The NFC West is shaping into a competitive division. Over the last few years the division has been dominated by the Seattle Seahawks. However, two out of the four teams have new head coaches in the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers. It just so happens the Rams are leading the division with a 2-1 record. Here is how the division shakes out through three weeks of NFL action.
Team Record Division
LA Rams 2-1 1-0
Seattle Seahawks 1-2 1-0
Arizona Cardinals 1-2 0-0
San Francisco 49ers 0-3 0-2
LA Rams
The Rams and quarterback Jared Goff have taken a huge step forward in 2017. Goff is finally starting to look like a number one overall pick. In week one, the Rams absolutely thrashed the Indianapolis Colts 46-9. In week two, the team fell back to earth in a loss to the Washington Redskins, 27-0. The Rams played in a Thursday night primetime game against the San Francisco 49ers in week 3, which they won 41-39. Goff led the way in that game tossing three touchdown passes and posting a 145.8 quarterback rating. Running back Todd Gurley also pitched in with another two touchdowns on the ground.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks have struggled to get their offense going this season behind a bad offensive line. In week one, the Seahawks fell to the Green Bay Packers 17-9. Week two the Seahawks took on the 49ers. This was a low scoring affair as the Seahawks escaped with a 12-9 victory in which neither team scored a touchdown. In week three, the Seahawks traveled to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans. After another slow start the Seahawks finally seemed to hit their rhythm on offense scoring 27, but still came up short as the Titans scored 33. Fatigue and penalties were the biggest problems for the Seahawks in this one. The team had 11 penalties for 98 yards, three came from Richard Sherman on one play.
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Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals lost their star offensive player in David Johnson week one of the NFL season. They went on to lose to the Detroit Lions, 35-23. Carson Palmer threw three interceptions, which certainly didn’t help their cause. Week two the Cardinals were able to get an overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts. In week three the Cardinals played in a Prime-time Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Cardinals lost 28-17 in that one. Unlike previous games, the Cardinals came out hot but eventually slowed down. Carson Palmer took a beating as well, being sacked six times, but he did manage to toss two touchdowns and no interceptions. While David Johnson may be unable to play, the Cardinals still have a stout defense.
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San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers seem to be starting their season off where they left off last year, starting 0-3. In week one the Carolina Panthers came to town and left with a 23-3 victory. The 49ers couldn’t seem to get anything going in that one. Week two the 49ers took on division rival Seattle Seahawks, where neither team was able to score a touchdown. The 49ers were unable to squeeze a victory there and were yet to find the endzone for the first time in 2017. In week three the 49ers took on yet another division rival in the LA Rams. This would be the game the 49ers would finally score a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough and would end up losing 41-39. The 49ers have three first round picks starting on their defensive line, but have still lacked the ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks. The biggest problem with this is they haven’t faced any of the better offensive lines in the NFL yet.