash of terrible luck. Very little case could be made for all the Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers underachieving enough to be passed in the standings by the Cardinals.
Hottest Seat?
This will once again fall to a coordinator, as no head coach in this division is going anywhere. Brian Fleury has gotten good reviews on his performance in camp as the OC for the Seahawks, but if the offense isn’t good enough to ensure the dominant defense wins games as Klint Kubiak’s was, he could feel a bit of pressure, particularly if the Rams or 49ers get the glory that Seattle wants.
Likeliest MVP Candidate?
Matthew Stafford. With the Rams getting even better over the offseason, his chances to defend last year’s MVP win are better than the hopes of any other QB in this division, and we all know it’s going to a QB.
Fantasy League Winner?
Jaxon Smith-Njigba should be in a position to put up a similar performance to what we saw from him last year. He’s once again clearly going to be the most-targeted weapon on his own team, unlike Puka Nacua, who will have Davante Adams putting up big numbers next to him as well. And he doesn’t have the degree of injury concern as Nacua or Christian McCaffrey, who also has a real shot at this.
What To Watch:
- Only the following have won back-to-back Super Bowls as starting QB’s: Bart Starr, Bob Griese, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes. Does Sam Darnold have what it takes to join that club?
- Stafford needs 4,351 yards and 14 touchdowns to become the all-time franchise leader in both categories for the Rams, distinctions he already holds with the Lions. If he replicates last year’s performance, we could see that happen by the end of the calendar year.
- Teams other than the Jaguars don’t usually travel internationally twice in the same year, and when they do it’s for back-to-back games. The 49ers are currently in Australia, then play in Mexico just before Thanksgiving. Will all this extra travel affect them?
- There’s only so much to watch with the Cardinals this year, but one storyline that does carry some intrigue is how Carson Beck looks when he inevitably gets his shot to play. Can he do enough to change their assumed draft strategy?
All-Division Team:
QB – Matthew Stafford
RB – Christian McCAffrey
RB – Kyren Williams
WR – Puka Nacua
WR – Jaxon Smith-Njigba
WR – Davante Adams
TE – Trey McBride
TE – George Kittle
LT – Trent Williams
LG – Steve Avila
C – Hjalte Froholdt
RG – Kevin Dotson
RT – Colton McKivitz
DL – Aaron Donald
DL – Byron Murphy II
DL – Leonard Williams
ED – Myles Garrett
ED – Nick Bosa
LB – Fred Warner
LB – Ernest Jones IV
LB – Nate Landman
CB – Devon Witherspoon
CB – Trent McDuffie
FS – Kam Curl
SS – Kamren Kinchens
NB – Nick Emmanwori
K – Eddy Pineiro
P – Michael Dickson
RS – Rashid Shaheed
