NFC South & West among early surprises

[az1965]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...cs-early-surprises?module=HP11_content_stream

NFC West
Defensive end Calais Campbell and linebacker Daryl Washington are both having Pro Bowl years for the Arizona Cardinals. ... It's hard to imagine the Cardinals' offense surviving. With an awful running game and offensive line, they need a quarterback that can raise the level of play of those around him. Quarterback Kevin Kolb has done a creditable job, but he's not that guy. ... The St. Louis Rams' defense is very consistent. They play on the edge like coach Jeff Fisher's old Tennessee Titans teams, and they occasionally cross it. There aren't many pass rush duos better than defensive ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn. ... Quarterback Sam Bradford has his moments, but it's a little troubling when quarterback rookies like Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill all look more composed than Bradford.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is occasionally hesitant to pull the trigger, but it's hard to knock the strides he's made this year. He leads the NFL in passer rating and adjusted yards per attempt. It sounds crazy, but the 49ers' offense is almost as good as its defense. That's mostly the running game, but give Smith credit for being wildly efficient. ... The 49ers average 6.1 yards per carry as a team. That's silly. ... The offense is so good it has no use for guys like running back Brandon Jacobs and wide receiver Randy Moss.

I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but the Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch is a top-five runner. He was so up and down with the Buffalo Bills and early on in Seattle, but he carries this offense every week. Robert Turbin fits beautifully as his backup. It's the Thunder-and-Thunder approach. ... The Seahawks' defense is greater than the sum of its parts, but the parts are pretty sweet. Give coach Pete Carroll credit for knowing what guys do well. Brandon Mebane, Chris Clemons, Jason Jones and Red Bryant all have specific roles that they play very well. Bruce Irvin and Bobby Wagner add a ton of speed to the group. Wagner closes.

 

[52brandon]

STL: consistent? That's their description? Diarrhea is consistently runny, doesn't make it a good thing

AZ: CC and Wash ARE having monster years. But there are really maybe 4 guys on D that aren't playing GREAT football right now

SF: yes, Alex Smith is looking VERY impressive. I chose him as my sleeper in preseason. He's got Davis (who REQUIRES extra attention), Moss (may not be who he was, but is still very much a threat on any play), Crabtree (kid is finally growing up. Maybe Moss gave him the "don't be like me, be better" speech), and Manningham (a guy that the Cards' lack of pursuit really bothered me. Was an IDEAL compliment to Fitz and would have allowed us to trade down on our 1st pick for Glenn and a decent OLB instead of Floyd) as targets. With Gore (the guy that got the Barry Sanders treatment most of his career, but stuck it out and is finally reaping the rewards) in the backfield. Defenses simply don't have enough players to adequately cover em all. If Manning somehow decided on them, they would win the SB, guaranteed

SEA: yes, Lynch is a beast. Hardly a revelation. Defense is good too. But Carroll deserves as much credit for this as a weatherman for a sunny day