Arizona Cardinals
Best Case Scenario: With Carson Palmer back at full strength, the Cardinals go on another big win streak to start the season against some pretty manageable opponents. Arizona's balanced roster gives them the edge over the lesser Rams and 49ers, and Bruce Arians takes this squad to their second consecutive playoff appearance with more health on their side.Worst Case Scenario: Despite Arians' best coaching efforts, the Red Birds' offense stalls with a weak line and aging quarterback who continues to get hit far too often to survive sixteen games. Palmer hangs up his cleats for good after another big-time injury, and the Cardinals go back to QB purgatory with Logan Thomas, Ryan Lindley, et al.
Prediction: Every time I count Bruce Arians' team out, he surprises me. But I also feel like the Cardinals got away with a crazy-improbable 11-win season last year that will require the pendulum to swing back around this time. I see another frustrating year for Carson Palmer and a 7 - 9 slump.
San Francisco 49ers
Best Case Scenario: Hoo boy. As disappointed as 49ers fans had to be by last season's 8 - 8 whiff, they would probably dance in the streets to have that same record with Jim Tomsula under the headset this year. If San Francisco has any chance at being respectable in 2015, it will be because Colin Kaepernick and a largely new offensive supporting cast do more than their fair share to put points on the board no matter how bad this defense gets without Patrick Willis, Justin Smith and Chris Borland. It still probably won't be enough for 8 - 8 though.Worst Case Scenario: With no Jim Harbaugh, no Frank Gore and virtually no defensive stars returning, the 49ers get sucked into a black hole of incompetence with no relief in sight. This once-vaunted ground-and-pound franchise becomes a shell of its former self, and even the most diehard fans refuse to make the drive to Santa Clara for years to come. In other words, the Niners are the latest victims of a particularly nasty breed of the Super Bowl hosting curse.
Prediction: It's hard not to see that worst case scenario above the way the 49ers have hemorrhaged players and coaching personnel this year. I've got this team sliding hard to 4 - 12 and having a whole lot more big questions to answer after they sweep up someone else's confetti at Levi's Stadium in February.
Seattle Seahawks
Best Case Scenario: If there's a team that's built to win 14 to 16 games this season, it'd be the Seahawks who are returning all of their Pro Bowlers on offense and defense while somehow adding Jimmy Graham to the mix. Now that Graham gives Russell Wilson the kind of endzone target Seattle could only dream of last February, this team becomes the first in the NFL since the Bills to make three straight Super Bowl trips.Worst Case Scenario: While it's hard to imagine the Seahawks' offense being anything but better than it was a year ago, there could be some cracks around the edges for the Legion of Boom. Veteran cornerback Byron Maxwell left for a hefty deal in Philadelphia, Kam Chancellor has held out for a new deal through OTAs and the preseason, and word on the street is that Earl Thomas' recovery from a torn labrum has been dicier than once thought. There's a real chance that Seattle's defense will struggle more than it ever has since Pete Carroll came to town, at least for the first part of the season. The 'Hawks are still in prime playoff position, but they could get knocked back in the seeding if they flounder early on.
Prediction: There's just no sense in betting against the Seahawks. With growing talent and experience all around this roster, I see Seattle nabbing another 12 - 4 record and all the momentum going into the playoffs.
St. Louis Rams
Best Case Scenario: The Rams' defense is a holy terror, pummeling opposing teams with an elite pass rush and holding them to less than two touchdowns a game. Nick Foles is a much steadier, more reliable upgrade to Sam Bradford at QB thanks in large part to the stable of top running backs St. Louis has drafted over the years. St. Louis seizes second place in the NFC West and makes the playoffs for the first time in over a decade just as the Chargers and Raiders announce they are headed to L.A.Worst Case Scenario: Latest rookie savior at running back Todd Gurley fizzles out like so many before him behind a mediocre offensive line. Nick Foles takes a serious step back with a receiving corps that pales in comparison to the one he made his mark with in Philadelphia. And as good as the Rams' pass rush is, it still cannot atone for a third-tier secondary. The Rams run in place for another year while owner Stan Kroenke buys up more real estate elsewhere to up St. Louis' ransom.
Prediction: Mercy, have you looked at the Rams' schedule this season? It includes a whopping nine games against teams that made the playoffs last year, five of which are on the road. I think it's too much for the Rams to make a real splash in the NFC, but this team is fully capable of a few crazy upsets and a passionate 7 - 9 attempt at competency.
This concludes the 2015 Lady Blitz win-loss predictions preview. With one week until kickoff, be on the lookout here in the coming days for playoff predictions, the 10 best games on the schedule, and of course, my Week 1 picks!
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