NFC West Episode 8

As things stand after week 7

Cardinals 5-2
Rams 3-3*
Hawks 3-4
49ers 2-5

The Lines:
Seattle -6 Over Dallas
St Louis -8.5 Over San Fransisco
Arizona -4.5 over Cleveland

Elo Says: (I think this is a very flawed system based on how points are accrued but it's still neat)
Arizona 71% over Cleveland 29%
Rams 69% over San Fran 31%
Seattle 59% over Dallas 41%

DVOA: Overall Offense Defense VS Overall Offense Defense
Arizona #2 #3 #4 CLE #23 #24 #27
St Louis #16 #30 #5 SF #32 #31 #32
Seattle #6 #15 #8 DAL #26 #19 #25
San Fransisco #32 #31 #32 STL #16 #30 #5

DISCLAIMER:
This week I am going to have a little fun on this thread. Part of that is because I think the end is near for AZ as the leader of the division. I'm going to use some of my favorite cliches from some posters on this board just to have a little friendly jab.

Here is one. Seattle will travel to Dallas. One of my good friends on this board loves to point out when the Cardinals play a backup. Here is an interesting fact. In the last two years no team has played more backup QB's than Seattle! This will be there 12 game against a backup QB in there last 24! Can you say WOW! Not a bad stat to lead the league in! Another interesting note is how Arizona was screwed with a late start in Cleveland while Seattle gets the early start :stirthepot: Just kidding. It's all about revenues for the league. See they weren't out to screw Seattle! Okay, I got my two jabs in. But I'm not done.

A tweet from Davis Hsu. Certainly approved by Hawks fans: The only 3 things the bottom 3 NFC teams have in common is they are the only wins the Hawks have... AND Seahawks have beat opponents who have a combined .250 record (5-15)

For those thinking about Penalties? ‏@DavisHsuSeattle 47m47 minutes ago
I think Okung did false start a few times in the 1st half too but not called- I could be wrong-

This will also be the best team that Seattle has beaten this year according to DVOA if they win because Dallas ranked 24th, while the other 3 wins came against the 29th, 31st, and 32nd ranked teams.

Okay, I'm done with my fun. In fact my fun most likely ends anyways in Seattle this year so I figure I'll make the most of it while it lasts.

Dallas is on a four game losing streak. Whether Dez is there or not I don't think it matters. Seattle really is just that much better than Dallas and not as bad as their record shows. This game is going to be all about establishing the run on both sides and I think the combination of Lynch and Rawls has a lot more upside than their #2 and #3 Rb's in McFadden and C-Mike since their #1 is down. I think this will be the most complete game we've seen this year from Seattle and that once the fourth rolls around it will look like Seahawks football from the last couple of years.

Arizona will travel to Cleveland and I think this game should be easier than the Ravens. The Browns are the worst team in the league against the Run and the Cardinals running game has been the best it's ever been in their history this year. I think we steam roll this team to a two possession victory. For the most part I think we are always in control in this game and it's really never out of the question who wins. Arizona like Seattle has only proved we can beat the bad teams and not the good until proven otherwise. We are in the same boat as some of the jokes I made above.

The Rams will host the 49ers. I can't imagine the lack of sleep Kap has been getting this week imagining Aaron Donald and the rest of that defense having their way with him. I'm sure he already has dark circles and gray hairs popping out from the stress of it all. I don't think the 49ers stand a chance. While the Rams may not be capable of blowing teams out on offense, their defense is stifling and currently the scariest in the division. Rams win.

After week 8

Cards 6-2
Rams 4-3
Seahawks 4-4
49ers 2-6

RedAlice 20-7
RINGLESS 19-8
KEARLY 18-9
Hawksfansinceday1 18-9
drdiags 17-6
POPEYEJONES 17-10
REX 14-9
Fade 14-13
Hasselbeck 13-14
Shadowhawk 15-12
Mizzou 15-9
greenblue_eye's2 9-6 (dnp)
ClutchDJ 10-9
UNCLE SI 8-4
Superman28 12-8
Erebus 7-5
SF49er 6-16
Marvin49 5-5
b8rtm8nn 7-8
Largent80 3-4
SALISHHAWKFAN 3-5
Laloosh 2-6

Current record: 17-6

Seattle at Dallas: I am just going to plug my ears and make noises since I don't want to hear anything but a Seahawks victory. Cassell has had success against the Seahawks and Pete Carroll before and Dallas has enough playmakers to not be taken lightly. At this point I am just going to stay with homer picks on the team until further notice.

Seattle win: 4-4

Cards at Cleveland: Browns are not consistent and their only good QB (good being relative) is hurt. Cards win this one.

Cards win: 6-2

9ers at Rams: Tempted to take the 9ers but last week's play and the smoke coming out of the press about the locker room makes it hard. Rams took care of business against the Browns and though Noles is shaky as heck, I pick the Rams to win.

Rams: 4-3
9ers: 2-6

My Magic 8 ball is being repaired so my in-depth analyses will have to be given later.

drdiags":3bqhfn3k said:

9ers at Rams: Tempted to take the 9ers but last week's play and the smoke coming out of the press about the locker room makes it hard. Rams took care of business against the Browns and though Noles is shaky as heck, I pick the Cards to win.

Click to expand...

Does that make your Cards record prediction 7-2 then?

SEA wins
AZ wins
STL wins
SF loses

b8rtm8nn":33by5fk1 said:

drdiags":33by5fk1 said:

9ers at Rams: Tempted to take the 9ers but last week's play and the smoke coming out of the press about the locker room makes it hard. Rams took care of business against the Browns and though Noles is shaky as heck, I pick the Cards to win.

Click to expand...

Does that make your Cards record prediction 7-2 then?

Click to expand...

DOOH!!!

Dallass
Browns
Niners

Lets go!

Ringless, I hope you took my miserable record off of the list by now. So embarrassing.

Hawks win
Rams win
Cards win
Niners lose

Really a tough game to pick between DAL and SEA. DAL is a wounded animal right now and SEA's weaknesses don't appear to be improving much. But ultimately I'm going with the better QB. I'm not picking Cassel vs the SEA D. This will be a very tough win for SEA, though. No shock whatsoever if SEA loses here.

Cards may be facing Manziel this week. That alone is enough for me to chalk this up for a Cards victory.

I still don't think SF is all that bad. They still have some talent, some good pieces. But I don't think they have a coach that can maximize what they have. The book appears to be out on Kap. Greg Williams is gonna have some fun with this one. :stirthepot:

Arizona, Seattle and St. Louis win. San Francisco loses.

Seahawks win
Cards win
Rams win
Niners lose

Arizona Cardinals - Win
St Louis Rams/Los Angeles - Win
Seattle Seahawks - Win (Oh yeah...Lets do this!)
Santa Clara 49ers - Lose

If McCown was playing, I think the Browns beat the Cardinals.

The Browns at home this year:

Beat the Titans

Lost to the Raiders

Took Broncos to OT


The Raider loss looks a bit better now, but either way, the Browns are a tough out at home.

The thing that will level the playing field as far as the short week goes, is that the Rams physically beat the $hit out of the Browns last week. They will probably be just as sore come Sunday as the Cardinals.

Even with Manziel, the Browns keep it close and lose in some form of Cleveland Browns fashion.


Rams/Niners - Kaepernick's career passer rating against us is embarrassing. Going to need the DL to dominate the point of attack and keep Hyde at bay. If the offense plays like it did in the other division games, the Niners have a beat down coming. If it plays like it has in the non-division games, it'll be similar to the Browns game...close and then we pull away. Fortunately, Kaep is worse than McCown, and the Niners OL is worse than the Browns. Their D is better...but not by a whole lot.


Seahawks/Cowboys - are the Seahawks back? Or did they just beat a really bad Niners team. We'll find out on Sunday. I think either the Cards or Hawks lose this week....so I'm taking Dallas in this one. Cowboys will really need this game, and any defense is capable of shutting down the Hawks offense with that OL. On the flip side, the Dallas OL is so good that it can run on any defense. Hardy sacks Wilson 4 times and the Cowboys take it.

Still stuck on "when the cards play a backup QB" and you still don't get what I was saying. It was about when the Cards "don't" play a good opponent with their backup QB that I was talking about. The Cards just don't win games against good opponents when their opponent has their starting QB. Look it up. Last season, the only 10 win team the cards beat was the Eagles. Look over the past three seasons and you'll find that the Cards don't win those games. The good opponents are coming for the Cards and (fingers crossed) they'll have their starting QBs playing. Meanwhile, the Cards and the Seahawks will continue to beat the bad teams on their schedule and the backup QBs. The only problem for the Cards is that this week is the last of their weak opponents for a while and Seattle has a line of cupcakes coming up.

Beast and Rawls control the game..........
Hawks 23
Cowpatties 13

EDIT to say that if Okung is out my score prediction is:
Hawks 16
Cowpatties 13



Rams at home easily control 9ers with their D
Rams 27
9ers 9



Cleveland is the type of team the Cards (and Seahawks) own
Cards 31
Brownies 13

Ramfan128":1inp5916 said:

If McCown was playing, I think the Browns beat the Cardinals.

The Browns at home this year:

Beat the Titans

Lost to the Raiders

Took Broncos to OT


The Raider loss looks a bit better now, but either way, the Browns are a tough out at home.

The thing that will level the playing field as far as the short week goes, is that the Rams physically beat the $hit out of the Browns last week. They will probably be just as sore come Sunday as the Cardinals.

Even with Manziel, the Browns keep it close and lose in some form of Cleveland Browns fashion.


Rams/Niners - Kaepernick's career passer rating against us is embarrassing. Going to need the DL to dominate the point of attack and keep Hyde at bay. If the offense plays like it did in the other division games, the Niners have a beat down coming. If it plays like it has in the non-division games, it'll be similar to the Browns game...close and then we pull away. Fortunately, Kaep is worse than McCown, and the Niners OL is worse than the Browns. Their D is better...but not by a whole lot.


Seahawks/Cowboys - are the Seahawks back? Or did they just beat a really bad Niners team. We'll find out on Sunday. I think either the Cards or Hawks lose this week....so I'm taking Dallas in this one. Cowboys will really need this game, and any defense is capable of shutting down the Hawks offense with that OL. On the flip side, the Dallas OL is so good that it can run on any defense. Hardy sacks Wilson 4 times and the Cowboys take it.

Click to expand...

Just to clarify. McCown is scheduled to play this week according to reports so your pick is the Browns based off your post?

ringless":1zdbe4lk said:

Ramfan128":1zdbe4lk said:

If McCown was playing, I think the Browns beat the Cardinals.

The Browns at home this year:

Beat the Titans

Lost to the Raiders

Took Broncos to OT


The Raider loss looks a bit better now, but either way, the Browns are a tough out at home.

The thing that will level the playing field as far as the short week goes, is that the Rams physically beat the $hit out of the Browns last week. They will probably be just as sore come Sunday as the Cardinals.

Even with Manziel, the Browns keep it close and lose in some form of Cleveland Browns fashion.


Rams/Niners - Kaepernick's career passer rating against us is embarrassing. Going to need the DL to dominate the point of attack and keep Hyde at bay. If the offense plays like it did in the other division games, the Niners have a beat down coming. If it plays like it has in the non-division games, it'll be similar to the Browns game...close and then we pull away. Fortunately, Kaep is worse than McCown, and the Niners OL is worse than the Browns. Their D is better...but not by a whole lot.


Seahawks/Cowboys - are the Seahawks back? Or did they just beat a really bad Niners team. We'll find out on Sunday. I think either the Cards or Hawks lose this week....so I'm taking Dallas in this one. Cowboys will really need this game, and any defense is capable of shutting down the Hawks offense with that OL. On the flip side, the Dallas OL is so good that it can run on any defense. Hardy sacks Wilson 4 times and the Cowboys take it.

Click to expand...

Just to clarify. McCown is scheduled to play this week according to reports so your pick is the Browns based off your post?

Click to expand...

Is that the sound of backpedaling I hear?

This week seems hard for some reason.

I pick Rams to win and SF to lose.

For the other two, I know it will probably be Cards and Hawk wins - but IDK, seems like one of you may get an upset. Not sure which one.

Cleveland is not as bad as their record. Dallas and Hawks seem to have some rival thing and Dallas can surprise.

Not sure who to pick in suicide yet either.

I'm going to get a root canal here in a bit, so I will pick after they give me drugs.

Yikes. Good luck. Enjoy the ice cream?

RedAlice":19tgbyj1 said:

This week seems hard for some reason.

I pick Rams to win and SF to lose.

For the other two, I know it will probably be Cards and Hawk wins - but IDK, seems like one of you may get an upset. Not sure which one.

Cleveland is not as bad as their record. Dallas and Hawks seem to have some rival thing and Dallas can surprise.

Not sure who to pick in suicide yet either.

I'm going to get a root canal here in a bit, so I will pick after they give me drugs.

Click to expand...

I need you to pick Dallas. You are right more than anyone. The Rams need you to pick Dallas. Your playoff hopes also want you to pick Dallas. You have been on top, and therefor the most reliable person on this board. Make it so!

RedAlice has written, and so it shall be