Nobody thought it would come this easily. If anything, the San Francisco 49ers looked like the most likely NFC West team to drop out of the division title race after their barrage of preseason injuries threatened to hamstring the roster.
Instead, the Niners find themselves with a three-game cushion in what was supposed to be the most competitive division in football. The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams are dropping games left and right, while San Francisco just keeps winning.
Even after a near-disaster against the Washington Commanders, the 49ers emerged from Week 6 as the division's clear winners.
As we shift our focus to Week 7, here's how things stand in the NFC West.
NFC West power rankings entering Week 7
Week 6 results
- Seahawks lose to Broncos 17-14
- Cardinals beat Rams 18-16
- 49ers beat Commanders 23-17
1. San Francisco 49ers
Until about 7 p.m. PT on Monday night, the 49ers looked like the best team in the NFL by a mile. The Commanders' fourth-quarter comeback exposed some weaknesses in Kyle Shanahan's squad, but the Niners deserve credit for holding onto the win.
Unless the Seahawks can find a solution to their offensive woes, the 49ers look set to cruise to an NFC West title.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 25 @ Falcons
2. Seattle Seahawks
There's something going on with Sam Darnold. The Seahawks quarterback looks much less comfortable under coordinator Brian Fleury than he did with Klint Kubiak, and it's holding the offense back. Mike Macdonald's defense is still elite, but this is no longer a balanced team.
The Seahawks still have plenty of time to turn things around and become a playoff team, but their chances of overtaking the Niners in the NFC West are quickly slipping away.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 25 vs. Chiefs
3. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are not a disaster, and that's enough to separate them from the Rams. Even if their game-winning drive was helped out by a controversial penalty call, they looked like the better team for the majority of the game.
Arizona still has a long way to go before it's competing for division titles, but head coach Mike LaFleur certainly has something to him.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 25 vs. Broncos
4. Los Angeles Rams
Even the Rams' doubters would have never expected this kind of downfall.
The early-season mishaps could have been written off as the growing pains of a superteam, but L.A.'s loss to Arizona sent fans into panic mode. Now that multiple players are dealing with long-term injuries, the preseason Super Bowl favorites might already be out of the running.
This is one of the most disastrous seasons for a projected contender in recent memory.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 25 @ Raiders
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