ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Thanks to those who kept the latest NFC West chat moving. We covered quite a bit of ground. Full transcript here. Highlights below:

John Quarando (Saint Louis,MO): Have Coach Spags and GM Billy Devaney left any impressions on you so far this early in the rams careers?

Mike Sando: Steve Spagnuolo has impressed me tremendously. That might sound strange given his record to start the season, but Spagnuolo is very consistent in his message, he is not self-serving when things are going wrong, he appears to be unflappable and his defensive schemes are very good -- all things you want to see from a head coach taking over a difficult situation. Billy Devaney will be measured by the players he acquires, plain and simple. It's a little early to make judgments there.

Mitch (Austin, TX): Hey Sando, big Seahawks fan here. It seems as if some players on the Seahawks are starting to point fingers saying that not everyone is giving 100% or that they're not playing with confidence. But at the same time, these are the same players that are not finishing routes, not blocking defenders through the entire play, and can be seen standing with their hands on their hips before a play has even finished. Who's to blame for this? Is this a sign of poor morale, bad coaching, or just a lack of discipline?

Mike Sando: It's a sign of losing. Unlike the Rams, who are admittedly starting over, the Seahawks saw themselves as legitimate contenders heading into the season. It's a big letdown to find out otherwise. I have not seen overt finger pointing. We're all free to make what we want of the T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deion Branch stuff. Neither was a huge deal to me. Both might qualify as bad form, but I would not take either to necessarily mean things are out of control.

Marco (Nuevo Mejico): Still picking the Cards to win the West? 49ers have played the Vikes and Colts pretty hard. Granted, they lost both, but 'A' for effort?

Mike Sando: Yes, definitely an "A" for effort. Alex Smith's improved play, coupled with Michael Crabtree's faster-than-expected development, could enhance the 49ers' chances to win the NFC West. I thought San Francisco probably lacked the offensive firepower to ultimately win the division. I would still give the Cardinals an edge, but the 49ers offensive capabilities have changed since I made predictions. I think they have a better chance now.

Jason (Greeley, CO): How do you feel the new coordinators are doing in Arizona? I love what the defense is doing this year under Bill Davis, but I feel the Cardinals miss Todd Haley on offense.

Mike Sando: The Cardinals haven't done a great job offensively and we know this because mostly the same players are producing lesser results. It's as though the league has adjusted to the Cardinals. Now, the Cardinals need to adjust back. There is time. I think Arizona is working through some identity issues on offense, too. Some of those might have become issues even if Todd Haley were the coordinator. We should not make the mistake of assuming everything would be Super Bowl-caliber on offense if Haley had stayed. We cannot know that. On defense, yes, Bill Davis does seem to be working toward what Ken Whisenhunt wanted from him. Last week would stand as an exception, of course.

Lots of questions about the 49ers, Alex Smith and Jimmy Raye this week, something I analyzed Wednesday.