Three different teams have won the NFC West over the last three seasons. The Seattle Seahawks claimed the division in 2020, the Los Angeles Rams topped the division on their way to winning Super Bowl LVI in 2021, and the San Francisco 49ers finished first in the NFC West last season. This figures to be a two-horse race this season as the Los Angeles Rams are in salary cap hell and the Arizona Cardinals might be the worst team in the league, but either the Seahawks or 49ers probably need to win at least 12 games to take down the division title. For each of the last five seasons, the division champion has finished with at least 12 wins.
NFL Betting Odds
2023 NFC West Odds
San Francisco 49ers -187
Seattle Seahawks +232
Los Angeles Rams +750
Arizona Cardinals +2450
You can make a strong case that the most talented team in the NFC is the San Francisco 49ers. This defense has been one of the best in the league for each of the last four years, and they have a few young standouts like Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and Talanoa Hufanga. San Francisco has finished in the top five in total defense for four straight seasons, so don’t expect anything different in 2023.
This offense has most of the pieces in place to thrive too. Christian McCaffrey is the perfect running back for Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, George Kittle is the best all-around tight end in the league, and Kyle Juszczyk is the only fullback that is worth a seven-figure salary in the modern NFL. However, it’s hard to know what to make of the quarterback position. Brock Purdy is the presumptive starter after performing well in eight starts down the stretch as a rookie before being injured in the NFC Championship Game.
However, Trey Lance was taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, so he could get the nod if he shows enough potential after suffering two major injuries.
Seattle was the most surprising team in the league in 2022. The Seahawks were projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL after they traded Russell Wilson to Denver, but they qualified for the postseason as Geno Smith had a very good season under center. Smith was rewarded with a sizeable short-term extension, and the Seahawks could be even better in 2023 if the defense improves.
After being the backbone of the team for most of the 2010s, Seattle’s defense took a big step back in 2022. Jamal Adams has been a major disappointment since being acquired for two first-round picks and a third-Three different teams have won the NFC West over the last three seasons. The Seattle Seahawks pick, but Devon Witherspoon was taken with the No. 5 overall pick to help shore up the secondary. Bobby Wagner is back in the Emerald City too after a one-year stint with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Los Angeles Rams mortgaged the future to immediately contend for the Super Bowl, and they were successful in that endeavor. Stan Kroenke was able to bring a Super Bowl title to the fickle fans of LA, establishing that the Rams were the team of the area. However, now it is time to pay the piper, and they will only be marginal success going forward. The defense isn’t great aside from Aaron Donald, while the offense has some real questions with Matt Stafford now entering his late 30s.
Whew boy, the Arizona Cardinals are in a dark place right now. There is no timetable on when Kyler Murray will return from a torn ACL suffered in mid-December, and there isn’t much talent elsewhere now that DeAndre Hopkins has been released too. Colt McCoy is expected to be the starting quarterback, but don’t be surprised if rookie Clayton Tune out of Houston starts taking snaps in October since this team won’t be competitive.
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