Is there truly a better division for the NFL right now then the NFC West? The answer to this question is no. As much as the media would like us to believe that the NFC East is great, the Redskins were barely above .500, the Cowboys were hurt, the Giants won just six games, while the Eagles did so bad they fired Chip Kelly after just three years of coaching. Some might try to argue that maybe the NFC North is the best division. This could be more arguable at the very least. The Packers seemed to fall apart a little bit midway through the season but did end up finding their groove back and were an overtime away from being in the NFC Championship game. The Vikings also were a missed field goal away from winning their playoff game, but the Lions and Bears were for the most part pretty mediocre this year and that leads me to believe the best division in the NFL is the NFC West
NFC West Remains Best Division in NFL
The Arizona Cardinals are currently playing in the NFC Championship game as I write so they could very easily be in their second Super Bowl in seven years. As long as Carson Palmer stays with the Cardinals and has Larry Fitzgerald to throw to they will be dangerous. That’s not even mentioning players on their defense like Freeney, Mathieu, Peterson, and their rookie running back David Johnson who came out of nowhere the second half of the season to make a dangerous team even more lethal. All while being coached by one of the best coaches in the NFL in Bruce Arians.
For the new Los Angeles Rams, Todd Gurley is a monster as a running back and he has proven that with his Rookie of the Year nomination. He rushed for over 1,100 yards and didn’t even play a full season. They also have a stacked defense led by Aaron Donald on their defensive line that could break back the Fearsome Foursome now that they are back in Los Angeles. The only thing missing is their awesome Blue and Yellow jerseys. If they do anything else it would be crucial to bring back that look and give Gurley some goggles so he can look like Eric Dickerson in their backfield.
The San Francisco 49ers have definitely hit a rough patch as of late. It didn’t help that they got rid of their coach, Jim Harbaugh, who had completely turned that team around. Now with Chip Kelly in charge they could become a very fun team to watch and might actually be resurrected to the very respectful Niners team of old. Not only that, but Kelly will have two mobile quarterbacks between Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert that will probably be able to run his offense in a way that Foles and Bradford could only have dreamed of. Keep an eye on this San Francisco team. They could be something to watch in the years to come.
And lastly, the Seattle Seahawks who went to back-to-back Super Bowls with a victory in one of them and only a yard away from winning the second one. They have the Legion of Boom, they have Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, and Thomas Rawls. Rawls played very well in Marshawn Lynch’s absence and could probably take over that spot in case of a retirement from Beast Mode. Only time will tell if Lynch plays next season and on top of that if he plays for Seattle. But in case he doesn’t, there will be Rawls to take over his spot and Fred Jackson, who might never retire, to back him up. These Seahawks will always be a tough team to play especially at home in their loud stadium and with a coach like Pete Carroll and a quarterback like Russell Wilson. If you still believe Russell Wilson is a game manager, then you don’t know Wilson.
These teams will lead to a fun division to watch and should be worthy of a few heavyweight fights in the upcoming years. Until the Carolina Panthers victory on Sunday, the last time a non-NFC West team was in the Super Bowl was in February of 2012. And the Panthers have dispatched of two NFC West teams on their way to the big game, having beaten the Seahawks last week. Nevertheless, if you want to watch some quality football the next couple of years, watch the NFC West.
It will be worth it.
Main Photo:
