The balance of power has shifted in the NFC West, with the Los Angeles Rams emerging at the top and the San Francisco 49ers not far behind. So how many wins will each divisional foe have in 2018?
Not long ago, the NFC West was the domain of the Seattle Seahawks. And just before that, the Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals for a short while.
And, of course, the San Francisco 49ers battled it out with the Seahawks for divisional supremacy.
The then-St. Louis Rams, of course, were the laughingstock of the division. A perennial .500 team under former head coach Jeff Fisher, capable of beating anyone but also losing to anyone as well.
San Francisco 49ers
My, how things have changed.
The Rams rode 2017 first-year head coach Sean McVay all the way to an 11-5 finish, an NFC West title and trip into the playoffs. Quarterback Jared Goff went from a worrisome bust to a franchise-type signal-caller.
Meanwhile, the Niners enjoyed a five-game win streak to close out last year after starting winless over their first nine contests. Their own quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, completely changed the makeup of the franchise. Now they’re a team on the rise.
And the Seahawks and Cardinals are crumbling.
There’s a lot left to be determined between now and Week 1, let alone the divisional standings for 2018. But, based off what we know now, Niner Noise has a little fun with our prediction machine (the human brain and available data) to determine each team’s win-loss record within the NFC West this season.
Let’s start from the bottom.