Last but not least, we have the NFC West. This will be our final division preview. It is crazy to think that the NFL Regular Season is already here, but we have a game tonight. The AFC West has undergone somewhat of a shift over the last couple of seasons. The Rams were dominant but aren't anymore. The Seahawks were expected to take a dip, but that wasn’t the case at all. The Niners are one of the best teams in the NFL and the Cardinals are likely going to be one of, if not, the worst team in football. There is your preview, thank you. Seriously though. Teams aren't looking much different than last season except the Cardinals coaching change, and of course, the Brock Purdy emergence in San Fran. Other than that, it should be a similar season to last year. Keep reading to see my predictions for the NFC West.

1: San Francisco 49ers (12-5)

As much as I wanted to say that the Niners would take a dip this year, I can't envision that. They are just too good at every spot. Their QB obviously is still somewhat of an unknown, but he proved that he is, at the very least, a serviceable QB. They seemingly struck a gold mine by accident, but I don’t know if I personally would go that far just yet. It is difficult to argue against it though. He did lead them to the NFC Conference Championship and it may have been a totally different story if he didn’t injure his throwing arm. It is crazy to think that the 49ers did so well with so many injuries at their most important position. The Niners also added Christian McCaffrey to the fold just before the trade deadline. He was fantastic with the new club and if he stays intact, he should be great this season as well. If not, Elijah Mitchell is a proven solid option. Deebo, Kittle, and Aiyuk should all be solid targets for Purdy this season as well. There is a little concern with the O-Line though. Trent Williams will lead the Line, but other than him, it is probably a below average O-Line. They hope to get the most out of them this season but losing Mike McGlinchey hurts them quite a bit. Once you talk about Top 5 defenses, it is really tough to say who is the best, but the 49ers probably make the best case. The Eagles are the closest team and if you said the Eagles have a better D, I wouldn't argue, I would just say that it is pretty much as toss-up between them and the Niners. Speaking of the Eagles, Javon Hargrave signed with the Niners this offseason and was a big pickup from Philly. The Niners should be contenders, yet again, as long as Brock Purdy is who they think he is and even if he isn't, they still should be pretty good.

Difference Maker: QB, Brock Purdy

I spent quite a bit of time talking about him, but he is the true difference maker for this team. Last season, they were in shambles at the QB spot, but they always found a way to win football games. Purdy was a big reason for that at the end of last season. Do I think he will be an elite QB? No, probably not. He doesn’t need to be though. All he needs to do is be serviceable and limit mistakes. I think he can do just that.

2: Seattle Seahawks (12-5)

Yeah, that’s right. I have a tie in the NFC West. I felt dumb after picking the Seahawks to go 1-16 last season, so I am going to make up for it this year. I think they will get 12 wins and I really wanted to make them the outright winners of the division. The Seahawks only got better this offseason and they should have a big year. They added Dre’Mont Jones, Julian Love, Jarran Reed, Bobby Wagner, and Devin Bush to their defense and that was their glaring need in the offseason. They also had arguably the best draft this offseason. They picked the best CB, arguably the best WR, and two high-value 2nd rounders. Geno Smith was a shock to everyone last season, but I don’t think 2022 was a fluke. He seems to fit their system perfectly and it made Russell Wilson’s abysmal season look even worse when Geno was having much more success than him. Geno will have no problems finding targets this season and the run game should be solid again this season, but there are blocking concerns. The O-Line is one of the worst rated in the NFL, but they hope to work around those issues again this season. Don’t be surprised the Seattle is the division winner by the end of this season, if not, they will very likely grab a wild card spot.

Difference Maker: WR, Jaxon Smith-Njigba

I gotta take the rookie for the potential difference maker this year. He was the highest drafted WR in the class and he was that for a reason. He only played one full season at Ohio State, but that season was incredible. Also, the fact that there isn't a lot of pressure on him with Metcalf and Lockett there, it makes the situation even better. He is a huge upgrade from Marquise Goodwin and he may be the NFL’s best WR3 out of the gate.

3: Los Angeles Rams (4-13)

I’m probably being a little harsh on the Rams, because they did have a lot of injuries last season. However, they sucked. In fact, they were the worst team in history following a Super Bowl victory. Nobody expected quite the fall off that the Rams had in 2022. I guess it is a good thing that they got a Super Bowl out of it, but they totally dismantled their ability to build for the future. They likely aren't going to be competitive this season, but it appears that they could be on a track to building the future next offseason. Stafford probably has one more manageable season left in him and Cooper Kupp is still a top tier WR, if he isn't injured. Other than those two, their offense is in shambles. Bad O-Line, bad receiving core, average backfield with an aging QB. Maybe I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt with 4 wins. With all of that being said, their defense is in shambles as well. It is crazy to think that the thing that won them the Super Bowl is their biggest liability only 2 seasons later. Aaron Donald is practically the only player they have that could be considered above average. There will be a chance for a lot of players to breakout for them, because they really have no option. Christian Rozeboom is one of those guys. He is projected to be a starting ILB I think he has a real shot at stepping up this season. I can't imagine that Sean McVay is on the hot seat, but they will definitely struggle this season. It is also difficult to imagine there being a worse team than the Rams on paper, but there is, and they are next in line.

Difference Maker: CB, Cobie Durant

Durant was a 4th rounder for the Rams out of SC State and he had a pretty solid rookie season. He will be in a starting role for LA this season and he has a real chance to be a breakout star for the team. He had 3 INTs in his 1st NFL season and I think he could match and even best what he did last year. It will be a tough year for the Rams, so it will give him more opportunities to make plays.

4: Arizona Cardinals (2-15)

The last team in our preview is also my worst projected team in the NFL this season. In fact, they are at the bottom of most projections this season. They have a brand-new coaching staff with Jonathan Gannon leading the pack. They say that Kyler Murray will likely come back at the end of the year, but I wouldn't count on it. There is no reason for him to. Their receiving core went from decent to below average with the DeAndre Hopkins departure. Zach Ertz is in a similar situation as Kyler Murray. Their O-Line will be likely below average at best. Their defense is below average at best as well. It is going to be a miserable year for Arizona. Looking on the bright side though, James Connor is still really decent. He should get some scoring chances, that is, if they get to the red zone. Joshua Dobbs will likely lead the Cards into their Week 1 and it is apparent that they liked what they saw in his run with the Titans last season. I can't say that I was too impressed, but hey, I’m not making those decisions for a reason. Clayton Tune is the other possibility and the HC seems to think that he is ready to be their starter as well, if they need him. They lost JJ Watt, Markus Golden, and Zach Allen this offseason. As well as Hopkins and Byron Murphy. Colt McCoy was cut in the preseason, which made absolutely no sense to me, but whatever. I just automatically gave them 2 wins, because 2 wins should be a given, right? Looking at their schedule though, I don’t know which games they have a shot at winning. It is going to be another sad year for Arizona fans, so hopefully the Suns will be competitive, and the Diamondbacks can make a little run them this season.

Difference Maker: QB, Clayton Tune

Josh Dobbs is probably their current starting QB, but I seriously doubt that will last. Clayton Tune could step in and make a real difference. He had fantastic numbers at Houston and I don’t know exactly how that will translate to the NFL, but he has gotten high praise from the coaching staff. He could force the Cards hand later in the season. We’ll see how much he plays. If he doesn’t really get a shot, I think BJ Ojulari will be a huge factor on defense.

Yacs

2023 NFC West Preview