NFL Midseason Report Card: NFC West

With the first half of the NFL season over, here is a look at how each NFC West team performed with respect to preseason expectations:

Arizona Cardinals (5-3): B

At 5-3, the Cardinals have the worst record among division leaders in the NFL, and it is not because the NFC West is stacked with talent. The Cardinals have played hot and cold football this season, as evidenced by their propensity to win and lose games by large margins. Offensively, the Cardinals are built to be a pass-first team, which means they will need continued production from receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin to win football games. Also, at 38 years old, Kurt Warner's health become a concern as his body takes another season of NFL beatings. Not many teams can say they have a Heisman Trophy winner waiting in the wings, but Leinart has yet to prove that he can lead this Cardinals team at a playoff level. Look for the Cardinals to continue their up and down play, but they should win enough games to be competitive for the division title, although the improving 49ers are close on their heels.

San Francisco 49ers (4-5): A-

In his first full season as head coach in the NFL, Mike Singletary has brought a fire to a 49ers team that hasn't had a winning season since 2002. Although the change in attitude hasn't been reflective in the win-loss column, the 49ers are playing much better football than in recent years. The team boasts the third best rushing defense in the NFL, giving up fewer than 88 yards per game, and appears to be improving on both sides of the ball. After experimenting with Shaun Hill, the team went back to Alex Smith as starter, and while still inconsistent, he poses more of a passing threat to opposing defenses when in the game. While quarterback play has been spotty, the recent addition of rookie holdout Michael Crabtree, offers another weapon in the passing game, and may stretch defenses to the benefit of running backs Frank Gore and Glen Coffeee. Gore is averaging a stellar 5.2 yards per game on the season, despite suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 3 against Minnesota. Look for the 49ers to challenge the Cardinals for the NFC West Division Title, and if the teams continues to improve, they might just win it.

Seattle Seahawks (3-5): C-

Coming into the season, no one thought the Seahawks would be Super Bowl contenders, but most expected them to be better than they have performed. The biggest question mark for the Seahawks this season has been the health of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. While Hasselbeck hasn't lit the world on fire when he has been healthy, the team's offense does not run smoothly when backup Seneca Wallace is forced to play. Wallace has actually played reasonably well in his opportunities this season, but the Seahawks are 0-3 when he attempts more than one pass. With the exception of the running game, where the Seahawks rank 30th in the NFL in yards per game, the team has been otherwise middle of the road in terms of production. With the acquisition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh to complement Nate Burleson, and Deion Branch, the Seahawks have a talented wide receiver corps, but to move the ball more successfully, they have to focus on getting the ball to tight end John Carlson. In his second season, Carlson has only 33 receptions, but is averaging over 11 yards per catch. He has shown the ability to attack defenses up the middle of the field when he is given the opportunity, but too often the he gets forgotten in the game plan. The Seahawks have the talent to make a run at the NFC West Division, but they need to stay healthy and show more balance on offense. If they can achieve that balance, watch for the Seahawks to make a run down the stretch, as they should be able to take advantage of games against St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Tennessee.

St. Louis Rams (1-7): D-

No one expected the Rams to be any good this season, so their record is not much of a surprise. That being said, other teams are in rebuilding years and they seem to have a plan at improving. The Lions are grooming Matthew Stafford, while the Buccaneers are developing Josh Freeman. The Rams are bad, and they don't seem to have any plan other than Steven Jackson. If Jackson were to go down with an injury, the Rams might as well play for the first overall draft pick, because they don't have any other options. The defense is poor, the offense is poor, and they just don't seem to be getting any better. Since the Patriots upset the Rams in the 2001-2002 Super Bowl, the Rams have managed only one winning season. That season was a 12-5 2003 campaign that landed them in the playoffs. To illustrate just how far the Rams have fallen, they have a total of only six wins since the start of the 2007 season. With the likelihood that the Rams will be heavy underdogs in each of their remaining games this season, there is a good possibility that the Rams will once again finish 1-15 or 2-14. In the NFL, there will always be bad teams, but it is the responsibility of their franchise ownership to ensure that steps be taken to improve. Two years ago, the Rams won three game, and somehow they appear to be going in reverse.