Throughout the summer, there was almost no doubt about which division would likely end up as the best in the NFL this season. Yet, even with as much hype as the NFC West came into the year with, it has arguably exceeded expectations.
Through three weeks, no division has played at a higher level than the NFC West – and it’s not particularly close. The Seahawks lead the way at 3-0, followed by the Rams, 49ers and Cardinals all one game behind at 2-1.
The NFC West is the only division in football with all four teams above .500, with their combined record being a remarkable and NFL-best 9-3. In fact, it’s the only division without a winless team up to this point.
The closest division to the NFC West is the AFC North, which features the 2-0 Ravens, 3-0 Steelers, 2-1 Browns and 0-2-1 Bengals. But even that group of four teams can’t match up with the NFC West.
The Rams, Cardinals, 49ers and Seahawks all rank in the top 15 in points scored this season, and all four teams have a points differential of at least 16 points – which puts each club in the top 12 in that department. The NFC West is the only division with all four teams owning a positive points differential through three weeks.
This is all while the 49ers limp into Week 4 without the majority of their best players, and after both the Rams and Cardinals lost in the fourth quarter on Sunday. This division could easily have three undefeated teams, with the last-place team being alone at 2-1.
What has worked in the NFC West’s favor so far is the fact that there’s only been one divisional matchup thus far, with the Cardinals beating the 49ers in Week 1. Otherwise, the rest of the games have been outside the NFC West.
That’ll change in the second half of the season when there will be more divisional contests – particularly for the Rams. Naturally, they’ll begin to beat up on each other at some point, but there’s no question about which division has been the best in the league through three weeks.