The San Francisco 49ers faced their toughest test of the young season in Week 5, and as messy as the game was, they prevailed against the Seattle Seahawks. Kyle Shanahan's team now holds an all-important two-game lead in the race for the NFC West title heading into what should be one of their easier stretches of games.
But they can't rest on their laurels. The Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams won't relent in their fight to take over the top spot in the division.
As Week 6 approaches, here's how the NFC West stacks up.
NFC West power rankings entering Week 6
Week 5 results
- Cardinals lose to Lions 45-21
- 49ers beat Seahawks 32-29
- Rams lose to Bills 37-34 (OT)
1. San Francisco 49ers
It's not often that a team puts up 32 points without reaching 300 total yards of offense, but that's exactly what the Niners did on Sunday. Raheem Morris' defense forced four turnovers, many of them deep in Seattle territory.
San Francisco's ability to win in multiple ways sets it up well to win in the playoffs. If this team can get healthy at the right time, it'll be set up for a Super Bowl run.
Next game: Monday, Oct. 19 vs. Commanders
2. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are still a contender in the NFC, but they aren't the balanced team that won the Super Bowl last season. Sam Darnold has thrown interceptions at a higher rate than any quarterback with at least 100 dropbacks this year. Seattle's inability to take care of the ball has limited the effectiveness of its elite defense.
With games against the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Chicago Bears in the next few weeks, the Hawks are at risk of dropping below the Rams in the division title race.
Next game: Thursday, Oct. 15 @ Broncos
3. Los Angeles Rams
There's no doubt that the Rams have failed to live up to their preseason hype, but their 2-3 record doesn't tell the full story. They've lost to the Niners, Broncos, and Buffalo Bills, all playoff-caliber teams. This was the toughest stretch of their schedule, so there's no need to panic about L.A.'s season-long outlook quite yet.
Still, three early losses could already be enough to knock Los Angeles out of NFC West title contention.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 18 vs. Cardinals
4. Arizona Cardinals
The surprisingly competent operation that the Cardinals ran in Week 1 has disappeared, replaced by the disastrous organization that Arizona's NFC West rivals have come to know. The Cardinals have allowed 148 points over the last four games. Even if Jacoby Brissett can give them average quarterback play, the Cardinals won't be able to keep pace with their opponents.
After trading Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans, it's becoming clear that Arizona is focused more on the future than on winning this season.
It's a wise call for a team that has lost four consecutive games.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 18 @ Rams
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