Sports
NFC West Breakdown: Which Team Will Win The Division?
Growing up, James was fascinated with watching sports. This led to an interest in research and stats and writing betting analysis for a variety of sports. James has graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business.
Get to know James Boutros betterPublished06 Aug 2024
The NFC West has three playoff-caliber teams.
The San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks can make the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals, while improved, are not at the level of the other three teams in the NFC West.
The San Francisco 49ers won the NFC West with a 12-5 record last year.
They made it to the Super Bowl but ultimately lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Rams finished second in the NFC West with a 10-7 record last season.
They lost in the wild-card round against the Detroit Lions.
Seattle was third in the division last year with a 9-8 record but did not make the postseason.
Arizona was 4-13 last year and finished last in the division.
Below, we will break down each team in the NFC West and predict which team will win the division.
NFC West Breakdown
The NFC West has three playoff-caliber teams.
Divisional matchups in the NFC West will be very competitive.
Scroll down for a breakdown of each NFC West team heading into the 2024 NFL season.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have been the class of the NFC West for the last couple of years.
They won the division in each of the last two seasons.
The 49ers made it to the Super Bowl last year but lost to the Chiefs.
It is difficult to find a weakness with their roster.
However, Brandon Aiyuk is unhappy with the team and could be on the move or decide to sit out.
Christian McCaffrey played in 16 games during the season and all three playoff games.
McCaffrey is injury prone and with all the touches he had last season, he is a risk this season.
The 49ers ranked second in points per game and fourth in points allowed per game last year.
If the 49ers can have Aiyuk back and McCaffrey stays healthy, their offense will be just as good this year.
However, those are two big ifs.
Their defense will remain very formidable.
There is no guarantee in the NFL but if the 49ers can remain healthy and have all their players, they will once again look to win the NFC West.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams were better than most expected last season.
They finished second in the NFC West with a 10-7 record and made the playoffs.
Matthew Stafford was excellent for the Rams last year.
In 15 games, Stafford had 3,965 passing yards and 24 passing TDs.
Puka Nakua came out of nowhere and shined as the team’s leading wideout.
Nakua is week-to-week with a knee injury but it is not considered serious.
Cooper Kupp played in 12 games and had another good season.
Kyren Williams shined in 12 games played.
He had 1,144 rushing yards, 12 rushing TDs, 32 receptions, 206 receiving yards, and three receiving TDs.
The Rams ranked ninth in the league in points per game.
Their defense ranked 18th in points allowed per game.
Aaron Donald retired in the offseason.
This is still a Rams team that can challenge the 49ers to win the NFC West.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are the third playoff-caliber team in the NFC West.
Seattle had a 9-8 record but did not make the postseason last year.
They were close to making the playoffs and have a chance of making it this year.
This will depend on Geno Smith and how he performs.
In 2022, Geno played in 17 games and had a 100.9 QB rating, 4,282 passing yards, and 30 passing TDs.
In 2023, he played in 15 games and had a 92.1 QB rating, 3,624 passing yards, and 20 passing TDs.
His play dipped from 2022 and he will need to get back to his 2022 form.
If he can perform better than last year, the Seahawks should get back into the postseason.
Their defense ranked 10th in sacks per game but only ranked 24th in points allowed per game.
They need to tighten up defensively.
Seattle’s season highly depends on the play of Geno Smith and his play will determine if Seattle gets back into the playoffs and can compete for the NFC West crown.
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona had the worst record in the NFC West by far last year with a 4-13 record.
Kyler Murray will be healthier this season and has a star rookie WR at his disposal.
The Cardinals selected WR Marvin Harrison Jr and he is poised to be a top WR sooner than later.
Murray played in just eight games last year after he tore his ACL in December 2022.
Arizona had a poor defense last year, ranking 31st in points allowed per game.
With an improved offense, this will help the defense improve as well.
While Arizona will be better than their 4-13 record last year, they are still not able to compete with the 49ers, Rams, or Seahawks to win the NFC West.
Which Team Will Win The NFC West?
The Arizona Cardinals are the worst team in the NFC West and will not win the division.
While the Seattle Seahawks are a playoff-caliber team, they are not good enough to compete with the 49ers or Rams for the NFC West crown.
This is a two-team race between the 49ers and Rams.
All things point to the 49ers winning the division for a third straight year.
It is difficult to find a weakness with the 49ers’ roster.
However, Brandon Aiyuk is unhappy with the team and could be on the move or decide to sit out.
Christian McCaffrey played in 16 games during the season and all three playoff games.
McCaffrey is injury prone and with all the touches he had last season, he is a risk this season.
Matthew Stafford was excellent for the Rams last year.
In 15 games, Stafford had 3,965 passing yards and 24 passing TDs.
Puka Nakua came out of nowhere and shined as the team’s leading wideout.
Nakua is week-to-week with a knee injury but it is not considered serious.
Cooper Kupp played in 12 games and had another good season.
Kyren Williams shined in 12 games.
He had 1,144 rushing yards, 12 rushing TDs, 32 receptions, 206 receiving yards, and three receiving TDs.
The Rams ranked ninth in the league in points per game.
Los Angeles will surprise most people and win the NFC West this season.
