Which team is the best in the NFC West?
Remarkably, with the NFL in Week 13 of its 18-week season, a case could be made for three of the four teams in the division.
So let’s start with the process of elimination: It’s not the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals (3-8) have suffered three consecutive defeats and have seemingly lost faith in oft-injured quarterback Kyler Murray. That could lead to another rebuilding process in the desert.
The San Francisco 49ers (8-4) currently sit third in the division, and that seems about right. Brock Purdy, the 49ers’ $265 million quarterback, has played in just four games because of a turf-toe injury suffered in the season opener and showed signs of rust in throwing three first-half interceptions in a 20-9 victory against Carolina on Monday night.
Running back Christian McCaffrey has kept the 49ers’ offense going and is on pace for a second season with at least 1,000 yards rushing and receiving. The usually staunch 49ers’ defense has had to deal with season-ending injuries to linebacker Fred Warner (broken right ankle) and defensive end Nick Bosa (torn ACL in right knee).
All doesn’t feel right in the 49ers’ camp. Word recently leaked the team had voided the guaranteed money in injured receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s contract because he failed to attend meetings and other team activities during his rehab. Aiyuk reportedly told the NFL Players’ Association not to fight the move, apparently clearing the way for the 49ers to release him.
There are no such problems in Seattle, where the Seahawks (8-3) are just a game out of first place. The offseason departures of wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have allowed Jaxon Smith-Njigba to blossom into a star. He’s already eclipsed the franchise record for receiving yards in a season and is on pace to become the first player in league history with 2,000 yards.
Quarterback Sam Darnold has shown his breakout season in Minnesota was no fluke, although questions remain about his ability in big games — he fumbled late in the red zone in a 17-13 loss to visiting San Francisco in the season opener and threw four picks in a 21-19 defeat to the host Los Angeles Rams in Week 11.
The running back combo of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet has been serviceable, but the Seahawks have yet to figure out how to incorporate speedy receiver Rasheed Shaheed, acquired from New Orleans at the trade deadline, into the offense. The Seahawks’ defense has drawn comparisons to the Legion of Boom that led them to their lone Super Bowl title a decade ago.
That leaves the division-leading Rams (9-2), winners of six in a row. Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford is having an MVP-caliber season, with a league-leading 30 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Receiver Davante Adams has proven a perfect complement to Puka Nacua, with nine touchdowns over the past five games.
Kyren Williams and Blake Corum have become a strong one-two punch at running back, and the Rams’ defense is allowing a league-low 16.3 yards per game.
The Rams currently take the scepter as the best in the West. But they might also be ready to stake a claim to being the best in the league.
