It was a strange season for the 49ers. They started off looking like playoff contenders with a dominant defense. Then they faded when it became apparent they couldn’t pass the ball. Then they appeared to find their level as a team that could hang with the better teams but not beat them.

The big worry for aspirations beyond the playoffs is that of their seven wins, five came in their own division. With their other victories coming against Jacksonville and Chicago, it’s not the most impressive list of conquests.

So if San Francisco is going to progress, it must start doing better against the big teams. But are the 49ers capable of that?

Read the rest of this article »

With the season almost ready to go, here’s another chapter on my quest to learn more from Pro Football Focus founder Neil Hornsby. I ask him five questions that interest me and he answers them — off the cuff, without his usual 10 hours spent poring over game tape.

This week, we talk Matt Leinart, the Jets’ so-called “3-4″ defense and NFL expansion.

Huzzah!

Read the rest of this article »

After years of dominating the NFC West, things have gone rapidly downhill.

Shaun Alexander is long gone. Walter Jones has retired. There are those wondering if the best days of Matt Hasselbeck are long behind him.

So to rectify the Seahawks’ slip away from perennial playoff contenders, in comes Pete Carroll. The former USC coach has not taken long to make a mark with some aggressive moves, but have they done enough to turn around one of the leagues’ weakest rosters?

Read the rest of this article »

With Kurt Warner retiring and Anquan Boldin joining the Ravens, now’s as good a time as any for a change in identity for the NFC West Champions.

All the talk this offseason has been about taking the pressure off whoever is behind center by emphasizing the run and wearing teams down. Eventually, though, the Cardinals are going to have to pass and they’re going to have to come to terms with not having the fearless Warner dealing with protection mishaps.

Still, with an underrated defense and some explosive players on offense, are people too quick to write off Arizona?

Read the rest of this article »

The Falcons finally got back-to-back winning seasons under their belt for the first time, but in the process failed to make the playoffs.

This year that won’t be good enough.

An emerging team with plenty of talent throughout, there are some holes the Falcons hope they’ve addressed with players returning from injury, some “safe” drafting and one big offseason acquisition. Is that going to be enough to go from competing with the Saints to beating them?

Read the rest of this article »

There’s no point attempting to hide it or dress it up — in 2009, the Rams were bad.

Really bad.

But even for the worst football team (and St. Louis certainly earned its first selection of the 2010 draft) there are things to get excited about. With this in mind, the Rams will be looking to build on the positives and develop a unit that can compete in the relatively weak NFC West. It won’t be easy with a rookie quarterback, but St. Louis is built to be better this year.

Read the rest of this article »