Here is eDraft's Week 1 preview for the NFC West. This is a division that boasted three double-digit wins teams from a season ago and has put the last two conference champions in the Super Bowl.
Its slate of games starts off with a matchup between two of the best teams in the NFL in the form of the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks. A few days later the San Francisco 49ers will be taking on their former rivals in Dallas. Then on Monday night, the Arizona Cardinals will square off with a playoff team from a season ago in the form of the San Diego Chargers.
Needless to say, this is going to be a rather interesting opening week for the best division in football.
Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks
Overview
In the first game between these two teams since the Fail Mary, the Packers look to make a statement against the defending Super Bowl champions and odds-on favorites to earn a second straight Lombardi Trophy. This game truly is strength vs strength, as Green Bay brings one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Legion of Boom.
Both of these teams are considered top contenders in the ultra competitive NFC. An early season win for the Packers at The Link would go a long way in cementing their status as real contenders. It's also really one of the first times that we are going to see Eddie Lacy and Aaron Rodgers healthy together. That dynamic is something to watch moving forward.
Key Matchups
David Bakhtiari vs Cliff Avril: This is going to be an interesting matchup right here. Bakhtiari performed extremely well as a rookie last season, but needs to show more consistency in pass protection as the Packers blindside tackle. Going up against one of the best pure pass rushers in the game in the form of Avril in Seattle will be a pretty big test for him. Bakhtiari needs to keep Aaron Rodgers untouched if the Packers are going to have a chance in this one.
Randall Cobb vs Richard Sherman: The Packers will move Cobb around from outside to the slot in this one, but in three-wide sets he will likely line up against Sherman. If there is one thing that Sherman struggles with (I am not sure there is), it is going up against the more athletic receivers. If Cobb can make any sort of impact in this one, it will be huge for the Packers.
Justin Britt vs Datone Jones and Clay Matthews: This has disaster written all over it for Seattle. Without throwing a ton of help to Britt's side, Russell Wilson will be under consistent pressure. While the third-year quarterback seems to thrive in those situations, it has to be worrisome...especially for injury concerns. As it is, the Packers can pressure with Matthews while maintining the edge on the right hash. If so, the Seahawks passing game will struggle here.
Final Prediction (Packers 27, Seahawks 23)
I am going with the upset here. Both teams are coming off strong camps and preseason performances. But if any offense is going to be able to perform well against Seattle's defense, it is going to be this one. With the emergence of Eddie Lacy as one of the best young running backs in the NFL, Green Bay simply isn't the finesse offense we had previously thought it was. The ability to have success against a Seattle run defense that isn't a strong point could help Rodgers and Co. find some open lanes to throw through down the field. After all, one of the best ways to stop a strong pass rush is by finding a consistent ground game.
On the other end of the spectrum, Seattle is going to have some issues protecting Russell Wilson in this one. Its key will be to get the ground game going with Marshawn Lynch. In any event, I am going Green Bay in a minor upset here.
Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams
Overview
Here is a matchup between two teams looking to get back to relevance in the NFC playoff race. Minnesota is coming off a disastrous season that saw it win just five games a year after earning a trip to the postseason. It's doing so with veteran Matt Cassel starting over impressive rookie Teddy Bridgewater.
On the other hand, St. Louis had extremely high expectations leading up to the season. But those have been somewhat quieted by the news that Sam Bradford will miss the entire 2014 season with a torn ACL. This means that journeyman backup Shaun Hill will lead a talented Rams team into Week 1. It remains to be seen just how that's going to work.
Key Matchups
Kyle Rudolph vs James Laurinaitis and Rodney McLeod: St. Louis is going to have a difficult time matching up against Rudolph. Laurinaitis doesn't have the athleticism to go up against him one-on-one, while McLeod doesn't have the coverage skillset. St. Louis could throw rookie nickel back Lamarcus Joyner into the mix here, but that doesn't seem likely at this point. Instead, the Rams are going to have to utilize double coverage and chip Rudolph at the line.
Matt Kalil vs Robert Quinn: What a matchup this is going to be. One of the top defensive players in the NFL in Quinn, who recorded 19 sacks last season, going up against the best young left tackle in the NFL. Whoever comes out on top here could very well dictate the outcome of the game. If Quinn is able to consistently pressure Matt Cassel, it will lead to a few mistakes from the veteran quarterback. If not, the likes of Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings might be able to eat against a less-than-stellar secondary.
Kenny Britt vs Xavier Rhodes: Britt's performance during training camp seems to have earned him a starting gig in St. Louis. The talented but troubled receiver has the ability to dominate when his head is on straight. He'll be going up against a second-year cornerback who is looking to take that next stop in coverage. If Britt can consistently give Shaun Hill windows to throw through, the Rams could be in a very good place by game's end.
Final Prediction (Vikings 23, Rams 17)
The Rams are going to struggle initially with Hill under center. It's going to take some more time for him to learn their offensive system and mesh with the first team. Two things that he has very little experience with. Cassel is a seasoned veteran who played well as a starter last year. In addition to this, the Vikings are going to be able to off-set St. Louis' strong pass rush by utilizing Adrian Peterson and the ground game. Expect the road team to pull of a minor upset here.
San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys
Overview
The season couldn't possibly get started quick enough for these two teams. San Francisco is coming off an offseason that saw its image shrink the eye of the public, something that culminated in the arrest of Ray McDonald this past weekend on domestic violence charges. But this is a team that remains one of the most talented in the NFL.
For the Cowboys, it's all about getting over what was a disastrous offseason and horrid preseason performance. In addition to this, they need to find a way to field a decent defense, especially with Demarcus Ware and Sean Lee gone from the unit.
Key Matchups
Dez Bryant vs Chris Culliver: This is going to be scary matchup for the 49ers. Culliver hasn't played a meaningful game since getting absolutely torched by the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. While talented, he's going to have his hands full against one of the most dominating receivers in the game. San Francisco could push coverage over to Cully's side, but that will leave issues as it relates to covering Jason Witten.
Jason Witten vs Patrick Willis and Eric Reid: Speaking of Witten, San Francisco actually has the talent to match up against the future Hall of Fame tight end. Willis is among the best cover backers in the NFL, while Reid is coming off a Pro Bowl campaign as a rookie. This is an indication that the 49ers likely won't have to throw double coverage to Witten on a consistent basis come Sunday.
Michael Crabtree vs Morris Claiborne: Claiborne has playing sparingly during his NFL career and is still recovering from a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Crabtree is 100 percent after missing the majority of the 2013 season with a torn achilles. In reality, this is the first time that a completely healthy Crabtree will line up with Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis in San Francisco's offense. It could lead to a huge game for the talented receiver.
Vernon Davis vs Rolando McClain and Barry Church: Talk about a matchup nightmare in every sense of the word. Dallas is going to have to throw double coverage towards Davis, which will leave both Crabtree and Boldin in single coverage. In addition to this, utilizing a base nickel package throughout the game may very well allow Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde to run free.
Final Prediction (49ers 31, Cowboys 27)
Look for a high-scoring affair here. San Francisco is without two of its best defensive players in Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman. It will also be going up against one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL. If Jason Garrett and Co. can make sure to force the issue on the ground, Tony Romo will find open receivers to throw to.
Defensively, the Cowboys are a complete mess. And they will be going up against a 49ers offense that causes a ton of mismatches all over the field. While Dallas might be able to keep it close here, San Francisco will pull away when all is said and done.
San Diego Chargers at Arizona Cardinals
Overview
Two winning teams from a season ago with higher expectations going up against one another on Monday Night Football. This is what the start of the regular season should be all about. Can Arizona's offense make up for the loss of three important defenders? Will the Chargers be able to take the next step and compete for the AFC West with the Denver Broncos? While neither of these questions will be answered Week 1, we should find out a lot about these teams in this one.
Key Matchups
Keenan Allen vs Patrick Peterson: Peterson will follow Allen all over the field on Monday. This will enable Arizona to match its best defender up against Philip Rivers in the passing game. If Allen is somehow shut down by Peterson, the Cardinals will likely win this game going away.
Antonio Gates vs Tyrann Mathieu and Larry Foote: Enter Ladarius Green into the conversation here as well. While Mathieu is a play-making defensive back in every sense of the word, he's going to struggle physically with these two tight ends. That's also magnified by the fact that the second-year star will be playing his first competitive game since last November. Then again, the Cardinals could decide to utilize a more physical defensive back in coverage here. As it relates to Foote, there is no way he's going to be tasked with one-on-one coverage.
Larry Fitzgerald vs Brandon Flowers: Michael Floyd should have his way with Shareece Wright or whoever San Diego lines up against him. This means that the Chargers will likely have to shade coverage over that way. In the process, Fitzgerald will be left in one-on-one coverage with Pro Bowler Brandon Flowers. It'll be interesting to see who wins this matchup, which could go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.
Final Prediction (Cardinals 27, Chargers 21)
Two evenly matched up teams looking to make a statement on national television. Considering that both San Diego and Arizona play in difficult divisions, an outer-division victory could go a long way in defining their early-season success. I am going to go with the home team in a close game.