The NFC West should change its name to the NFC Pacific Northwest because the Seattle Seahawks have dominated. After losing their grip on the division two seasons ago, the Seahawks regained their perch on top last year, claiming the title for the third time in four years and for the eighth time in the past 13 seasons. The window for them to win another division crown and compete for a Super Bowl remains wide open with the core of the back-to-back Super Bowl teams still intact.
NFC West Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Seattle Seahawks -350
Arizona Cardinals +300
Los Angeles Rams +1200
San Francisco 49ers +1800
Why the Seattle Seahawks Will Win the NFC West
It’s no surprise to find the Seahawks as such a prohibitive favorite to win the NFC West since they are the best team heading into the 2017 season. There will be some competition from the Arizona Cardinals, but the Rams and Niners are still a few years away.
What makes the Seahawks so good is their awesome defense. The group has held the team together for many years and did so last season when the offense had a difficult time running the football and keeping Russell Wilson upright. The unit gets one of its leaders back to start the year with safety Earl Thomas returning.
The group appeared to lose some of its swagger when Thomas went down with a broken leg and the Seahawks struggled against the more prolific offensive clubs. They allowed 38 to Green Bay and 34 to Arizona over the final quarter of the regular season and were pinned with a 36 by eventual NFC champ Atlanta in the divisional playoff round.
Thomas will return to his usual spot and team with Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman to again form one of if not the best secondary in the game. Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are two of the best linebackers in the game and the front is anchored by Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril off the edges. The main pieces are still relatively young and the club helped its depth through free agency and the draft.
The offense did enough last season to manage 10 wins and the division title, but there were some horrendous stretches along the way. There were three games where the Seahawks failed to score a touchdown and two others where they hit paydirt just once.
Wilson is a warrior and put up decent numbers behind a line that was awful. Seattle brought in Luke Joeckel, Oday Aboushi and drafted Ethan Pocic to upgrade the position. A slight improvement in that area gives the Seahawks the offense it needs to win another division title.
Why the Seattle Seahawks Won't Win the NFC West
We saw the defense struggle after Thomas was injured last season and the reserves just don’t measure up. There’s enough talent in the front seven to overcome a lengthy absence from one or possibly even two starters, but the secondary is another story. Given how hard those guys play, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few missed games, but anything resembling Thomas’ busted leg from last year could be troubling.
While the D will be solid, the group will need some help from the offense. Wilson has started every game over the past five seasons and has established himself among the best in the game. However, the inconsistency was present last year as he worked behind a line that was patched together.
Wilson took his lumps and sustained several injuries, but he showed his toughness and what kind of competitor he is by coming back for more. If the additions on the line don’t work out, Wilson could be faced with another difficult season and we just don’t know what’s behind him because we haven’t seen it. Trevone Boykin is the backup and he threw just 18 passes last season.
The Cards should be improved and they did win the division two seasons ago, so it’s not a lock the Seahawks claim it. Wilson was tossed around last season and one ill-timed hit could send Seattle spiraling downward.
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