With the San Francisco 49ers on top, the NFC West appears neat and clean. Not so, as everyone else is fighting to be relevant again.
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Our final division preview brings us to the NFC West, always the last in ordering, never last in finish. Could there be four competitive teams in this division? Could we get to three legitimate playoff hopefuls? We certainly have some talent here that needs dissecting.
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Last year, the San Francisco 49ers dominated in most statistical categories, even if they only won the division by two games. The Rams made the playoffs with them, though Seattle fell short despite finishing above .500. Arizona brought up the rear by a wide gulf in a reset season. With so much improvement to every team, who will conquer this division in 2024?
NFC West Division Preview
Todd Salem – Seahawks Are Back
Win total betting lines project the exact same finish this season as last season, with one major caveat. Arizona is still projected to finish in last in the NFC West, but they are almost neck-and-neck with Seattle. Could we see all four teams be competitive this season? Call me skeptical.
If forced to pick whether the NFC West will follow the blueprint of an all-balanced behemoth like the AFC North or an imbalanced crown like the AFC West, I actually think it more likely that San Francisco mirrors the Chiefs and runs away with a title.
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The love for SF is obvious: skill players for days, even if Brandon Aiyuk ends up getting traded; a capable game-changer at quarterback; a solid offensive line with arguably the single best lineman in the league; and far and away the best defense in this division, with impact players at every level. For the 49ers not to win the West, something very screwy would have to happen.
Screwy things do happen in the NFL each season. But I actually think it more likely that the rest of this division takes a downward dip rather than climb up toward SF’s level.
Los Angeles was good last year on the back of very few impact pieces. Aaron Donald is gone. Puka Nacua is already hurt and had a pedigree of injury coming out of college. Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, Tre’davious White, and Kyren Williams are four of the biggest injury risks in the league, and they are the keys to this team’s success. If rookies don’t carry this defense to new heights, they aren’t reaching even the 10 wins of last year.
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I actually feel better about Seattle than I do Los Angeles. The Seahawks are looking for an improvement along the offensive line and have added pieces to improve the defense; not the least of which should be new head coach Mike Macdonald. The skill players on offense are really good, and Geno Smith is officially in the ‘reliable veteran’ territory of his career.
Arizona has little of the all-around upside, but boy does this team have some dudes. Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison, and Budda Baker are building blocks. Perhaps no one else is.
1. San Francisco
2. Seattle
3. Los Angeles
4. Arizona
Dan Salem – San Francisco 49ers Unstoppable
The NFC West is a tough division to crack… after the San Francisco 49ers. San Fran has been on top for so long that it almost feels silly to name them kings of the west for another season, but they are. The 49ers will win the NFC West and it won’t be close. This is a Super Bowl team and the competition is just not there. San Francisco may ultimately be the best team in all of football. They certainly win the NFC West.
I have positive vibes of improvement for both the Cardinals and Seahawks, while I’m nervous about the Rams and their ability to stay above .500 in 2024. Are my gut feelings correct about all three teams? Yes, but I don’t see much jockeying in the standings because of it. Arizona will fall off from the pack and not be in the playoff conversation. Consider them at the bottom of the division.
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In terms of Seattle and Los Angeles, we are left with too many questions and not enough solid answers. Stafford and Smith are playing similarly good football and have a similar number of weapons on offense. Just how much of an improvement will the Seahawks defense make? Can the Rams defense remain above average? This is truly a wash.
I’m keeping Los Angeles ahead of Seattle simply because they have a higher ceiling coming off of last year’s ten win performance. These two teams likely finish a game apart, so either outcome of 2nd and 3rd place is reasonable. Give me the Rams in 2nd, to finish a full lap behind San Francisco.
1. San Francisco
2. Los Angeles
3. Seattle
4. Arizona
Meet our Writers:
Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.
San Francisco 49ers Photo Credits: nfl.com and espn.com via Getty Images
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