St. Louis Rams
First off, the Rams suck and there's not much reason to believe that any of that will change this season. Their O-line has improved, but that was only one component of a much bigger problem. Under Coach Spagnolo, the Rams are still in rebuilding mode and it'll still take a season or two to see some progress. To make matters worse, they've been bit hard by the injury bug which is a death wish this early in the season. Starting QB Marc Bulger has suffered a broken pinky, DT Adam Carriker has a bum ankle, and leading WR Donnie Avery will surely miss the beginning of the season with a stress fracture. Outlook for the season: Bad for Rams. Good for 49ers.
Seattle Seahawks
Walter Jones, arguably the best offensive tackle in the league, has just undergone his 2nd knee surgery in 8 weeks and is now questionable for the 2009 season. Losing him would be the most significant blow the Seahawks could possibly take on offense. Earlier in the month, LG Mike Wahle retired, so already the Seahawks will be entering the season with a severely depleted line. You better believe QB Matt Hasselback, who went to the IR last season for a bulging disc, will be looking over his shoulder a littler more than usual. Again, he's only one hit in the blindside away from finding himself back on the IR. He's not the only one with back problems. Key CB Marcus Trufant is a possible candidate for the PUP list, which would deactivate him for the first 6 games of the season. As the leader of their secondary, it'd be difficult for the team to overcome his loss. **Update** C Chris Spencer is also out with what Jim Mora said to be the most serious injury out of the bunch. The depleted o-line is exactly what our stagnant pass rush needs.
St. Louis Cardinals
Two words: Billy Davis. Yes, that is the same Billy Davis that led the 49ers' ineffective, "vanilla" defense and was stripped of his playcalling duties before ultimately getting fired. Since then, he's been serving as the Cardinals' linebackers coach before he was promoted to defensive coordinator before the 2009 season. Now, I'm all about 2nd chances, but from my experience, a good indication of the future is a look at the past. The Cardinals' defense was horrible last season, and I don't see Billy Davis as the key to save it this year. Also, the team's offense is taking a hit with the injury setbacks to 1st round pick Chris Wells. As the guy that was supposed to spark a stagnant running game, he has been a non-factor. You really can't expect them to rely on an explosive passing offense to send them to the playoffs again.
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