On paper, the NFC West is a clear cut favorite as the best division in the NFL. With the addition of marquee veterans, such as J.J. Watt (ARI), Matthew Stafford (LA), A.J. Green (ARI), Malcolm Butler (ARI) and Alex Mack (SF). When fully healthy, all four teams in the division can be labeled dark horses to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy this upcoming season.
Although Los Angeles added, what many believe, the missing piece to their Super Bowl equation (i.e. Matthew Stafford), Arizona believes that they have the right amount of veteran leadership on both sides of the ball (Watt, Butler, Green, D. Hopkins) to mix with their influx of youth (K. Murray, R. Moore, I. Simmons, Z. Collins). They believe that this combination will allow them to compete with anyone in the NFL!
We also cannot forget about RUSS (Russell Wilson) and the Seattle Seahawks, whom might I add really did nothing to get better on the defensive side of the ball. However, they did fix the issue they had on the offensive line by adding Gabe Jackson via a trade with Las Vegas. This will also be year two of Jamal Adams quarterbacking the defense, so they will be looking to keep things on the up and build on their 12-4 record from last season.
Last but not the least, we have the talk of the 2021 draft: the San Francisco 49ers. They return a lot of key players from last season, plus have the addition of #3 overall pick Trey Lance, whom many don’t expect to see the field until year two. That being said, I don’t think that you should be surprised if Lance is the full on starter by week 11. I take the odds of Jimmy G not being able to stay fully healthy throughout the season, which will force Kyle Shanahan to go to his rookie sooner than expected… or is it?
With all that being said, here’s how the season will play out for our four NFC West teams:
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
I expect the 49ers to have the worst season in the whole division. Yes, they have a loaded defense, and Kyle Shanahan is still one of the best play callers in the NFL today. However, with the instability of Jimmy G’s health at the all important QB position, I don’t see the 49ers making too much noise this year, barring Trey Lance overachieving in year one. If he does so, it would certainly prove why he was worth the #3 overall pick, as well as the three picks it cost the 49ers to make the move up from #12 overall.
Prediction: 6-11 (Top-10 pick in 2022).
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
I have Seattle finishing third, and I say this for various reasons. Do I think Seattle will “Let Russ Cook”? Of course but, just like last season, I just don’t see this particular defense holding up and giving this team a real chance to their division, let alone a Lombardi Trophy. I see it all going down like this: Like usual, they will start strong, and Russ will be an early MVP favorite. However, I see them folding towards the end of the season and being on the tail end of a playoff spot, or maybe just stuck on the outside looking in.
Prediction: 10-8 (Wild Card, at best).
ARIZONA CARDINALS
In the number two spot, I have the Arizona Cardinals. It will be year three for Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. Last season, I think the Cardinals made real progress by bringing in Hopkins to give Kyler Murray an exceptional #1 receiver. This offseason, they made another splash by taking another great player from the Houston Texans, signing J.J. Watt. Additionally, they also signed A.J. Green and Malcom Butler, thus giving Arizona a strong veteran presence in the locker room. Kyler Murray is coming off of his first Pro Bowl selection and his second season overall, and he had vastly improved in his sophomore year. I fully expect this third year to be his breakout year or, should I say, his “coming of age”. I also look at Kyler being a MVP candidate when the season is finished, and I’ll even take it a step further and say that the Cardinals will be one of the last NFC teams left standing come playoff time!
Prediction: 12-5 (Divisional Round Loss).
LOS ANGELES RAMS
The city of Los Angeles has not had a Super Bowl Champion since the LA Raiders in 1983. Granted the city did not have a team for over 20 years, but the relevance is still there. This year, the Rams are confident that they can change that narrative, or at least their head coach Sean McVay and their GM Les Snead think so. They feel like they can achieve this after trading away two future first round draft choices, as well as former Rams #1 overall selection Jarred Goff, for All-Pro quarterback Matthew Stafford. If Stafford plays at the level he played at in Detroit, you can certainly expect the Rams to be serious contenders for the Lombardi Trophy. That being said, if we see the type of performances Stafford has had in the three times the Lions did make playoffs… well, let’s just say Sean McVay could be looking for new employment sooner rather than later. Life is a craps game, and McVay has gone all in trying to roll a 4! In all seriousness, I trust McVay’s football genius and think that his plan will ultimately work, if the team stays healthy throughout the season and they get a favorable opponent in the wild card of the playoffs. I feel like they definitely have a real shot to win it all!
Prediction: 13-4 & Division Winners (NFC Championship game loss).
