NFL Preview: This year, NFLs beasts reside in NFC West
2013-09-02
By Tony Jones
The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Aug 31 2013 03:40 pm Last Updated Aug 31 2013 11:18 pm
The NFC East has the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.
The Denver Broncos are the talk of the AFC West. New England annually rules the AFC East, and the Green Bay Packers almost always are a guarantee to contend in the NFC North. All are glamour franchises in the NFL. All are good to great teams this season.
Separated by 12 hours if you choose to drive are Seattle and San Francisco, home of the Seahawks and the 49ers, respectively. They are the two teams that will comprise half of the best division in the league in 2013. Two franchises that share an intense dislike for each other. Two teams with charismatic coaches, star quarterbacks, nasty defenses that are trying to knock you out of a game on each play, and guys who have no issues with telling you what they think in the media.
And, oh yes: Both are serious Super Bowl contenders.
Listen to defensive back Brandon Browner when he says that Seattle "has big goals" this year after advancing to the playoffs last season, when the Seahawks defeated the Washington Redskins and gave the Atlanta Falcons all they wanted before bowing out in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Take heed when the pundits pick the Niners to win it all behind Colin Kaepernick, his bevy of offensive weapons and a defense led by Patrick Willis, the best linebacker in the league.
Add in the Arizona Cardinals, much improved because they have Carson Palmer at quarterback, a guy who can get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald. And dont overlook the St. Louis Rams. They think Sam Bradford is about to become an elite signal-caller, and their defense is much improved now that Jeff Fisher has had a year to settle in as coach.
To say the drama finally is returning out west after years when this division was a doormat might be an understatement.
"We have high expectations for this season," Seattle coach Pete Carroll told reporters during training camp. "We wanted to have a good offseason and we wanted to have a good camp, and I thought we did that. Were ready to go for the season coming up. Im happy with how seriously the guys took things, and were ready to try to take that next step.
Seattle and San Francisco are at the forefront. The Niners have Kaepernick, a talented dual-threat quarterback with a strong arm and eye-catching physical ability. The Seahawks have Russell Wilson, smart and compact and a great leader in just his second year. The defenses are two of the best if not the two best in the league.