We can only surprise, and that's exactly what I think will happen. Pundits judge us from last season when we played with no DJ, 2nd/3rd stringers starting on OL and Stanton/Gabbert running the show. You can't underestimate what DJ's return means to our offense. Despite losing Shipley for the season, I think Cole offers more power in the middle. Being flanked by Iupati and Pugh, who are among the best in the league when healthy, will make it much easier for Cole. Last but not least, while McCoy was a not so sexy OC choice, I think he's a perfect fit for how this team shapes up.
While our offense is a legit question mark in the eye of pundits, that can't be said about our defense. I expect the defense to create a bunch of turnovers with our new zone heavy approach. Just need someone to step up opposite Chandler Jones and we could be downright fearsome. PP is a beast anyway, and I think Budda will turn into what a healthy Mathieu could've been for us.
Since Wilks is high on solid fundamentals and we finally seem to have a ST coordinator who has a clue, I fully expect us to improve in that area. I mean, there's really no way to go but up, after some horrible ST years.
Interesting divison btw. Rams are the favorties obviously. Can their offense keep it up though? Will their defense play up to the sum of their parts? Flashes of the infamous Eagles dream team. Reign of the Seahawks defense is finally over, which puts Russell Wilson into the spotlight. Would never bet against him to elevate the whole team, but it's a huge task nonetheless. The 49ers offense under Garopolo will be vastly improved, as already seen at the end of last season. Yet their defense has still huge holes, especially in the secondary.
My prediction: Rams take the divison, Cards finish 2nd. Being in the hunt until the very end would be great. Obviously, if we indeed get close, I hope we sneak into the wildcards.
