NFL Notebook: Early Check-In – NFC West
This is the fourth of our NFL division check-ins as the 2025 season hits the one-third mark. Catch up with our earlier looks at the AFC North, AFC East and NFC South as we continue our tour around the league.
The NFC West promised us excitement at the start of the season and its delivering on the promise. We have a three-team battle, with the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers all tied for first at 4-2. Even the Arizona Cardinals, while unlikely to make any noise, can’t be ruled out at 2-4.
Let’s take a concise look at all four teams:
LA Rams: There’s a lot to like about the Rams. We could start with Matthew Stafford waking up the echoes of his younger days, getting the ball down the field at 8.1 yards-per-attempt. We could look at Paku Nacua catching more passes than anyone in the league. Or Kyren Williams continuing to be a steady running back, or Byron Young and his dazzling 7 ½ sacks through six weeks.
All of that is impressive, but we really jumps out at me with Los Angeles is when you look at the grades on Pro Football Focus. They just grade out very strongly and consistently across the board. People like Young and fellow outside linebacker Jared Verse grade out off the charts, as does nose tackle Poona Ford. But the bigger takeaway is the consistency. They just looks like a steady, top-to-bottom well-coached team.
Seattle: Sam Darnold has picked up where he left off in Minnesota last year, reviving his career. If you were impressed with Stafford’s 8.1 YPA (and I was), can I interest you in Darnold’s surreal 9.6 YPA? It’s easily the best in the league. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the primary beneficiary, with a league-leading 696 receiving yards. The Seahawks, coached by a defensive mastermind in Mike Macdonald have a couple of quality pass rushers in tackle Byron Murphy and linebacker Uchenna Nowosu.
This team ranks in the top 6 of the NFL for both points scored and points allowed. But there are some weaknesses. There are problems on the interior of the offensive line, something that could eventually slow down Kenneth Walker III from running the ball or leave Darnold vulnerable to inside pressure. The corners are a soft spot defensively, leaving Seattle susceptible to the big play.
San Francisco: The 49ers have had a major rash of injuries. Quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle have all missed substantial time. So has wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. On defense, the great end, Nick Bosa, was lost for the year early on and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner just joined him on injured reserve. When you consider how much injuries have derailed a team like the Baltimore Ravens, it speaks exceptionally well to Kyle Shanahan’s coaching that San Francisco is still 4-2.
Purdy, Kittle and Aiyuk may all be back this coming Sunday Night in Atlanta. At the very least, it won’t be long. An offense that ranks just 24th in points scored will get a needed boost. But the defense is in serious trouble. Bosa and Warner aren’t coming back. I don’t see where help is coming. Coordinator Robert Saleh, whose head coaching tenure with the Jets washed out, could get a second opportunity if he can patch something together with this unit.
Arizona: The Cardinals started 2-0, but the wins were over the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, and they haven’t won since, although they have played competitively. Arizona has problems down the middle—at the safety spots, the inside linebacker positions and their guards on offense. They’ve been hit with injuries, losing running back James Connor for the year. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., already having something of a disappointing year, is in the concussion protocol. And now quarterback Kyler Murray is hurt, although he could be back as soon as Sunday.
There are some bright spots. Josh Sweat, with five sacks, is a playmaker at outside linebacker. The great Calais Campbell keeps on chugging at defensive tackle. Trey McBride is a reliable target. I’m not ready to write the Cards off just yet. But I’m close. They need to get to 6-6 by the time we reach the stretch drive. That leaves room for only two losses in the coming six weeks—and the Green Bay Packers are coming to town on Sunday with Murray’s status up in the air. Desperation time has arrived.
OUTLOOK
At the start of the season, I leaned to San Francisco narrowly edging out Los Angeles for the division, with Seattle running third. If we look at the betting markets today, that’s how they see it. The 49ers are a (+140) favorite to win the NFC West, with the Rams in hot pursuit at (+150), and the Seahawks a bit off the pace at (+290), but still respected.
But the rash of injuries to San Francisco’s defense has me feeling like L.A. is now the time to beat, and the Seattle will be second. It’s possible all three of these teams could make the playoffs, but sitting here in mid-October, I don’t have any problem seeing the Rams as the team to beat moving forward.
The AFC South will be our next stop on the division tour. And with October offering both football’s early jousts and baseball’s grand finale, don’t miss our MLB postseason coverage — including a free download of The LCS Chronicles, Vol. 1 (1969–80), a 20-page companion celebrating the early years of the League Championship Series. Click here to learn more and download today.