The 2020 NFC West

The NFL season is at the half-way point, and there have been teams who appear to be better after coming off a not so good season last year, and teams that showed promise but are now floundering. Among each division in the NFL, I think many would agree that the NFC West is the best. 

NFC West

Arguably the best division in football, where its only competition is the AFC North. This has not only been a division filled with great teams this year, but it would seem throughout the 2010s these were always teams super bowl bound. Seven out of the past nine seasons consisted of an NFC West team in the NFC championship game, and it looks like that may be the case for this season.

Seattle Seahawks

Right now the Seattle Seahawks are one of the top teams in the league with a record of 6-1. They came up short in the battle with their division rival the Cardinals, but Russell Wilson has been playing like a man after the MVP award. D.K. Metcalf looks like a better and better investment each game. This is a tough team year after year, but something about them this year makes it look easier for them. We’ll see if the Seahawks can make it back into the super bowl at the end of the season.

Arizona Cardinals

Surprisingly, but also kind of expected, the Cardinals are not last place in the NFC West so far this season. The Cardinals were never able to return to what they were in 2015 when they lost in the NFC championship game, and have been pretty bad up to this point. But, the drafting of Kyler Murray (2019), Isaiah Simmons (2020), and the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins have them playing like a brand new team. The win over the Seahawks in week seven put fans on a roller coaster ride thinking the Cardinals are clearly going to lose, then thinking maybe they have a chance, then thinking oh no they blew it, finally feeling like thank God it wasn’t a tie. After a well deserved bye week eight, Arizona will get a should-be easy game against the Dolphins.

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams are 5-3 behind the Seahawks and Cardinals. If you were watching Rams versus Bills in week three, then you would probably agree that the Rams should be 6-2. Unfortunately, penalties and no calls on one play can cost games, and the Rams were a victim week three. The 49ers, were the other team to give the Rams the taste of defeat. Aaron Donald was neutralized for the most part on defense, and the defense’s as a whole inability to stop the 49ers from moving the ball at ease was the reason for that loss. The Dolphins gave them another loss, but the team finally gets time to regenerate a week nine bye.

San Francisco 49ers

Whoever thought that the defending NFC champions would be last place in their division. They are now 4-5 after their week nine Thursday night match-up against the Packers. It is for good reason they have the record they have. Not having Jimmy Garoppolo for a few games this season played a big part in this. When Garoppolo came back week six against the Rams, the 49ers showed very little weakness in their play. The schedule got very rough from there though. The Seahawks gave them a loss week eight, Packers gave them a loss week nine, and it is very possible that the Saints, who are riding high, will give them their final loss week ten before their bye week eleven.