Who is the best in the NFC West? Seattle’s division is a mess
The Seattle Seahawks have fallen to 2-3 after a disappointing 39-32 loss to the New Orleans Saints, thanks to a poor defensive effort and questionable officiating. However, the silver lining for Seattle is the fact they are not alone. The Seahawks are currently in a three-way tie for second place in the NFC West alongside the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams.
Seattle, Arizona and Los Angeles are all letting winnable games slip through their grasp as they each deal with their own unique frustrations.
For a third straight year, the Seahawks defense is starting a season as arguably the worst defense in the NFL. Seattle’s offense might possibly be the best in the conference, but it hardly matters if the efforts of Geno Smith & Co. are immediately undone by the defense.
Meanwhile, the defending Super Bowl Champion Rams have the opposite problem – since scoring points seems to be increasingly difficult for Sean McVay’s much-lauded offense. As for the Cardinals, they appear to be completely disjointed and are bearing the fruit of an offseason wrought with strife between the organization and their young quarterback.
The San Francisco 49ers are in sole possession of first place in the NFC West at 3-2, but they are hardly the runaway favorites for a division crown. Despite San Francisco’s best efforts to replace and upgrade – including trading three first round picks to draft his successor – Jimmy Garoppolo is once again at the helm. Although Garoppolo inexplicably finds himself in the win column far more often than the alternative, it does not take a football expert to realize he is the weakest link on an otherwise championship-caliber roster.
For years the NFC West has been referred to as the toughest division in the league and with good reason. Even just last year there were three teams in the playoffs, with two facing off against each other in the NFC Championship Game. Through five weeks of the 2022 season, the division looks incredibly vulnerable.
The good news is this could mean a window of opportunity is open for the Seahawks. If they can shore up their defense – which they have been able to do in each of the last two years – they could find themselves in serious contention for their fifth division title in the last ten years.
Seattle has an opportunity to build distance between their rivals and climb their way back to .500 with a win over the Cardinals this week.
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