Final preparations and dress rehearsals are the theme of this weekend in the NFL as teams are getting one last look at their starters. We get one lasting impression before teams start to focus on their regular season openers in just about two weeks. More importantly, every team is mainly looking to get through the third preseason game without injuries. We’ll all have a pretty solid idea of where each team stands before they cut their rosters down to 53 players after the weekend.

In the meantime, let’s size up another division as we make our way towards September 7^th. Today we are looking at the NFC West. Admittedly, it was a down year for this division as the Seahawks took the division without much issue. Seattle struggled for much of the season despite finishing 10-5-1. The rest of the NFC West really didn’t match the level that we have come to expect from this division over the past few years.

Arizona went from a potential Super Bowl contender to completely missing the postseason due to a myriad of on-field issues. Los Angeles spent most of the season with a sub-par offense holding back a talented defensive unit, raising many questions about the direction of the team. Over in San Francisco, the 49ers completely bottomed out essentially putting an end to the Chip Kelly experiment in the NFL.

2017 brings a number of questions inside this division. Will two regime changes light a fire at the bottom of the division? Can Arizona recapture the magic from two seasons ago? Are the Seahawks legitimate contenders now that key players are healthy once again? Let’s try to answer those questions in today’s “No Huddle.”

Seattle Seahawks (last season: 10-5-1)

2016 was a strange season in Seattle. This seemingly potent offense was kneecapped by poor offensive line play all season, which even led to injury issues for quarterback Russell Wilson. In spite of that, Seattle still showed its championship window is still open with Wilson and the Legion of Boom.

A new year offers a clean slate in many ways. Similar to the past couple of seasons, the Seattle offense will look to build upon a hot finish. Wilson and the passing game really stepped up at the end of the year but getting off to a good start will be vital this year.

The main question that remains is which running back will step up to lead they way. Thomas Rawls looked to have the inside track on free agent signing Eddie Lacy, but another ankle injury as kept this position battle in limbo. CJ Prosise will have a role as a receiving back but a groin injury has the coaching staff questioning the reliability of this potential Swiss Army knife. Adding to the confusion surrounding the running backs is the sudden emergence of rookie Chris Carson, who looked great in the first two preseason games and is getting reps with the first team. Much of the identity of this offense will undoubtedly be a direct result of which of these four can take the reigns before Week 1.

It’s a new year, but the same story for the Seattle defense. The return of Earl Thomas from a broken leg will certainly bring the edge back to the Legion of Boom. Without their eraser on the back-end of the defense, Seattle looked uncharacteristically vulnerable. There is no reason to worry about a dip in play from the Seahawks and a return to the top tier of NFL defenses is not out of the question.

A return to the playoffs is almost a certainty this season as Seattle has a leg up in the division race here. If we’re talking Super Bowl chances though, Seattle has seen the rest of the NFC catch up to them and securing some form of home-field advantage will be paramount.

Arizona Cardinals (last season: 7-8-1)

Talk about getting burned last season. Arizona saw one of the more surprising declines in the NFL last year after coming up short in the NFC Championship prior to Super Bowl 50. 2016 looked like a prime example of Murphy’s Law in full effect. Amazingly the Cardinals still stayed competitive, thanks to David Johnson showing the signs of becoming a full-fledged superstar.

The biggest battle that Arizona faces this season is the fight against Father Time for Carson Palmer. While many of his receivers battled injuries throughout the year, Palmer seemed to show signs that his age was catching up to him. Palmer’s arm became a major concern in the second half of the season as he lacked the ability to effectively throw the deep ball. In a Bruce Arians offense, that is a big problem. This year Arizona has made it a priority to keep Palmer on a “pitch count” until the games actually count.

Luckily for the Cardinals, Johnson avoided a potentially catastrophic knee injury at the end of the season. He looks ready to continue his ascent as one of the league’s top players and will be heavily relied upon as this offense undergoes a bit of an identity change. Palmer is not going to be able to consistently throw the ball 40 times per game, so look for Johnson to average close to 30 total touches per game.

Speaking of changes, the Cardinals defense underwent a complete facelift this offseason. Free agency saw the departure of five starters from this defense from a year ago, but an influx of defensive talent from the draft could help cushion the blow. Arizona drafted linebacker Hassan Reddick out of Temple and safety Budda Baker to fill some of the holes. These two have some pressure on them to hit the ground running as professionals to keep this defense afloat.

Ideally, health will be the key for this team as the year goes on, specifically for defensive back Tyrann Mathieu. When healthy, the Honey Badger is one of the most versatile and effective defensive players in the league. However, that has not been the case these past couple of seasons. He adds another much-needed playmaker alongside shutdown corner Patrick Peterson.

My biggest concern for this defense is the front seven. This was a top-10 rushing defense a year ago, but many of those key players are now gone. It’s well known that this is not the team to air it out against with their playmakers, but maintaining the success against the run game will be a key to this team’s success overall. So far this hasn’t been the case but there is plenty of time to right the ship.

Overall, this is a team with the makings of a playoff contender. However, playing in the NFC means there are a litany of teams knocking on the door of the postseason. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, there are too many things that will have to go just right to warrant playoff expectations. It’s looking like division title or bust in 2017.

Los Angeles Rams (last season: 4-12)

Where do I start with the Rams? Much of last season was spent in total disarray. There is no question that this defense has the makings of a top-ten unit in the league, but this offense is in desperate need of improvements. The Rams will be banking on a number of offseason moves to accomplish that goal.

It will be the first full season with 2016 number one pick Jared Goff at the helm of this offense. Goff did not show a ton of promise last year, but in his defense the learning curve coming from a air-raid collegiate offense to a pro-style offense is steep. However, the Rams front office made a bunch of moves to help aid the development of their young quarterback.

A coaching change was the first sign of that, as Jeff Fisher was fired midseason in 2016. LA replaced the king of 7-9 with former Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay, making him the youngest coach in the NFL at age 31. McVay comes in with a good amount of hype thanks to the success of Kirk Cousins over the past few seasons. He’ll have a lot of work on his hands turning one of the league’s worst offenses around in 2017.

Todd Gurley is another young talent that needed some additions to this offense. Making teams respect the passing game will be the key to tapping the potential of Gurley. To do so, the Rams signed receiver Robert Woods and then traded for Sammy Watkins just a couple weeks ago. This should help to cushion the blow of losing the surprisingly effective Kenny Britt, but this will be all for naught if Watkins can’t stay healthy. Keep an eye on rookie receiver Cooper Kupp in this offense, as early reports tab him as the favorite receiver of Goff (fantasy alert!).

Potentially the biggest problem for the Rams on the defensive side of the ball is the prolonged holdout of defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Folks, this could really start to become an issue if Donald keeps to his word regarding his holdout. Multiple reports have stated that Donald, arguably one of the five best defensive players in the league, is willing to sit out regular season games in order to get the money he feels that he deserves. There is still time for both sides to come to an agreement but there have been no signs of that happening any time soon.

Luckily the Rams signed one of the leagues best defensive coordinators to help unleash the potential of this defense. Wade Phillips is fully capable of finding a way to get the most out of this defense until the Donald situation finally gets resolved. So while there is a glimmer of hope on this side of the ball, general manager Les Snead could be the key to the success of this defense. Not the kind of thing you want to hear in late August.

While signs are pointing to the Rams improving on the 4-12 record from a year ago, there is a long way for them to go to reach the postseason. The Rams will more likely be a spoiler than a pushover this season, especially if they can figure out some of the issues that have haunted them the past couple of season.

San Francisco 49ers (last season: 2-14)

One year ago, there was a massive feeling of dread surrounding the 49ers. A completely lost season followed, leading to management completely cleaning house moments after the conclusion of the 2016 regular season. San Francisco turned a lot of heads when they lured John Lynch out of the broadcast booth to become the team’s general manager. Lynch’s first order of business was finding a new head coach, and tapped the league’s hottest coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, to man the sidelines in San Francisco for the foreseeable future.

Lynch and Shanahan have a lot of work to do going forward, but ownership seems willing to see this rebuild through until the end. Year one will see the beginnings of a complete roster overhaul in the Bay Area. The 49ers signed former Shanahan players to help get his prolific scheme in place. Quarterback Brian Hoyer and receiver Pierre Garçon step into huge roles, as they will be teaching the younger players the details of Shanahan’s offense.

The big situation to monitor for the 49ers on offense is the backfield. Carlos Hyde has shown promise but injuries have derailed his progress. Early in the offseason it looked like Hyde could be on his way out, but came into OTAs and training camp with a renewed fire to be “the man” in this offense. Hyde could be on a short leash though, as Lynch signed veteran Tim Hightower and drafted rookies Joe Williams and Albert Brieda.

While Oakland might be known as the “Black Hole,” you would have thought that moniker belonged to San Francisco’s defense a year ago. Ranking as the league’s worst defense, the 49ers had a ton of holes. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is tasked with potentially one of the most difficult reclamation projects in the league this season.

The building blocks of this new-look Niners defense came in through the draft. Defensive tackle Soloman Thomas was drafted with the third overall pick then the Niners snagged Reuben Foster with the 34^th pick in the draft. These two will be the bedrock for the Niners defense moving forward. Now it will be all about building up and around these two future Pro Bowlers.

Don’t expect a lot from the Niners this season, but this team will be much improved from the dismal team that took the field a year ago. The record might not show it, but the future is looking brighter for San Francisco.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back on Monday with another NFL preview and potentially my thoughts on the Mayweather-McGregor fight. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney, subscribe to Shooting the Moon on WordPress, and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.