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NFC West: How Good Is the 49ers’ Own Division in 2016?

By Peter Panacy

Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of an NFL game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of an NFL game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NFC West was considered atop the NFL’s best divisions not long ago. Two weeks into the 2016 season, the NFC West isn’t exactly being praised as highly competitive. Has the 49ers’ own division fallen on hard times, or is this just a glitch?

Nov 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage as San Francisco 49ers center Marcus Martin (66) snaps the ball to quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 19-3 in the Thanksgiving Day game.Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage as San Francisco 49ers center Marcus Martin (66) snaps the ball to quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 19-3 in the Thanksgiving Day game.Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Remember the days when the NFC West boasted some of the best teams in the NFL, especially on defense?

Yeah, those days weren’t long ago. In fact, one might consider 2015 a year in which this division was still atop the league rankings. It did, after all, send two teams — the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks — deep into the playoffs.

Defensively, the St. Louis Los Angeles Rams might also be thrown into the mix.

But here we are two games into 2016. And would you believe it? The San Francisco 49ers actually sit on top of this division.

Yes, the Niners, technically, are in first place when one factors in the tiebreakers.

Not much is expected out of San Francisco this season. The same could be said of Los Angeles, at least offensively outside of running back Todd Gurley.

So this prompts the question — is the NFC West as bad as it seems? Just consider the video below:

We’ll get to the individual teams in a moment. But factor in the 49ers’ woes of which we know all about. And consider the Rams haven’t scored a touchdown yet. The Seahawks? Well, they have their own offensive problems too.

So let’s break down the NFC West after two weeks and try to come up with some sort of answer regarding what’s going on here.

Starting with the bottom — yes you, Seattle — on up.

Next: Seattle Seahawks