NFC West Week 1: What to Know About Your Favorite NFL Team

The NFC West should once again produce some excellent football this season, although fans who love high-scoring, pass-heavy offensive attacks may not enjoy it as much as others.

The Los Angeles Rams, fresh off a Super Bowl appearance, are the preseason favorites once again. They’ll be challenged heavily by the Seattle Seahawks, who just added a huge piece to their defensive line in Jadeveon Clowney, as well as the young San Francisco 49ers, who will be lead by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

While the Arizona Cardinals are expected to bring up the rear, the team does have an exciting young quarterback in Kyler Murray and an eager young coach in Kliff Kingsbury, and they could surprise some folks.

Here is a preview of each team in the NFC West ahead of their first game of the 2019 season.

Feb 3, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) reacts after a tackle on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) during the second quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Rams (Pred: 11-5)

Key Additions: S Eric Weddle, LB Clay Matthews, QB Blake Bortles

Key Subtractions: S Mark Barron, OL John Sullivan, DT Ndamukong Suh

First game: @ Carolina Panthers

The Los Angeles Rams found themselves in the Super Bowl last season, their second under coach Sean McVay. Although they lost the game, this team has the potential to make their way back to that level again in 2019.

After making a ton of high-profile roster moves last offseason, the team laid pretty low in 2019, looking to make small changes but keeping the rest of their core intact.

The additions of veteran safety Eric Weddle and linebacker Clay Matthews could end up both being bargains when the year is up, even though both of them are up there in age.

LA must have liked what they saw out of the University of Washington last year, as they took safety Taylor Rapp and defensive tackle Greg Gaines in the draft. Both could serve as solid depth pieces this season.

The Rams are on their way to another 10+ win season, and although Carolina is a solid team I think they’ll take care of business on the road on their way to an 11-5 record.

NFL highest paid players Russell Wilson contract

Seattle Seahawks (Pred: 10-6)

Key Additions: DE Jadeveon Clowney, DE Ezekiel Ansah, WR DK Metcalf, K Jason Myers

Key Subtractions: FS Earl Thomas, WR Doug Baldwin, DE Frank Clark

First game: Vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Seattle Seahawks had a whirlwind of an offseason, punctuated by a surprising trade of star defensive end Frank Clark, two massive, record-breaking contract extensions for Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, the loss of franchise icons Doug Baldwin and Earl Thomas, the selection of uber-hyped receiver DK Metcalf, and then finally the last-minute trade for star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

Whew.

Ultimately this team is even better than the team that surprised everybody by winning 10 games and making it to the NFC wildcard game last year. Their run game is still excellent with Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, Russell Wilson is still an elite quarterback, and the additions of Ansah and Clowney in front of Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks gives them a formidable front seven.

The secondary isn’t what it used to be, and the receiving corps is extremely young, but this team has all the tools to win double-digit games and make a run in the playoffs.

Their first game against the Bengals should be a breeze, even if Clowney and Ansah are still learning the playbook up front.

San Francisco 49ers (8-8)

Key Additions: DE Nick Bosa, DE Dee Ford, RB Tevin Coleman, LB Kwon Alexander

Key Subtractions: P Bradley Pinion, WR Pierre Garcon, RB Alfred Morris

First game: @ Tampa Bay

The 49ers did a lot to improve their roster this offseason, signing a pair of quality defensive players in Kwon Alexander and Dee Ford, while also using the second overall pick to snag Nick Bosa.

The fact that they lost very little talent from last year’s squad (their punter was the biggest loss) is a great sign for this team going forward.

Of course, their success will hinge on how quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo looks in what the team hopes will be his first full season in the Bay.

Garoppolo has played in nine games for San Francisco over the last two seasons, with a nice 64.8% completion rate but a subpar 12/8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. If he can develop into the stud QB the fans envision, this team should play over .500 ball this year. If he cannot, it could be another ugly year in San Francisco.

Their first game over in Tampa Bay will give fans a good look at which Jimmy G they are going to get this year.

Arizona Cardinals (Pred: 5-11)

Key Additions: QB Kyler Murray, CB Byron Murphy, EDGE Terrell Suggs, TE Charles Clay

Key Subtractions: QB Josh Rosen, EDGE Benson Mayowa, FS Antoine Bethea

First Game: vs. Detroit Lions

Last but not least, the Arizona Cardinals will look to climb out of the cellar in the NFC West. Lead by their new coach, Kliff Kingsbury, and new quarterback Kyler Murray, this team does have some intrigue as a sleeper pick – even in the top-heavy NFC West.

Arizona made some shrewd moves on defense, signing free agent Terrell Suggs and drafting former UW cornerback Byron Murphy – although the losses of Benson Mayowa and Antoine Bethea will definitely hurt them.

They did their best to shore up the offensive line as well, and a healthy David Johnson should be a huge asset in 2019.

They get a nice litmus test in their season opener against the Lions, another young team attempting to re-brand themselves to get out of the cellar.

Perhaps Murray and Kingsbury can move the Cardinals in the right direction going forward.

NFL: Kliff Kingsbury, Cardinals Cell Phone Policy is a Non-Issue + So 2019

Kliff Kingsbury Cell Phone Policy Players social media

In an interesting twist, it wasn’t news coming from the NFL’s annual meetings that seemed to dominate the headlines on Wednesday, but Kliff Kingsbury’s cell phone policy.

Throughout the week, NFL personnel–including head coaches–have been in Arizona discussing and voting on rules chat could change the course of this upcoming season, and taking care of other pre-Draft business. But despite important discussions that were occurring, one seemed to dominate the headlines on Wednesday.

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First-year Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury announced on Tuesday that he plans to implement a cell phone policy that is commonly used among the college football ranks. “They’re itching to get to those things,” Kingsbury said. “You start to see kind of hands twitching and legs shaking, and you know they need to get that social media fix, so we’ll let them hop over there and then get back in the meeting and refocus.”

This shouldn’t come as a shock.

According to Statista, there are over 4.9 billion mobile phone users in the world. What’s more, the average cell phone user will check their phones up to 47 times per day, with 2,617 likes, taps, or swipes; and 22 percent of those surveyed ages 18-29 check their phones every few minutes. While the data supports obsessive and addictive traits, fans have to realize that it’s not a coaches’ job to mitigate these issues. For Kingsbury to understand these habits is a testament to his attention to detail, and considering the lucrative contracts these players hold, Kingsbury would rather give them a few minutes in between activities to center their focus and hopefully see a greater return on their investments as a result.

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Kingsbury is Forward Thinking

Throughout the day, fans were calling Kliff Kingsbury and the Cardinals out for supporting a “millennial culture,” but it’s hypocritical, considering every cell phone holds personal data patterns, and the negative responses were likely coming from people who weren’t paying attention to the tasks or people in front of them in order to craft their opinions.

The average age of an NFL player is much closer to the ages of the guys Kingsbury coached at Texas Tech. Moreover, Kingsbury, himself, is a former college and NFL player so he understands players on a deeper level than his cohorts. Cell phone breaks are even facilitated at the Ivy League level, so this isn’t groundbreaking or distracting, and shouldn’t be viewed as anything other than leadership understanding how to get the maximum output from their personnel.

From continued activism for benefits to former players, to concussion and CTE issues; domestic violence and drug incidents, to in-game protocol and reviews, the NFL has significantly larger issues to deal with than devolving to high school levels in terms of cell phone and attention management issues.

Kliff Kingsbury Interview: NFL is Ready for Bold Coaching Philosophies

Kliff Kingsbury Interview: The NFL is Ready for Bold Coaching Philosophies

As former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury transitions into the NFL, his thought process shows just how far he’s matured since becoming college football’s youngest head coach.

When Kliff Kingsbury was hired as Texas Tech’s head coach in 2013, he was coming off an exciting year. Kingsbury, then 32, had just coached the youngest Heisman winner in the award’s history in Johnny Manziel. As offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, the national spotlight was focused on a coach with a penchant for details, who proved his high powered offense could be successful in the SEC; which was viewed as the gateway to the NFL.

Fast forward to Texas Tech’s loss vs. Baylor on November 24, 2018, where Kingsbury’s head coaching record hit 35-40 (.467).

In Tech’s 24-35 loss in Dallas, it was pretty much guaranteed that he would not be returning to Lubbock in 2019. Days later, Kingsbury’s termination was confirmed, but just as the news came in, Kliff Kingsbury’s name escalated to the top of every offensive coordinator vacancy position available. Just as Red Raiders began embracing “The King’s” new destination in Los Angeles as the Trojans’ OC, USC allowed him to interview for the Arizona Cardinals’ head coaching position. While the idea of a coach with a losing record seemed insane at first, the Cardinals’ decision was on-trend with the NFL’s sudden shift to the very offensive installation that Kliff Kingsbury had become notorious for throughout his entire playing and coaching career.

Record-breaking numbers and fast-paced offenses are becoming the identity of the Big 12. Now it’s also trickling into the SEC and specifically Alabama with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. For years the Crimson Tide’s identity was in its defensive fortitude, but Tua’s arm strength and cerebral talents prove that to outmaneuver opponents means you have to outsmart them. This can be attributed to why Rams’ head coach Sean McVay has seen the success he has in Los Angeles. Just as defenses understand what “Halle Berry” means, quarterback Jared Goff catches them off guard with another audible. “Obama Obama. Ric Flair Ric Flair.” Score. It’s poetry.

It’s easy to understand why NFL purists who believe the offensive philosophies and avant-garde schemes in college should stay in their lane, but the NFL has to source talent from somewhere. And with two of the top producing conferences in college football transitioning, it’s the perfect timing for a Kliff Kingsbury-type coach.

Kingsbury might be young by NFL standards, but his playing resume spans from New Braunfels, Texas to Europe, so he’s cultured in a way that he understands his players. His coaching career started on a roll of the dice, and he’s been on a G6 ever since. Sure, there’s been turbulence, but like most successful people, adversity and struggles haven’t taken him off course. He’s learned from every role and opportunity he’s been given, and his work ethic combined with his detail-oriented mentality is why he’s now one of 32 NFL head football coaches.

But with the man responsible for coaching up six current NFL quarterbacks–including the frontrunner for the NFL’s MVP Award in Patrick Mahomes–suddenly in charge of a team worth $2.5B, questions have been raised, and rightfully so.

Thankfully, Kingsbury was kind enough to sit down with me to clear the air on some of those concerns.

Q: What was the most transformative event in your time as head coach at Texas Tech that let you know you were ready for this step?

KK: “I’m not sure you ever know that you’re ready, but having been fortunate to coach guys that have played at this level and seen the success they’ve had in similar offensive trends going on in the NFL, I’m just excited for this opportunity, and I’ll try to take what we’ve done at the college level into the NFL.”

Q: If you could break the internet with one unknown fact about you, what would it be?

KK: “I’m straight forward. What you see is what you get.”

Q: You’re one of the coolest and most composed guys on the sideline at every level. So, schematics aside, who influenced that aspect of your coaching philosophy?

KK: “I try to only show positive reactions. I think that when I was with New England watching Coach Belichick, he was the one where ‘great play or bad play’ [he was composed]. And I always thought that was good for the pulse of the team. You never really knew what he was thinking either way, but he never showed panic or any sort of overreaction, and I think that’s just a good mentality for a coach to show to his team.”

Q: Thoughts on angry coaches coming from a former players’ perspective?

KK: “Players respond differently. For me, I was just never a guy who fed off the coach losing it. I was more like, ‘Hey, let’s figure this out, keep our heads together,’ and come up with the best solution to whatever the issue was at the time.”

Q: You coached Pat [Mahomes] and were with him the night he was drafted, and you were drafted by the Pats and played with Tom Brady. How are you feeling about the AFC Championship game?

KK: “I’m pulling for both offenses, so… a high scoring affair. Hopefully, they tie! No… it’s tough because obviously, I have a lot of respect for the head coaches and the teams and Tom and Pat, so I just want them both to play really well, and I’m sure it will be a heckuva a game.”

Q: So you have no rooting interest?

KK: “I don’t. I’m just trying to stay neutral and hope everyone plays well and stays healthy.”

Q: What was the biggest challenge in your first few years as head coach at Texas Tech? Did you face any issues or setbacks that might have throttled Tech’s progression, and ultimately your win-loss record?

KK: “I’m sure there were specifics, but just as a young coach, I think I was probably a little too ambitious on some things. Instead of just really trying to build it from the ground up, I thought we could make some quick fixes here and there. It probably set us back, and I think it’s just something that you learn as you go. There isn’t anything that can prepare you for that, but I think that probably pushed us back a little bit in the beginning.”

Q: Did you think your limited time in the coaching profession had an impact on your coaching tree?

KK: “No…I’m not sure. Obviously, I hadn’t been a coach for very long when I was given that opportunity and probably had some limited connections as opposed to others. I think that’s something that moving forward, I’ve really tried to be thorough in the hiring process, and making sure that we’re always getting the best candidates possible. I’ve been fortunate to coach with a bunch of coaches who have done a tremendous job for us, but that’s one of the biggest things I took from [that job]; you have to get the right tools for that program at that time, regardless of your relationship with people. It’s just about getting the right people.”

Q: What’s your favorite quote?

KK: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, and live the life you’ve imagined.” — Henry David Thoreau

Q: You haven’t announced an OC yet, but noted that whoever you hire will help you mesh some traditional looks into your system. With how much the NFL is changing offensively, is it important to bring in traditional coaches to transition veteran players into new schemes more efficiently?

KK: “The experience factor in this league is [what’s] important for me, to be able to learn from everyone that has been here before and dealt with an NFL schedule, game planning, and break downs. There are just different aspects that will be new to me, so the more experience you can rely on, the more ideas you can get from people who have done it at a high level from different organizations, the better off we’ll be.”

Kliff Kingsbury is an anomaly–especially to the coaching world. He’s a charismatic guy with Texas swagger but places a great deal of emphasis on intelligence. From his custom suits to one of his favorite books, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the details he pays attention to are a nod to old school elements of the game; it’s his system that provides an upgrade. And with another NFL team getting on board, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the ‘Year in Football’ in 2019 includes an increase of “system experimentation.”

Want More? Check Out: Preseason Polls are Worthless and Mess Up the College Football Playoff