"Will a sub-.500 record win the NFC West?" among other random thoughts...

Buffalo 34, Seattle 13

Philadelphia 38, St. Louis 3

Arizona 23, San Francisco 13

Take a good, long look at these scores. This is what the NFC West offered for the first week of the 2008 season. The division's supposed "best team" got 187'd in Buffalo as a one-point road favorite. The doormat from last year, St. Louis, went into Philadelphia and got pantsed by a team without their top two receivers from the previous year. Granted, Philly is one of the more talented teams in the NFL but seriously, it's like the Rams left their heart (and tackling/covering ability) in St. Louis.

As for the NFC West "matchup", the game provided a San Francisco team that turned the ball over FIVE TIMES and still only lost by 10 points. I don't know what this says about either team but neither team impressed me. At all.

Seattle, St. Louis, Arizona and San Francisco: Ladies and Gentleman, your NFC West!

For the past five years or so, this has been the worst division in football, by far. Since 2003, the division winner has averaged 10.6 wins per season, only two tenths better than the worst in the league (the NFC South). Take out the year Seattle went 13-3 and went to the Super Bowl and they become the worst. Add to the fact that they are the only division in the last five years to have to 9 win teams win the division and that should give you an idea of just how poor this division has been. I really could go on with the stats but it gets to be monotonous and rather pointless.

Granted, Seattle has dominated the NFC West and even went to the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. But everyone around the league, from analysts to commentators to bloggers alike, recognize that the division is consistently poor in inter-conference play and the doormat of the NFC.

For a fraction of a second, before the 2007 season started, I thought it might get better. The Division, while mediocre, was at least competitive. All four teams were within four games of each other by the end of the season and they all looked like they were getting better.

Boy was I wrong.

Fast forward to the 2008 season and here's what you have as progress for each team:

Seattle - Last year, MVP Shaun Alexander turned into the proverbial pumpkin and went from reigning NFL MVP to a non-entity in less than three years. The once powerful offensive line (featuring stalwarts like Walter Davis and Steve Hutchinson) fell apart and injuries have crippled this team over the previous 12 months. Alexander, Hasselbeck, Engram, Branch, Burleson (all three WR's are currently out of action with Burleson out for the year) among others have been injured for lengthy periods of time. This team has declined immensely since their Super Bowl appearance, though they have continued to win this weak division.

St. Louis - Anyone remember the Greatest Show on Turf? All but a distant memory. This current team features one of the most dynamic young backs in the NFL, Stephen Jackson, and one of the league's premier receivers in Torry Holt. Still, Marc Bulger, after a couple years of solid play, seems incredibly lost after numerous injuries and the loss of offensive "genius" Mike Martz. Add to the fact that St. Louis hasn't been able to block anyone or tackle/cover anyone the past season plus and it's easy to see how this team has fallen. There doesn't seem to be any help in sight as, with the exception of Jackson, the talent on the offensive side doesn't seem to be getting any younger.

Arizona - Has any other franchise of any professional sport in the United States been picked to do great things perennially yet come up short EVERY SINGLE TIME? This franchise has one playoff victory in its ENTIRE EXISTENCE IN ARIZONA. ONE! This team the past five years has been a sleeper pick for someone in the national media and they have failed miserably each season, failing to get above .500 since 1998, the year they won their only playoff game. They have a lot of talent (Boldin, Fitz, James) and a great young D. However, the season depends on 37-year old Kurt Warner and if he gets hurt, this could be another ugly end for a talented squad.

San Francisco - I don't even know where to begin with this franchise. For starters, I still hold to them as my favorite team. I love this team no matter what, they have given me so much joy over the course of my formative fan years and brought me my last professional championship, in 1995. However, I have watched some of the dumbest people on the planet turn this proud franchise into the laughing stock of the NFC. In the matter of a decade, they have gone from one of the NFC powerhouses to a joke team in a joke division. Four offensive coordinators in four years, no consistency at quarterback since Garcia got TO'd and if you can tell me the top 3 SF receivers of the past decade not named TO, I would be incredibly impressed (since I don't that). There's talent there but until the front office gets a grip on reality, this team is going nowhere as fast as possible.

What all of this analysis comes down to is that the winner of the NFC West might be the first team in as long as I can remember to win less than 8 games and be division champ. Seattle has no offense, San Fran's management/coaching staff is in complete disarray, St. Louis is in all-around shambles and Arizona is, well, Arizona and they will always find a way to choke/screw up.

If you are a fan of any of these four teams, bless you cause I feel your pain. Prepare yourselves for another long, dismal season.

Some other questions I have after the first week:

- Has there ever been a more crippling injury report for the NFL as the one that came from this week? Tom Brady, Shawne Merriman, Vince Young, Nate Burleson, Shawn Springs. These aren't just little nicks to sub-standard players. Brady's season ender all but turns the Pats into an average team while Merriman's injury severely damages the psyche (and production) of a solid San Diego D. Burleson's injury just compounds the wideout problem in Seattle, Washington's secondary looked pedestrian without Springs and the Titans have a major problem on their hands with the physical (and mental) issues that plague its young QB. This was an ugly start to the season.

- On the other side of the spectrum, WHERE THE HELL DID WILLIE PARKER AND MICHAEL TURNER COME FROM?!?!?!? Parker scores 2 TD's all last season and scores 3 in one game! Turner runs for an Atlanta record and 2 TD's in his first game! Unbelievable.

- Worst play of the week: What the hell happened to Cincy on that Flacco TD run? He looked uncomfortable with all that open space which the Bengals were more than happy to give to him. Cincy should be ashamed.

That's all I got for now. Come back tomorrow for a new, yet-untitled segment from No Fun League correspondent Chris Kubak.

Stay Classy.