Here comes the NFC west! No longer a cupcake division, the west is looking like one of the strongest divisions in the NFL. Two years ago the division was won by the Seattle Seahawks with a 7-9 record, which was very disappointing. I am not for a team with a losing record to have a spot in the playoffs, just sounds ridiculous. Last year the NFC west had one dominate team and it was the San Francisco 49ers. The rest of the division struggled at the start of the season, but the Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals began to catch fire past the halfway point of the season. They were able to salvage their seasons and each finished with an unexpected 8-8 season. Both teams are once again looking good. The Seahawks are coming off a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys, while the Cardinals posted the biggest upset of week two with a win over the New England Patriots in Foxborough.

Let us not forget about the St. Louis Rams. The Rams gave the Detroit Lions all they can handle in week one in a losing effort. In week two the Rams, too many fans, had a surprising win over the Washington Redskins. The Rams have a whole new attitude with new head coach Jeff Fisher and will be competitive throughout the season.

Week three possesses big challenges for the division expect for the Niners. The Niners will face the Minnesota Vikings and will be looking to go 3-0. It’s a safe bet to assume a Niners victory, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the division. The Rams will head to Chicago to face a Bear’s team that is coming off a bad lost to the Green Bay Packers. The Rams surprisingly are a big underdog and I honestly believe they can win this game. The thing going against the Rams is the Bears will be highly motivated after the Green Bay lost. I see it being a closer game than many expect.

The 2-0 Cardinals will face the 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles. The Cards are coming off a huge week two win as previously mentioned, but a win over the Eagles will legitimize Arizona as a playoff team. The Cards have a spectacular defense and is the reason why they are off to a good start, but the offense has been very bad. The offense has struggled to score points and WR Larry Fitzgerald has only four catches in two games. If the Cards are going to win it is going to be by forcing the Eagles into many turnovers; which the Eagles are prone to doing. If you like to watch great defense, this is your type of game.

The Seahawks will face the Packers on Monday Night Football. The Hawks are very similar to the Cardinals in the case of they both play great defense but have bad offenses. The Hawks do have RB Marshawn Lynch to depend on offense since they are starting a rookie quarterback in Russell Wilson. Wilson has good targets to throw the ball to, in other words, the Seahawks offense does have potential. Once again I see a close game with the victorious team winning by a field goal.

The NFC west went 4-0 last week and if they do it again in week three, it will make them the best division in the NFL. The Niners do not have it easy this season, with that said the Niners are 2-0 against two playoff teams from a year ago and the Niners can match up with any team. The Niners are still the favorites to win the division and to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Going into Christmas Eve the San Francisco 49ers will head to the northwest to face off against a divisional opponent in the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have caught fire lately winning 5 of their last 6 games. It is an important game for the Niners due to the scenario they are in, if the Niners win and the New Orleans Saints lose to the Atlanta Falcons, the Niners will earn the second seed in the NFC playoffs and the first round bye that comes with it. But it will not come easy. Every football fan should know by now that Seattle is one of the toughest places to play in the league. Last season the Niners suffered a blowout lost to the Seahawks in Seattle which was the start to an awful season. This season the two have shown lots of improving since their week 1 showdown, with the Niners winning 33-17. Here are some keys to the rematch. (more…)