Opening Drive 2019: NFC West
Each team has one burning question that encompasses their 2019 season, and it's being asked here. Projected finish is in presentation order.
Can the Los Angeles Rams be a potent offense without Todd Gurley as primary running back? The Rams played in their first Super Bowl in 17 years fueled by an offense that cranked out both the yards and the points (2nd in the NFL in both categories) and a defense spearheaded by Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. While Donald still promises to wreck havoc upon opposing offenses, the Rams' offense does enter 2019 with a serious question about their marquee running back. While Gurley was the catalyst for LA's run to a 13-3 regular season, his absence during the playoffs was glaring (the Divisional Playoff game versus Dallas notwithstanding). In their three regular season losses, the Rams as a team did not break 100 yards. They ran for 77 yards in the NFC Championship game (and were the beneficiaries of a missed pass interference call in regulation and a takeaway in overtime), and gained only 67 rushing yards in their Super Bowl LIII loss to the New England Patriots. It was clear Gurley was sorely missed due to an ailing knee injury, which was discovered in the spring that his surgically repaired knee has arthritis. That incurable condition will require management of Gurley's workload throughout the season to optimize his production. That puts his role as the primary ball carrier, especially in early down situations, in doubt. Be it rookie Darrell Henderson or veteran Malcolm Brown, someone will need to take carries away from Gurley and at least come close to matching his effectiveness. More of the onus of the offense will fall on QB Jared Goff, who did grow as a passer in 2018 under the tutelage of his head coach Sean McVay. The only question surrounding the young signal caller will be regarding his leadership. Can he lead this team when they need it? Only time will tell, as only those situations will bear that question out. The Rams will take a step back in 2019, but not enough to cost them the division.
Are the San Francisco 49ers ready and able to put all the pieces into place and post a winning season & earn a playoff berth? Two years ago, Niners general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan took the helm of this wayward franchise, ready to build it back up to respectability. Despite a 6-10 season, they finished the 2017 campaign strong, convinced they found their quarterback in trade acquisition Jimmy Garoppolo. He was signed to a big money deal, free agents came aboard ready to contribute to a turnaround... and the injury bug proceeded to eat the Scarlet and Gold without so much as chewing. Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL, season over. Running back Matt Brieda, broken arm, then an ankle injury. RB Jerick McKinnon, torn ACL, season was over before it began. The 49ers will welcome back 13 players that were lost due to injured reserve designation. Plus, free agency brought in solid pros in LB Kwon Alexander (Tampa Bay) and RB Tevin Coleman (Atlanta), as well as pass rush help in a trade with Kansas City that brought DE Dee Ford to the Bay. Entering their third year, Lynch and Shanahan are under the gun to show tangible results. Moral victories and development may not cut it, regardless of any mitigating circumstances. The fan base, who can be impatient to return to prominence, will want to see a winning record and a playoff appearance. Both are possible, as San Fran does have the talent to do so. But if Garoppolo does not recapture his 2017 form, the offense loses its way, and the defense continues to be porous, then the heat on the head coach and the executive will only increase.
Will Russell Wilson be enough to carry the Seattle Seahawks? It was a small surprise when the Seahawks earned a wild card berth last year, as they were in the middle of retooling their roster post-Legion of Boom era. However, save for the draft, Seattle's offseason basically revolved around three events; Wilson being given a lucrative contract extension to make him the highest paid player in NFL history, WR Doug Baldwin announcing his retirement, and DE Frank Clark being traded to Kansas City due to his discontent with the Seahawks placing the franchise tag on him. The inactivity can't be blamed on Wilson, as his new contract adds only one million dollars to his 2019 cap number. With general manager John Schneider standing pat, this leaves more questions than answers about the Seahawks on the field for 2019. Will Tyler Lockett be able to be Wilson's WR1 in the wake of Baldwin's departure? With a running back by committee approach, will one man become the head of it? Can the offensive line, a years long issue, find improvement to the protect the franchise's biggest investment? Can free agent defensive end Ziggy Ansah on a one year prove-it deal be a suitable replacement for Clark? For the first time in decade for head coach Pete Carroll, the talent on the roster is not as refined as in their heyday. Can the college coach do it again with this new batch of players? The Seahawks will take a step back in 2019, but rest assured that they will be looking to go two steps forward in 2020.
Ok, now do the Arizona Cardinals have their future franchise quarterback? Talk about a surreal story. In 2018, the Cards move up in the draft to land UCLA signal caller Josh Rosen, essentially making him the quarterback of the future. Rosen plays one year behind a porous offensive line, an largely inept offensive coordinator, and was left to rot on the vine. After a horrific 3-13 campaign, head coach Steve Wilks was sacked after one season and Arizona found themselves with the #1 overall draft pick for 2019. So what do they do, draft Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa to give the Cardinals a stud pass rusher to complement their second year quarterback? Nope, GM Steve Keim deals Rosen to Miami for a pittance of what he paid for him 12 months prior, then drafts Kyler Murray, the highly touted Oklahoma University QB. The hiring of USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to mentor a young quarterback and install his Air Raid offense at the pro level looked to be the plan regardless of who was to be the starting QB, be it Rosen or Murray. While the men under center have been the storyline, the rest of the roster is in the process of a rebuild. The Cards shouldn't be as bad as their squad last year, but they won't flip the script in terms of winning percentage.
