By: Andy Davies

The NFC West was considered the elite division in the NFL as little as a year ago but things have progressed since, despite having the current Super Bowl champions in the Los Angeles Rams. 

Russell Wilson is no longer in the division, and no one quite knows who will be the QB1 in San Francisco. 

But who is the divisions best quarterback? Here are the rankings of the NFC West quarterbacks from best to worst.

Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)

What better place to start than with the QB1 of the Super Bowl Champions. Whilst Stafford was not the reason the Rams won Super Bowl 56 over the Cincinnati Bengals, with 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, he was certainly the final piece of the jigsaw as the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the 1999 season. 

The Rams were always contenders, making it all the way to Super Bowl 53, but there was always something missing at the quarterback position. Jared Goff did well but even he would admit he was probably not good enough to take the Rams where they needed.

He was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Stafford and the rest is history. Stafford had reached the postseason on three previous occasions, but each time came up short at the first attempt. His lack of playoff wins was a factor pointed out by sceptics when he arrived but when the Rams made the playoffs, Stafford showed why the team gave up so much to get him. In four games, he threw for 1,188 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions as well as having a 70% completion percentage (98 from 140).

In the regular season, Stafford also impressed. Only Tom Brady (43) threw for more touchdown passes (41), with Stafford throwing for the third-most passing yards (4,886). 

Stafford is clearly the choice for the number one spot on this list and it will take a lot for the other players in this list to catch him up.

Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)

Murray’s future is unclear, with his fifth option exercised but no longer-term deal in place at time of writing. 

The 2019 first overall pick has shown signs of his potential but is yet to fulfil this on a consistent basis. In three seasons, he has thrown for 11,480 yards, 70 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, whilst also recording  1,786 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. 

A trend of Murray’s career so far is starting off the season well but tailing off down the stretch. He will need a big year to convince the Cardinals front office that he is the player moving forward. Either way, he still remains second on this list.

Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers)

When the 49ers lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game back in January, it was seen by many to be the end of Jimmy G in San Francisco. However, he is still on the team.

Having missed OTA’s due to rehab on his shoulder,  he has yet to be traded. Say what you want about Jimmy G, but he wins games. Simple as that. Whilst he has never been the reason for the 49ers winning games, he is a very serviceable quarterback. With uncertainty over Lance after reports of the organisation being underwhelmed, Garoppolo is the right guy to be under centre for the 49ers in week one. 

Drew Lock/Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)

Whether it is Lock or Smith, there is no way they aren’t at the bottom of this list. Lock has a great start to life in the NFL, when he started for the Denver Broncos towards the end of the 2019 season, his 2020 and 2021 campaigns flattered to deceive. Meanwhile, Smith has been a backup for most of his career. Neither of these quarterbacks, whoever starts against the Broncos in week one, are likely to inspire confidence from fans or the Seattle coaching staff. 

The post Ranking the NFC West Quarterbacks right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Los Angeles Rams were Super Bowl LVI champions, but it wasn’t an easy victory and journey for Sean McVay’s dream team. The Rams weren’t the first seed in the NFC and they were even swept by their divisional foe (San Francisco 49ers) in the 2021 regular season.

Matthew Stafford and his squad had to claw their way to the Super Bowl and edge out the explosive Cincinnati Bengals on the grand stage. As the Super Bowl celebration has eclipsed and the 2022 offseason is in motion, the focus will switch to retaining the elite roster and making another push for a Super Bowl berth in 2022. The question is: what should scare the Rams and keep McVay up at night the most next season? Well, I’m going to untwine the biggest challenges for the LA Rams in 2022.

• Kyle Shanahan

The secret is out: The 49ers have edged out the Rams in 6 of the last 7 matchups. The Rams won the pivotal matchup against SF in the NFC Championship, but Kyle Shanahan will surely upgrade his squad at key positions in 2022. I expect the 49ers to improve the CB spot, which felt like dropping interceptions in the championship game. They could bring in Stephon Gilmore, as the former 49er stud Richard Sherman pointed out.

Shanny’s team will theoretically have an upgrade at the QB position, as the very athletic Trey Lance will replace Jimmy Garopplo. A lot of fans might speculate how Jimmy G was just a step above the 2015 Peyton Manning, who won a Super Bowl off the back of his defense.

• Odell Beckham Jr.

The Rams will have Robert Woods healthy, but they might not have their playoff weapon Odell Beckham Jr. to kick things off in 2022. OBJ could be on a different roster, but McVay does OBJ back in 2022. If the former NYG WR returns to the dreamy city, he will miss the first 5-7 games likely.

The Rams play in a brutal conference and they will need all the firepower they can get. Matthew Stafford will have the 2021 Offensive Player of The Year in Cooper Kupp, but he most likely won’t have two Pro Bowl WRs at his disposal early in the 2022 season.

• LT position

The LA Rams “currently” feature an all-star LT that is somewhat in the shadow of Donald, McVay, OBJ, Stafford, Kupp, and Miller. Their reliable LT that won Walter Payton Man of The Year, Andrew Whitworth, is 40 years old and pondering retirement.

If the Rams lose Whitworth, they will need to find a quality LT to protect Stafford’s blindside. It’s vital that the Rams find a way to fill in the shoes of Whitworth if hangs up his cleats. Nick Bosa had a whopping 0.5 sacks in two games against the Rams in the 2021 regular season. Bosa, J.J. Watt, and Carlos Dunlap will be licking their chops if the Rams don’t adequately replace the large, generous OT that looks like Thanos in 2022.

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By: Andy Davies

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans going into the 2021 season. Their quarterback situations are far from clear and their overall rosters are mediocre at best.

The same goes for their head coaches, with all three going into their first seasons at the franchise. Neither of Dan Campbell, Nick Sirianni, or David Culley has been a full-time head coach in the NFL. Campbell is the only one to have some experience, with his spell as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

Here is why you should be expecting the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the three worst records in the league in 2021.

Saying Goodbye To A Franchise Legend In Detroit. Struggles For The Replacement

Matthew Stafford was the number one overall pick in 2009, with the entire city of Detroit hoping he would be the man to turn around the fortunes of the franchise. Despite three seasons of making the playoffs, the Lions and Stafford never won a single postseason game as the wait continues. The Lions remain the team with the second-longest period without a playoff win, their last taking place on January 5th, 1992.

Stafford had some great individual moments as a Lion, most notably his Mic’d up moment during his 2009 rookie season. In a week eleven game against the Cleveland Browns, he overcame injury to produce a moment of pure heroism. He played with a separated shoulder despite the efforts of the medical staff to keep him off the field, leading the Lions to a touchdown-winning drive.

Jim Caldwell guided the Lions to these playoff appearances but was not seen as good enough to take them to the next step. New England Patriots assistant head coach Matt Patricia was brought in but never took to life as head coach. The Lions had three consecutive losing seasons under the coaching of Patricia. They will hope that they have found their guy in Dan Campbell. His press conference was certainly not dull, with Campbell referring to “biting kneecaps”. As a former Lions player, he knows what it takes to play in the league. He also knows about the city of Detroit and his intentions are both positive and clear. If he is given time, he has the desire to bring the good times back to Detroit. However, he is inexperienced as a head coach and the roster is below average.

New quarterback Jared Goff has the potential to struggle. This is despite the drafting of offensive lineman Penei Sewell at seventh overall, a selection that had Campbell and new General Manager Brad Holmes very excited.

Despite his brilliant 2018 season that saw the Rams reach Super Bowl 53, Goff had a poor game and struggled in 2020 as he and head coach Sean McVay’s relationship deteriorated.

Goff struggled despite a plethora of offensive talent around him. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. He is going to a franchise that let go of their two best wide receivers and failed to replace them.

The Lions have a schedule that features the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. There are also two games against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. The Lions do not have it easy.

Prediction: 3-14

Trouble In Philadelphia; Reason For Hope?

The Eagles have seen three years of gradual decline after winning Super Bowl 52. The 2017 season saw the Eagles lift the Lombardi Trophy for the first time after two previous attempts.

Doug Pederson was the head coach to guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl but was fired after the conclusion of the 2020 season. His decision to bench rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts in order to lose and gain a higher draft pick appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.

Carson Wentz had an MVP caliber season before an injury derailed hopes of winning the award. Backup Nick Foles stepped in and guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl 52 win. He also stepped in a year later and guided the Eagles to a shock Wildcard Round win against the Chicago Bears, with thanks also going to a Cody Parkey missed field goal.

Both Foles and Wentz are no longer Eagles players. Out of the starters in that Super Bowl 52 win, only seven remain with the franchise. Their decision to draft Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson continues to be mocked by rival fans and nobody knows how new head coach Nick Sirianni will do in the role.

The schedule is mixed for Philadelphia. Whilst they face the New York Jets, Lions, and twice play the New York Giants, they also have to face the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.. This is as well as facing a rising Washington Football Team twice as well as playing the Dallas Cowboys both home and away.

Reports have surfaced in recent days of the Philadelphia Eagles being the favourites for Deshaun, with talks said to be “heating up”.

This could be a move that transforms the franchise. However, Deshaun Watson had his best statistical season yet the Texans only managed four wins all year. This proves that whilst it is very important to have a good quarterback, you need more around to be successful.

Unless the Eagles do something in what remains of the offseason, they will continue to be mediocre if their roster continues to be this poor. If they get offensive or defensive talent in the next one or two offseasons, then they are a team that will compete for years to come. Otherwise, the Eagles will fail to be a threat to both the NFC and NFC East.

This is why Deshaun should avoid the Eagles at this present time. He will be going into a situation no different to what he experienced in Houston.

Prediction: 4-13

What A Difference A Year Makes

Where do we start with the Houston Texans? The 2019 season saw them take a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. However, they allowed 41 unanswered points as they lost 51-31. What has unfolded since in the following nineteen months has been reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

Head coach Bill O’Brien, who also was general manager, made the unusual decision to trade star wide receiver, Deandre Hopkins. In exchange, the Texans received a running back past his sell-by date in David Johnson, one second-rounder and one fourth-round pick. O’Brien only lasted four games in the 2020 season as they finished the campaign with just four wins.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 season, franchise legend J.J Watt has left and there continues to be an uncertain future surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston’s quarterback requested a trade in January before allegations of sexual assault arose. These have lingered throughout the remainder of the offseason. It is unclear if Watson will play in the NFL at all in 2021 but even if he does, it is unlikely that he will be wearing a Texans jersey.

Houston has said they would listen to trade offers for Watson, with the franchise said to be wanting three first-round picks. They have also acquired Tyrod Taylor via Free Agency and used their first pick in the draft on Davis Mills in the third round. Even if the Eagles stick with Hurts, there will be plenty of other suitors.

Even with Watson, the Texans are light on the ground when it comes to elite talent. Linebacker Zach Cunningham and Laremy Tunsil are talents and despite adding Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram to the running back room, the roster is one of the league’s worst.

David Culley has developed somewhat of a worrying reputation after his time with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens. During his fourteen-season spell with the Eagles, his four seasons with the Chiefs, and two years with the Ravens, he had 0 wide receivers earn a PFF grade of 80 or above.

The Chiefs wideouts went an entire season without a touchdown under Culley. With a wide receiver room featuring Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and Anthony Miller, this is not exactly a position of strength for the Texans. Culley is unlikely to see any of these receivers score high PFF grades.

Whilst the Texans might be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars twice and the Jets, they have a tough schedule. They will face the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Houston will also play the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans twice.

They are unlikely to win many of these games. Fans should be expecting a difficult season.

Prediction: 2-15

The post Expect the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the worst records in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

The Los Angeles Rams are widely being considered a playoff contender at the very least, if not a contender for the Super Bowl.  With the addition of Matthew Stafford this offseason among other weapons such as DeSean Jackson and Tutu Atwell, they seem to be in a good place in terms of their offense.  With Aaron Donald on the defense and Jalen Ramsey, they have assets on the defensive side of the ball as well.  However, they also have some glaring hurdles to overcome in the 2021-2022 season if they want to make a title push.  In this article, I will go over the main three of these challenges, and why they change the Rams odds at a title run.

New Defensive Scheming

One of the biggest changes this offseason for the Los Angeles Rams came in the form of coaching.  Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who spent the 2020 season as the Rams defensive coordinator, will be moving on to be the head coach of the other Los Angeles team in the Chargers.  This move left the Rams in somewhat of a scramble to find a new DC, which ended up being Raheem Morris, who spent his last seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons as a DC, interim head coach, and assistant coach of many positions at times. 

This scheme change could be a huge one, as Raheem comes from the Jon Gruden coaching tree, focusing on hard-nosed football on both sides of the ball and pure power.  Morris also worked under Mike Shanahan, Jay Gruden, and Dan Quinn during his career, which somewhat factors in the unknown of what defensive scheme he will utilize with his new team.

Division Strength

The only word to come even remotely close to describing the NFC West is Elite.  All four teams in this division are truly high-powered on both sides of the ball, and we could see some huge competition from these teams fighting for the top seed.  The Seattle Seahawks still have Russell Wilson, which basically lands them a playoff spot regardless of what happens.  However, with DK Metcalf only improving for the last two seasons, Tyler Lockett locked into an extension, Gerald Everett to improve the TE room, and D’Wayne Eskridge potentially for the slot.  

The Arizona Cardinals have made improvements as well, the most notable being the addition of JJ Watt to the defense, as well as Zaven Collins to bulk up the linebacker core, and Isaiah Simmons getting a true shot at starting at LB as well.  Finally, the 49ers, who have returned to a fully healthy form that was in the Super Bowl only a season ago in 2019-2020, and now Brandon Aiyuk, Trey Sermon, and Trey Lance added on top of that previous roster, as well as the return of 2019-2020 DROY Nick Bosa along the defensive line.

Matthew Stafford Conforming to Scheme

Now, this is in no way ragging on Matthew Stafford, as he is an absolutely phenomenal QB, and really has done well with a team that gave him not much to work with lately.  With that said, Stafford is going from a relatively base level offense with not a lot of flashy plays and trick plays, to the team with the highest rate of Play Action from 2017-2021.  

This wildly different type of offense could be very good for Stafford, there is no doubt about that, and he will have some amazing weapons around him in Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, DeSean Jackson, Tutu Atwell, and Tyler Higbee.  With that said, subtracting Cam Akers from the mix due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, this offense is going to rely very heavily on the passing game and play action/redirections, which could definitely take time for Stafford to get used to. 

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