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NFC West

Sporting News, The, Dec 23, 2005

ARIZONA CARDINALS

OLB Karlos Dansby (6-4,243) has the physical tools to become a dominant player, but he has been troubled by nagging injuries in his first two seasons. He's big enough to play the strong side, where he often has to take on tight ends. He has good speed, and his long arras ate an asset in the pass rush and in coverage. All he has to do is develop consistency, which should come if he can stay healthy.... The lack of depth on the offensive line is haunting the club. Coach Dennis Green didn't keep enough experienced backups on the roster when the team broke camp. Converted DE Fred Wakefield and journeyman Adam Haayer are more comfortable at tackle but are starting at the guard spots. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Part of the reason the club has struggled against the run is that opponents effectively have used cut blocks to slow its defenders. The team prefers light, fast defensive players, and it uses that speed to pursue and get several tacklers around the ball. But if one defender goes down on a low block, it not only creates a gap, it alters the angles of teammates who ate in pursuit. The cut blocks leave the defense exposed, and good running backs such as the Seahawks' Shaun Alexander make the Cardinals pay.--Kent Somers

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ST. LOUIS RAMS

Rookie QB Ryan Fitzpatrick needs to show something down the stretch if he wants to have a realistic shot at backing up Marc Bulger next season. Fitzpatrick has struggled with his accuracy and reads the past two weeks; he frequently is a little late with his passes. After throwing five interceptions against the Vikings, Fitzpatrick could be replaced by Jamie Martin or Jeff Smoker sometime in the next three weeks. Bulger (shoulder) won't try to play again this season unless he's close to 100 percent.... At his best, TE Brandon Manumaleuna is on effective point-of-attack blocker who can help the running game. But he has too many breakdowns and lacks intensity at times. Manumaleuna doesn't move well laterally, which hinders his ability to pick up blitzes. His soft hands are negated by his slow release off the line, and he gains few yards after the catch.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The team rarely dressed in full pads for practice after October under coach Mike Martz. But after numerous missed tackles, especially in the secondary, in a loss to the Redskins, interim coach Joe Vitt ordered the pads back on. Vitt is hoping the extra contact in practice, plus extra work on fundamentals, will lead to better tackling down the stretch. --Jim Thomas

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Injuries on the defensive line have given NT Isaac Sopoaga a chance to prove himself. Sopoaga's size (6-2,321) and strength make him difficult to move at the point of attack. He fills gaps, closes running lanes and attacks double-teams. Sopoaga, who missed last season because of a back injury, is athletic for his size and can provide a push up the middle as a pass rusher.... SS Keith Lewis, who made his first NFL start against Seattle last week, is a big hitter who has become an outstanding open-field tackler because of his work on special teams. His physical style makes him an asset in run support or on the blitz. Lewis has enough speed to be effective in pass coverage, but he needs experience to improve his reads and coverage adjustments.... The offense, once the team's signature, has gained fewer than 200 total yards seven times this season. Four different starting quarterbacks and injuries to the line have limited the unit's continuity and production. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Backup RB Maurice Hicks has great speed, which allows him to line up 7 yards behind center rather than the customary 5 or 6 yards. The extra room gives Hicks a better view of the field and more time to find a hole.--Dennis Georgatos

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

QB Matt Hasselbeck is seeing things better than at any time during his five years as a starter. He has learned that sometimes the best play is no play, and he has become adept at finding the open receiver. His interceptions (nine) and sacks (20) are down. He has completed 64 percent of his passes, up from the past two seasons.... Josh Scobey has been a special teams star. Scobey is averaging 23.3 yards on kickoff returns--among the best in the NFC. He also shines while covering kickoffs and punts because he approaches covering kicks the way he returns them--straight ahead, all out. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Coach Mike Holmgren's hybrid of the West Coast offense uses the tight end to stretch the field and create gaps for receivers, which makes it necessary to get the hall in TE Jerramy Stevens' hands. Against the Eagles, Holmgren scripted some early plays to get Stevens involved, and Hasselbeck and Stevens took the same bus to the stadium to go over the plays. The result: Stevens caught four passes in the first tire plays during a game-opening, 65-yard touchdown drive. --Clare Farnsworth

TSNumber

9 Consecutive victories by the Seahawks, setting a franchise record. The old record was set in 1984. Seattle is in the driver's seat for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, which could prove crucial in helping it gain its first playoff win since that magical '84 season.

NFC West

Sporting News, The, Dec 23, 2005

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