NFC WEST: TWO OFFENSIVE GURUS HAVE TURNED DIVISION UPSIDE DOWN
1 RAMS
COACH: Sean McVay 2017 RECORD: 11-5 O/U WINS: 9 ¹/2
SUPER BOWL ODDS: 17/2 FIRST-AND-GOAL: McVay, the precocious head coach, revived QB Jared Goff and RB Todd Gurley (right) in a nanosecond. Defensive coordinator
Wade Phillips will be in charge of controlling volatile CBs Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib with Trumaine Johnson now a Jet. Safety Lamarcus
Joyner is a rising star. DT Ndamukong Suh will enjoy playing alongside superstar Aaron Donald. New McVay toy WR Brandin Cooks will make life easier for Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. The left side of the line boasts 36-year-old LT Andrew Whitworth and Rodger Saffold. Special teams coordinator
John Fassel is a genius daredevil. FOURTH-AND-LONG: Robert Quinn’s 8.5 sacks in 2017 and 62.5 over seven years have to be replaced. So does LB Alec Ogletree’s leadership. Shane
Waldron replaces Matt LaFleur, who is now the Titans’ offensive coordinator. The strength of schedule is tied for fifth hardest.
2 49ERS
COACH: Kyle Shanahan | 2017 RECORD: 6-10 O/U WINS: 9| SUPER BOWL ODDS: 14/1 FIRST-AND-GOAL: Jimmy Garoppolo (right) looked like Joe Montana winning the last five games of the 2017 season. Shanahan is perfect for him. Speedy WR Marquise Goodwin complements big possession receiver Pierre Garcon. No one was more productive on slant routes than WR Trent Taylor. Kyle Juszczyk is a Pro Bowl fullback. 34-year-old LT Joe Staley anchors a line upgraded by C Weston Richburg and first-round rookie RT Mike McGlinchey. DT DeForest Buckner looks like the seventh pick of the 2016 draft. FOURTH-AND-LONG: The loss of RB Jerick McKinnon (ACL) hurts. Alfred Morris and Matt Breida are OK, but not the same pass-catching threat. CB Richard Sherman has a 30-year-old rehabbed Achilles, so who knows whether GM John Lynch’s three-year, $27.15 million bet will pay off? Former firstround picks DE Arik Armstead and DE Solomon Thomas need to make more of a pass rush impact. LB Reuben Foster, another former top pick, will serve a two-game suspension and needs to prove he isn’t a character risk. Guards Laken Tomlinson and Joshua Garnett don’t inspire confidence.
3 SEAHAWKS
COACH: Pete Carroll 2017 RECORD: 9-7 O/U WINS: 7 ¹/2 SUPER BOWL ODDS: 50/1 FIRST-AND-GOAL: QB Russell Wilson (left) is part Fran Tarkenton, part Houdini. Good luck trying to cover WR Doug Baldwin, who has a chip on his shoulder former Panthers WR Steve Smith would be proud of. Neither first-round pick RB Rashaad Penny or Chris Carson is Beast Mode, but they’ll take some heat off Wilson. NT Jarran Reed and DL Frank Clark look like rising stars. Poised second-year CB Shaquill Griffin replaces Richard Sherman. LBs Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright and S Earl Thomas offer speed and range. FOURTH-AND-LONG: Thomas was a summer pay-me-or-trade-me holdout. How does Tedric Thompson grab you? Right cornerback is a question mark. The offensive line has been an Achilles heel forever. LT Duane Brown has pelts on the wall, but RT Germain Ifedi is under fire. Is there a pass rusher in the house? Barkevious Mingo, anyone? Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer replaces Darrell Bevell. Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. replaces Kris Richard.
4 CARDINALS
COACH: Steve Wilks 2017 RECORD: 8-8 O/U WINS: 5 ¹/2 SUPER BOWL ODDS: 75/1 FIRST-AND-GOAL: QB Sam Bradford holds the fort until first-rounder Josh Rosen gets to prove nine teams made a mistake by drafting someone not named Josh Rosen. Larry Fitzgerald is the Tom Brady of wide receivers. RB David Johnson (below), the NFC version of Le’Veon Bell, is back from the fractured wrist that cost him virtually all of last season. DE Chandler Jones and CB Patrick Peterson are All-Pros and S Budda Baker registered 16 specialteams tackles to make the Pro Bowl. Moneybacker Deone Bucannon will be calling the plays. LG Mike Iupati is rejuvenated and RG Justin Pugh has plenty to prove. Second-round WR Christian Kirk is a dangerous punt returner. FOURTH-AND-LONG: Center A.Q. Shipley (torn ACL) will be difficult to replace. Maybe CB Jamar Taylor can hold up opposite Peterson. He’ll be targeted plenty. DE Markus Golden returns from a torn ACL. FS Antoine Bethea is 34. The Honey Badger is in Houston. Wilks is a leader, but Bruce Arians is a tough act to follow.