UTTQ 2011 NFL Predictions: NFC West

The 2011 season may have not begun, but our 2011 NFL Regular Season predictions have. Here's a brief summary of each NFC West team, in no particular order, starting with the defending division champion Seattle Seahawks:

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
The Seahawks managed to sneak into the playoffs last season with a losing record, and upset the heavily favored Saints. This year, the Hawks will rely on Tarvaris Jackson/Charlie Whitehurst to navigate their way through an up-for-grabs division. With Sidney Rice, Zach Miller, and Mike Williams at his disposal (along with Marshawn Lynch), look for Jackson to put up respectable passing numbers. Of course, Jackson must also hope his hodgepodge O-line can hold together as well.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
The Niners have a new coach, but the same old quarterback. Hopefully this marriage will pan out between Jim Harbaugh and Alex Smith, but also don't count out the rookie Colin Kaepernick. Braylon Edwards will be the new no. 1, and with Frank Gore getting his contract dispute settled, he'll once again be the workhorse of this offense. Patrick Willis is the leader of the defense, which improves in the secondary with the likes of Carlos Rogers, Donte Whitner, and Madieu Williams.

ST. LOUIS RAMS
The Rams have a beacon of hope in second year quarterback Sam Bradford, but they must first figure out who he will throw to. Danny Amendola, Brandon Gibson, and Mike Sims-Walker look to be the safe picks for now. The Rams also made several intriguing additions to their defense, adding the likes of Ben Leber, Justin Bannan, Al Harris, Brady Poppinga, and Zac Diles. Perhaps most important was the addition of safety Quintin Mikell, a student of coach Steve Spagnuolo in Philadelphia.

ARIZONA CARDINALS
Arizona believes it has finally found a successor to Kurt Warner in Kevin Kolb. With Larry Fitzgerald anchored by a long term contract, the Kolb-Fitz combination could dominate the NFC West for years to come. The running game takes a hit with a season-ending (and, possibly career ending) injury to running back Ryan Williams, which means Beanie Wells must step up. On defense, corner Patrick Peterson looks like he can have an immediate impact.


NFC WEST TITLE: Arizona Cardinals

• The Cards start the season with a relatively soft schedule, until their bye in week 6. After that, if they can survive a few tough weeks and finish strong, they have a real chance of winning the West. It also depends on Kolb's development, since there is no insurance if he goes down or sucks.

WILD CARD TEAMS: None

• The Rams have a very tough schedule that will test their ability to play possible playoff teams (of which they didn't have much success against last year). The Seahawks have no quarterback(s). And the Niners arguably have no QBs either (although they do have a favorable schedule).