Rams take over NFC West lead with division’s only Week 3 win
The NFC West is always supposed to be a good division. Three weeks into the year, only one team is above .500. In Week 3, only the Los Angeles Rams picked up a win, beating the Arizona Cardinals 20-12 on the road.
The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks both lost their respective games, giving the division a 1-3 record in Week 3. The standings in the NFC West currently look like this:
Los Angeles Rams, 2-1 (1-0 division)
San Francisco 49ers, 1-2 (1-0 division)
Seattle Seahawks, 1-2 (0-1 division)
Arizona Cardinals, 1-2 (0-1 division)
Let’s take a look at Week 3 in the division for each team and what is coming up in Week 4.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Latest show:
Previous shows:
and
Los Angeles Rams
Joe Rondone-Arizona Republic
The Rams were outgained on offense by the Arizona Cardinals, but they jumped out to a 13-0 first-half lead and maintained it the rest of the game.
The defense did not allow a touchdown and Matthew Stafford completed 18-of-25 passes for 249 yards. Receiver Cooper Kupp was held to only four receptions for 44 yards but had a 20-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
San Francisco 49ers
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers lost to the Denver Broncos 11-10 in the Sunday night game of Week 3. It was Jimmy Garoppolo’s first start of the year.
It was a defensive struggle.
Neither team reached 300 yards of offense.
The 49ers turned the ball over three times and both teams combined to be 7-for-29 on third down.
Arizona Cardinals
Joe Rondone-Arizona Republic
The Cardinals outgained the Rams., won time of possession and won the turnover battle but still lost 20-12.
They have yet to score in the first quarter this season and they dug themselves a 13-0 deficit they never could come back from.
They failed to score a touchdown.
They limited Cooper Kupp to four catches for 44 yards.
Seattle Seahawks
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Geno Smith passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted once. The Seahawks had 420 yards of offense but the Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Drake London at the end of the third quarter to take a 27-23 lead and neither team scored again.
The Seahawks had four leads in the game that they gave up.
Coming up in Week 4
Michael Chow-Arizona Republic
Three of the four teams in the division are on the road.
The Cardinals face the Carolina Panthers, whom they have not defeated since 2013.
The Seahawks face the Detroit Lion.
The Rams and 49ers play in Santa Clara for the week’s Monday night game.
