Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The 49ers are in the Super Bowl for the third time since divisional realignment. It is the ninth time a team in the NFC west made it.
The NFC West has been one of the more competitive divisions for some time. Some great teams have come out of the division. Since realignment in 2002, every team in the NFC West has made it to the Super Bowl at least once.
With the San Francisco 49ers beating the Detroit Lions 34-31 in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday to move on to Super Bowl LVIII, it marks the ninth time since realignment that an NFC West team represents the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Let’s look back at previous results.
McCaffrey was honored by the PFWA after leading the NFL in rushing yards, scrimmage yards and total touchdowns.
The Arizona Cardinals saw twice just how good San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was this season. In two games against the Cardinals, he rushed for 221 yards and four touchdowns and caught 12 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns.
McCaffrey was named by the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year for 2023.
McCaffrey led the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards this past season, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt and scoring 14 touchdowns.
He also caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven touchdowns.
His 21 total touchdowns led the NFL. His 1,459 rushing yards led the NFL. His 2,023 total yards from scrimmage led the NFL.
McCaffrey’s production is a big reason why the 49ers are in the NFC Championship Game this weekend. He certainly was the main reason why the 49ers beat the Cardinals twice in 2023.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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After three seasons as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, Raheem Morris is now going to be head coach for the Atlanta Falcons.
The Arizona Cardinals will face a new Los Angeles Rams defense in 2024. The Atlanta Falcons have hired Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to be their new head coach.
Morris used to be an assistant for the Falcons and coached both offense and defense at different times.
He was the Rams’ defensive coordinator for the last three seasons.
The Rams will receive draft compensation for the hiring. Morris is a Black man and, like the San Francisco 49ers with their last two defensive coordinators, will get an extra compensatory third-round pick the next two years because a minority coach on their staff was hired by another team to be head coach.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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The 49ers will host the winner of the Buccaneers-Lions game in the NFC Championship Game.
The Green Bay Packers almost upset the San Francisco 49ers. They took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter but, despite the Niners’ 0-30 record under head coach Kyle Shanahan in games trailing by five or more points, they came away victorious and move on to the NFC Championship Game with a 24-21 win.
Jake Moody, who had missed an earlier field goal, made a 52-yard kick to start the fourth quarter and Christian McCaffrey scored for the second time of the game with a six-yard run to give the 49ers a 24-21 lead with 1:07 to go.
Brock Purdy led his first fourth-quarter comeback and first game-winning drive of this season, and linebacker Dre Greenlaw picked off Packers quarterback Jordan Love to seal the win.
Love threw two interceptions in the game. McCaffrey rushed for 98 yards and two scores and added another 30 yards on seven receptions.
Purdy had 252 passing yards and a touchdown, and he did not turn the ball over. Receiver Deebo Samuel injured his shoulder in the win and his status for the conference title game is uncertain for now.
For Green Bay, Aaron Jones rushed for 108 yards on 18 carries.
The Niners will host the winner of the Lions-Buccaneers game next weekend.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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Carroll went 18-9-1 against the Cardinals and had a winning record against all five Cardinals coaches they have had in last 14 years.
The Arizona Cardinals will face a Seattle Seahawks team in 2024 with new leadership. After 14 seasons as head coach, Seattle is replacing Pete Carroll, although Carroll will move into some sort of advisory role within the organization.
Carroll led the Seahawks to 10 playoff appearances, five division titles, two Super Bowls and one championship.
His Seahawks squads also dominated the Cardinals.
The Cardinals had five head coaches in the 14 seasons Carroll led Seattle. Carroll had a winning record against all of them.
Overall, he was 18-9-1 against Arizona.
He took over a Seahawks team that was four games under .500 against the Cardinals and, after 14 years, Seattle leads the all-time series 27-22-1. Eighteen of Seattle’s wins over the Cardinals belong to Carroll.
We will see if this leads to the Cardinals turning things around against the Seahawks in the years to come.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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Carroll moves into an advisory role in the organization after 14 seasons as head coach.
The NFC West, aside from the Arizona Cardinals, has been a division of coaching stability. Only the Cardinals have made coaching changes since 2017.
That changes this offseason.
Pete Carroll, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks since 2010, no longer has that job.
However, he will remain in the organization in an advisory role.
Statement from Jody Allen – Chair, Seattle Seahawks pic.twitter.com/RNUZvF6Vgp
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 10, 2024
The Seahawks had 10 winning seasons, 10 playoff appearances, two Super Bowls and a Super Bowl championship under Carroll.
The Seahawks will now go through the fun of a coaching search and perhaps a rebuild.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
A look back at Week 17 in the NFC West and what is coming in Week 18.
In Week 17, the NFC West went 3-1. Only the Seattle Seahawks lost their game as the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals all won theirs.
Entering the final week of the season, the division standings are locked in. Two teams will play in the postseason and a third can still make the postseason.
Here are the NFC West standings entering the final week of the season:
Let’s take a look at what happened in Week 17 and what is coming in the final week of the season.
The Cardinals and Rams moved up, the Seahawks fell and the 49ers stayed put.
The NFC West went 3-1 in Week 17 with the Seattle Seahawks being the only team to lose a game. The San Francisco 49ers are in the driver’s seat for the NFC No. 1 seed. The Los Angeles Rams clinched a playoff spot. The Arizona Cardinals upset the Philadelphia Eagles 35-31.
What did that all do for their spots in the latest NFL power rankings in Week 18 from Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey? Let’s take a look at it below.
The Rams rookie WR had nine catches for 164 yards in the Rams’ win over the Saints in Week 16.
The Arizona Cardinals did not have a player earn conference player of the week honors for Week 16, and that was not expected. And while three different players have earned played of the week honors for their play against the Cardinals, that did not happen this week, either.
However, the NFC West was represented as Los Angeles Rams rookie receiver Puka Nacua earned Week 16 honors for the NFC on offense.
He caught nine passes for 164 yards in the Rams’ 30-22 win over the New Orleans Saints.
All the conference players of the week for both the AFC and NFC are below.
A look at where the teams in the NFC West rank in new Week 17 power rankings. The 49ers fell from the No. 1 spot.
The NFC West went 2-2 in Week 16. The San Francisco 49ers, who already clinched the division title, lost on Monday night to the Baltimore Ravens.
That caused some movement in the new NFL power rankings by Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey.
Let’s take a look at where each team ranks as Week 17 begins.
