All offseason, analysts hailed the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks as the two biggest threats in the NFC. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers waited in the shadows for a chance to announce themselves.
That chance came in Week 1, and Kyle Shanahan's team took advantage of it, cruising to a statement win over the Rams that flipped the division on its head. Suddenly, there's a third team in the race for the NFC West title.
Here's how the division stacks up after the first full week of football.
NFC West power rankings heading into Week 2
Week 1 results:
- Seahawks beat Patriots 13-10
- 49ers beat Rams 27-7
- Cardinals beat Chargers 26-14
1. San Francisco 49ers
The offseason was full of negativity for the 49ers, who seemed to suffer a new injury every day. But even the depleted lineup dominated the Rams in Australia, reminding the rest of the NFL of their place in the league hierarchy.
If Mike Evans can continue his form from Week 1 and the rest of the team can avoid more major injuries, the Niners will be an undeniable threat to win the division.
They should be able to get off to a 2-0 start with the Miami Dolphins up next on the schedule, putting themselves out ahead of the pack early.
Next game: Sunday, Sept. 20 vs. Dolphins
2. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks deserve credit for fighting their way to a win over the New England Patriots without Sam Darnold. Backup Drew Lock was ready to step up and avoided game-breaking mistakes, letting his elite defense shine.
Darnold is expected to miss time with a soft tissue injury, leaving Lock at the helm for the near future. With games against the Cardinals, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Chargers coming up, Seattle will have to lean on its defense to maintain its undefeated record.
Next game: Sunday, Sept. 20 @ Cardinals
3. Los Angeles Rams
The preseason Super Bowl favorites scored less than any other team in the NFL in Week 1. Sean McVay's elite offense was stifled by San Francisco's banged-up defense as Matthew Stafford was held to just 155 passing yards.
One loss shouldn't wipe away the Rams' preseason expectations completely, but in such a tightly-contested division, every game is crucial. With Myles Garrett set to be put on the injured reserve, the early-season outlook is suddenly much bleaker than it was a week ago.
If Los Angeles can't bounce back against the New York Giants in Week 2, panic will start to set in.
Next game: Monday, sept. 21vs. Giants
4. Arizona Cardinals
In an attempt not to overreact to one week of football, we're keeping the Cardinals in the final spot in these rankings, at least for now.
Mike LaFleur's squad did look much more buttoned-up than the 2025 Cardinals in their win over the Los Angeles Chargers. While they didn't produce many highlight moments, they were in control of the game from start to finish.
If they can hang with the Seahawks in Week 2, the Cardinals will suddenly become a legitimate threat in the NFC West.
Next game: Sunday, Sept. 20 vs. Seahawks
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