 (By Gerry Wang)
NFC
WEST
1.) Atlanta Falcons - I know I
bashed the Falcons last year, saying they weren't for real. But hey, when you play in a
division as crappy as this, then an army of well-trained chimps can compete for the
division championship. The Falcons return w/ most of their starters, but it might not be
enough because they lose the advantage they had last year of being underdogs that no one
believes in. This year, people expect them to get to the Super Bowl, coincidentally going
to held in Atlanta.
Players to watch:
-> Jamal Anderson - This guy carried more than 25 times a game. Great for fantasy teams
who don't care about yards per carry.
-> Chris Chandler - Believe it or not, this geezer's QB rating soared through the roof
last year. Although he lost his favorite deep threat in Tony Martin, he has Chris Calloway
as a replacement. Not bad at all. Plus Terence Mathis returns to catch TD after TD.
Significant offseason pickups:
-> Chris Calloway - He was a good receiver for the Giants before he was deemed
expendable. He ain't no Tony Martin, but will suffice enough to get the Falcons to the
playoffs.
Predicted record: 11-5
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2.) San Francisco 49ers - I really have nothing against the Niners, it's
just that one of my good friends is an absolute motherfucking 49er fan, and it drives me
crazy when he continues to insist the Niners are good. The fact, they are atrocious.
Defensively, they are the weakest ever, unless Bryant Young comes back. Their running game
is worse than certain college teams'. But their receivers, Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, and
JJ Stokes rival Minnesota's 3 WR set. Just wait till they blossom.
Players to watch:
-> Steve Young - He's one concussion away from retirement, but he is immensely
talented. He has the uncanny ability to will TDs.
-> Jerry Rice - Has he accepted his role as second banana? Or will he bitch and moan
like he did last year? He's getting old, but he's still good for 6-7 catches a game.
Significant offseason pickups:
-> Charlie Garner & Lawrence Phillips - They got these two to offset the injury to
Garrison Hearst, who had an incredible year before going down w/ an injury. I'm sad to say
Garner and Phillips ain't gonna offset jack shit.
Predicted record: 10-6
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3.) New Orleans Saints - They traded the farm to get Ricky Williams,
their lone draft pick. So imagine their chagrin when Ricky went down in the first
preseason game. Then two of their premiere OTs go down, as well as their best defensive
player, Joe Johnson. But at least Ricky's recovery has been speedy, and he should be back
to try to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Too bad the rest of the team is on
the crappy side. But the Saints benefit from playing a lot of weak teams. So watch for
this .500 season to be called a success.
Players to watch:
-> Mark Fields - This guy is a hitter. Plus he's fast as a jitterbug. He'll step up and
try to make the loss of Joe Johnson seem lesser in magnitude.
-> Cameron Cleeland - Injured right now, but was a workhorse TE, and if you've read the
rest of this article you'd see how much I find the TE position important.
Signficant offseason pickups:
-> Eddie Kennison - He was acquired from the Rams, and is a legit long bomb threat. Too
bad he has Billy Joe Hobert heaving it to him.
Predicted record: 8-8
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4.) Carolina Panthers - They brought in coaching sage George Seifert to
bring them back up. Unfortunately he inherited a very lame and aged team. Veteran QB Steve
Beuerlein is expected to be the spearhead of an offense that should be spiffed up once
Seifert installs the West Coast offense, where you short pass like there's no tomorrow.
The talented Tim Biakabutuka returns as the starting RB, but his replacement last year
Fred Lane did an admirable job filling in. But it's the Panthers' young receivers, Rae
Carruth and Muhsin Muhammad that are their shining hope.
Players to watch:
-> Wesley Walls - Should get a lot more catches in this new system. Remember Brent
Jones? Seifer passed it to him like crazy. Expect the same for Walls, my top pick at TE
for fantasy leagues.
Significant offseason pickups:
-> Nate Newton - They stole this black sumo wrestler/OT away from my Cowboys! Curses!
Biakabutuka and Lane's lives just got easier.
Predicted record: 6-10
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5.) St. Louis Rams - Their season went down the tubes once QB Trent Green
spun around like a top on his way down after tearing his ACL and MCL. His replacement,
Kurt Warner, is in over his head. Things were looking so promising too. Trent Green,
although relatively unknown, was having a phenomenal preseason. Sigh. Oh well. Next year.
Next year, the Rams will make a run for 1st place in the division. The nucleus is there.
QB Trent Green, RB Marshall Faulk, WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce.
Players to watch:
-> Torry Holt - They retired his number at NC State. Pretty damn respectable if you ask
me. He was the first WR picked in the draft, and I believe this is an excellent choice.
Signficant offseason pickups:
-> Marshall Faulk - Last year he made a big to become the 2nd RB to rush 1,000 yards
and catch 1,000 yards. The bulk of the offensive load will now be on his shoulders.
Predicted record: 5-11
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NFC WEST RECAP
Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
San Francisco 49ers (10-6)
New Orleans Saints (8-8)
Carolina Panthers (6-10)
St. Louis Rams (5-11)
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