2014 Win-Loss Predictions for the NFC West

For your amusement after no less than 3 simulations of 256 regular season games because I am that awesome with my free time, here are my 2014 win-loss predictions for every NFL team.  Let us conclude with the NFC West, a powerhouse of a division looking to stay on top of its game against lesser opponents in the AFC West and NFC East.  It'd be stunning if the West doesn't lock up at least two playoff spots this year, but we also know how hard it is to repeat and win the big dance when every opponent has this group circled on the calendar.  Holy PEDs!  What is happening to this division?!  Good thing they are last alphabetically - with all of the suspensions and injuries, even perennial NFC favorites the 49ers look like they're in trouble.  Without further adieu, here are my final 2014 regular season picks:

Arizona Cardinals

Best Case Scenario: After a playoff-grade regular season record last year, the Cardinals shock the world and steal the division from the more highly touted 49ers and Seahawks.  Carson Palmer continues to be a serviceable QB under Bruce Arians with better protection and fewer bone-headed mistakes than last time around.

Worst Case Scenario: The recently vaunted Arizona defense crumbles with Daryl Washington suspended for the season, John Abraham's status in question after a DUI, the Honey Badger continuing to recover from an ACL injury, and Karlos Dansby packing his bags for Cleveland.  Seriously, that's over a third of the Cards' stellar starting defense from a year ago.  Without any help from this side of the ball, the Cardinals may be lucky to get to 0.500, much less 10 wins.

Bellwether Match Up: The Cardinals will have a fair fight hosting the equally decimated 49ers defense in Week 3.  Everyone else in this division will be scrambling to secure any kind of edge against the returning champ Seahawks, so Arizona would do well to get ahead of Jim Harbaugh's bullies.

Prediction: Arizona would be hard-pressed to repeat last year's breakout success, especially since Carson Palmer's flaws were masked mightily by a spectacular defense.  Still, the Cardinals have done enough on the offensive side of the ball not to be completely embarrassed at 8 - 8.

San Francisco 49ers

Best Case Scenario: The chip on the 49ers' shoulder is so big, all of the injuries and suspensions in the world cannot stop Jim Harbaugh from slaying the white whale known as the Lombardi trophy this time.  Colin Kaepernick's growing body of experience allows him to eke out a few more wins than expected while the San Francisco defense is on its heels.

Worst Case Scenario: Suppose your meanest linebacker Navorro Bowman is injured for half the season.  Then Donte Whitner leaves for Cleveland.  Then other pass rushing specialist Aldon Smith gets suspended for half a year for face-palmingly stupid reasons while Ray McDonald looks like he will become an example for the NFL's sudden "caring" about domestic violence.  If Kaepernick and company cannot pull more weight than their used to on offense, the Niners are in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time during Jim Harbaugh's tenure.

Bellwether Match Up: Lucky for the 49ers, they won't face the rival Seahawks until Weeks 13 and 15, meaning they should be back at full strength in time to play spoiler to Seattle's recent dominance.  Walking away 1 - 1 would be great, walking away 2 - 0 would be a godsend for San Francisco's chances in January.

Prediction: San Francisco owes a lot of its success in recent years to having a consistently healthy, deep roster, especially on defense.  Talk about a test for Harbaugh when his back is already against the wall with the front office.  I think the 49ers make the most of a bad situation and will their way to 10 - 6.

St. Louis Rams

Best Case Scenario: QB Shaun Hill stuns the world after 13 years riding the pine and the Rams don't totally collapse after losing Sam Bradford for yet another season.  Even with all of that defensive talent, St. Louis would far surpass expectations by stealing 8 or 9 wins with such limited potential on the other side of the ball.

Worst Case Scenario: Even in present circumstances, it's hard to imagine these Rams reaching the very bottom of the barrel.  That's what the Raiders are for!  Still, it might behoove St. Louis to tank with a very obvious need at quarterback and pretty much zero chance of making the playoffs.

Bellwether Match Up: A common theme in this post - divisional wins are more valuable here than just about everywhere else in the NFL.  So if St. Louis wants to hold out hope for a few weeks longer than necessary, they host the 49ers and Seahawks in Weeks 7 - 8 and could do some damage with unlikely consecutive wins.

Prediction: There was a time when I was willing to give the Rams a respectable 8 - 8, but then the bottom fell out before the season ever began.  Even with a stellar front seven, St. Louis is doomed to roughly 6 - 10 territory.

Seattle Seahawks

Best Case Scenario: The Seahawks pick up right where they left off, dominating other teams on both sides of the ball and Russell Wilson continuing to develop into one of the best quarterbacks in the league.  If I had to put money on a 14- or 15-win team this year, Seattle would be it.

Worst Case Scenario: All dubious signs in the preseason point to the Seahawks being just as good this year as they were last year despite losing a few substantive defensive contributors and Golden "Fail Mary" Tate.  But it would be hard for any team to repeat a season like Seattle had in 2013, so a few unlucky bounces and stiff competition in the division and conference could lead to a couple less wins this time around.

Bellwether Match Up: Especially given the recent turmoil for just about every other team in the NFC West, the Seahawks' schedule is looking like a bit of a cakewalk.  So if there's something resembling a real challenge for Seattle, I'd say it will be facing the 49ers twice in the last leg of the season.

Prediction: I really did not want to do this 1) because I have Seahawks friends who will surely loathe my jinxing; and 2) it's completely unoriginal, but Seattle looks primed to keep the hits coming in 2014 with a league-best 13 - 3 performance.

And in case you missed it, here's my win-loss breakdown of the rest of the NFL:

• AFC East
• AFC North
• AFC South
• AFC West
• NFC East
• NFC North
• NFC South