The NFC West was supposed to be a two-team race between the 49ers and Seahawks. After Week 1 though it’s the 49ers and a different team atop the division.
Sitting next to San Francisco at 1-0 after the first week is the Los Angeles Rams – which thumped the Seahawks 30-13 in Seattle. The win was nearly as dominant as the 49ers’ 30-7 blowout of the Steelers in Pittsburgh, but given the dramatic overhaul the Rams’ roster underwent this offseason it was an extremely impressive showing for Sean McVay’s squad.
Aaron Donald was dominant for Seattle’s defense and rookie DL Byron Young had a pair of quarterback hits. QB Matthew Stafford was very good as well with a patchwork receiving corps. He was 24-for-38 for 334 yards with rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua leading the way with 10 catches for 119 yards in his NFL debut. WR Tutu Atwell was also impressive with six catches for 119 yards.
The 49ers and Rams face off in Week 2 at SoFi Stadium in what now comes with a ton of intrigue after Los Angeles showed they’re not going to roll over this year.
Arizona was in Washington to open the year and held their own, but poor quarterback play ultimately doomed them in a 20-16 loss. The Cardinals’ only touchdown came via their defense. Cardinals QB Josh Dobbs completed 21-of-30 throws for 132 yards and Arizona’s offense averaged 3.6 yards per play. Conversely, their defense only allowed 3.9 yards per play which is an elite number.
Here’s what the early standings look like:
1. Rams (1-0)
2. 49ers (1-0)
3. Cardinals (0-1)
4. Seahawks (0-1)
A division win for the Rams puts them above the 49ers, while a division loss for the Seahawks puts them below the Cardinals.
It’s still early so there’ll be no sweeping declarations here. Seattle should stabilize some and the Cardinals defense played well enough to be interesting, but it’s clear after the first slate of games that the NFC West won’t be a walk in the park for the favored 49ers.
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