A Division of 2-2 Teams: How the NFC West Could Foil the 49ers’ Postseason Plans

Four weeks into the 2022 NFL season and surprise surprise, the NFC West is the most competitive division.

After Monday Night’s win over the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers lead a division full of 2-2 teams, at 2-2. Unlike their rivals, the 49ers hold two wins over divisional foes, giving them a slight edge over the competition.

With more than three months of regular season football to go, anything can happen. The defending champion Rams could make a similar run to 2021 and finish the year strong, while the Cardinals crater to the bottom of the totem pole. Or maybe the opposite happens, LA sinks while San Francisco triumphs to another postseason appearance.

My point is that anything can happen and while the 49ers currently lead the NFC West, all teams face a difficult schedule ahead and have bigger issues to solve before reaching the finish line.

Retweet if your team is a division leader through Week 4 👏 pic.twitter.com/SxEJ0u5y9f

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 5, 2022

With that being said, here’s how the rest of the NFC West could spoil the 49ers’ hopes of winning the division.

Arizona Cardinals

Remaining Schedule: Home vs. Eagles, At Seahawks, Home vs. Saints, At Vikings, Home vs. Seahawks, At Rams, Home vs. 49ers, Home vs. Chargers, Home vs. Patriots, At Broncos, Home vs. Buccaneers, At Falcons, At 49ers

Last Game: W at Panthers, 26-16

Quite possibly the most dysfunctional organization in all the land, the Arizona Cardinals somehow sit 2-2 after four weeks.

After getting embarrassed by the Kansas Chiefs at home in Week 1, the birds soared back in Week 2 remarkably, mounting a 22-point comeback against the Las Vegas Raiders. Led by pro-bowl quarterback Kyler Murray, Arizona tied the game up thanks to the running ability of their signal caller, weaving his way around Raiders to find the end-zone from three years out.

The momentum stayed with the Cardinals in overtime, getting a scoop and score touchdown by linebacker Isaiah Simmons to win the game, 29-23.

Since then, Arizona has gone 1-1, losing to the Rams in Week 3, before beating the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, 26-16.

A true up-and-down team, Murray gives the Cardinals a chance each week, regardless of his opponent. His abilities from the pocket and with his feet encapsulate why he was selected No.1 overall in the 2019 NFL draft, a true game-wrecker that can explode at any moment.

Through four games, he has almost 1,000 yards passing, seven total touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Wide receiver Marquise Brown is also a homerun threat, racking up 339 yards through the early part of the season. All-pro DeAndre Hopkins is currently serving a six-game suspension for PEDs, but will return to the team in a few weeks.

Hollywood is just getting rolling 🎞 pic.twitter.com/iMLGC3Iucj

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 6, 2022

Nevertheless, there’s no “I” in “team” as the Cardinals will need their defense to step up if they want to make a run to the postseason.

Currently the 31st ranked defense according to PFF, Arizona has to contain their opponents in order to not have Murray and the offense always playing from behind. Ranked 28th in points allowed at 103 through the first four games, the Cardinals will look to their playmakers on defense to right the ship as soon as possible.

They’ll have their toughest task yet this week, facing the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. If they can get by QB Jalen Hurts and one of the best defenses in the NFC, they might surprise some folks down the stretch.

Their final five games seem a bit daunting, however, finishing Week 18 on the road against the 49ers.

Los Angeles Rams

Remaining Schedule: Home vs. Cowboys, Home vs. Panthers, Home vs. 49ers, At Buccaneers, Home vs. Cardinals, At Saints, At Chiefs, Home vs. Seahawks, Home vs. Raiders, At Packers, Home vs. Broncos, At Chargers, At Seahawks

Last Game: L at 49ers, 24-9

The 2021 Super Bowl champs have also been up-and-down to start the new season.

Getting run over by the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 set the internet ablaze, as many speculated if last season was a fluke. They quickly got back on track with wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals the following two weeks.

Week 4 saw them come crashing back down to Earth again, dominated by the Red & Gold, 24-9, on Monday Night Football.

Regardless, this is a team that won the Super Bowl for a reason.

Armed with one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the last decade (Matthew Stafford) and arguably the best wideout in the game (Cooper Kupp), the Rams can get hot at any time. A stretch run consisting of Las Vegas, Green Bay and Los Angeles Chargers doesn’t help, but if any team can do it, it’s the Rams.

NFC West sack leaders through Week 4:

Rams: 7
Seahawks: 7
Nick Bosa: 6
Cardinals: 4

— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) October 6, 2022

The real key to victory for them is establishing the run game.

Currently in a timeshare backfield, Darrell Henderson Jr. and Cam Akers split the workload for the Rams at the moment. Both have proven ineffective, with Henderson leading the way with 138 yards over four games. That’s an average of 34.5 yards per game. Not great.

Additionally, the Rams’ offensive line has been decimated to start the year.

Losing All-Pro LT Andrew Whitworth to retirement significantly hurt Los Angeles and it shows through the first four weeks. Down to their third-string center, the Rams have put out four different starting combinations this season in the trenches, none of which are former pro-bowl caliber talents.

Right tackle Rob Havenstein is the best option, but even he has struggled to protect Stafford.

The Rams can’t maintain a lead late in games, as evident in Week 2’s almost comeback by the pedestrian Atlanta Falcons. If they want to take hold of this division, they’ll need to work on running the football effectively. And that all starts with winning at the line 0f scrimmage.

We’ve seen them turn it on before, but with four elite defenses coming up, a turnaround looks improbable for the defending champs.

Seattle Seahawks

Remaining Schedule: At Saints, Home vs. Cardinals, At Chargers, Home vs. Giants, At Cardinals, At Buccaneers, Home vs. Raiders, At Rams, Home vs. Panthers, Home vs. 49ers, At Chiefs, Home vs. Jets, Home vs. Rams

Last Game: W at Lions, 48-45

If I told you a month ago that QB Geno Smith would lead the Seattle Seahawks to a 48-45 win over the Detroit Lions, would you believe me?

Well, believe it, because it’s real and it’s happening.

The Cinderella story of the 2022 season is Smith and the rebuilding Seahawks hold a 2-2 record going into Week 5, beating the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions in impressive fashions.

Through four weeks, Smith ranks among the best in the NFL, passing for more than 1,000 yards with seven total TDs and only two INTs. He has a career-best 108 QB rating after the first month of the season.

Seattle has not only done it through the air but on the ground as well, with Rashaad Penny carrying the lion’s share of touches out of the backfield. Week 4 was his best performance of 2022, breaking out for 151 yards and two TDs, including a 41-yard scamper to seal the road win over Detroit.

FINAL: @Seahawks put up 555 total yards in a Week 4 road win! #SEAvsDET pic.twitter.com/sUaGT56fgq

— NFL (@NFL) October 2, 2022

However, don’t expect the Seahawks to be in the thick of battle come playoff time, this is still a team set on one goal: Rebuild.

Trading away franchise QB Russell Wilson for Denver’s chest trove of picks has proven to be a wise decision after the first month of the regular season, setting Seattle up well for the 2023 and 2024 NFL drafts. Both classes contain potential franchise signal-callers, this year featuring Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young.

And 2024 is no different, featuring the talents of USC QB Caleb Williams and Florida’s Anthony Richardson.

My point is that while the Geno Smith story is cool and “feels good,” the Seahawks’ brass shouldn’t feel set with their current configuration. Instead, hoping for losses rather than wins to guarantee an early first-round pick next spring.

Their two losses so far have come at the hands of San Francisco and Atlanta, two offenses that leave much to be desired. Seattle’s defense is lackluster at best and should keep them in the loss column when Smith eventually cools off from his hot start to the season.

Three out of their last five opponents include San Francisco, Kansas City, and the LA Rams. That should help with their rebuilding plans.

Follow @AmilianoFragoso

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