With four games to go in the 2023 NFL season, the NFC West is a fete accompli with the San Francisco 49ers. The division crown is theirs, a playoff run looks to favor them, and it would be no surprise if they get to the Super Bowl and lift a Lombardi Trophy.
As for the rest, the West is an absolute disappointment. The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and the Arizona Cardinals are merely the filler. As for what happened to a once very competitive division, well, look no further than signal callers and offensive woes. The NFC West is not hard to explain when talking about quarterbacks. Watch the Niners play, and the position leaves much to be desired.
2023 Quarterback Play Speaks Volumes About the NFC West
1 – San Francisco 49ers: Best in the West
Mr. Irrelevant is the real deal. Brock Purdy is a quarterback no one saw coming, even in San Francisco. He’s poised under pressure, calm and cool, and executes the Niners game plan as if he’s been doing it for a lot of years. In 2023, Purdy has thrown for 3,553 yards, 25 touchdowns, and had only seven interceptions. His QBR is 74.7. He has been instrumental in the 49ers 10-3 record. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are also 10-3. San Francisco beat the Cowboys 42-10 and the Eagles 42-19.
Put some respect on Brock Purdy's name 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Zuk7NFIvsV
— PFF (@PFF) December 13, 2023
It is impossible to think anyone derails that train. The future is bright for Purdy and the Niners. In a division showing few signs of getting better soon, the NFC West crown will stay in the City by the Bay for a good while to come.
2 – Los Angeles Rams: Still Respectable and Set at Quarterback
If only Shohei Otani could throw a football. But he cannot, at least as far as Sean McVay knows. The Rams are a team with a roadmap open to interpretation. So much so, you have to wonder if McVay can rebuild a team for a second time to compete in postseason play.
Last season, it was a coin toss whether Matthew Stafford would return in 2023. He did, but the wear and tear is evident. He’s a quarterback who has been knocked around and has a history of head injuries. Still, he’s been serviceable this season and done more with less on the offensive side of the football.
Stafford has 3,062 yards and 19 touchdowns. One positive is he has kept his interceptions down, responsible for only throwing nine. He’s led the Rams to a respectable 6-7 record but is 4-1 inside the division.
Matthew Stafford's last three games (3-0)
698 yards
8 TDs
2 INTS
101.8 passer rating
Heating up at the right time. pic.twitter.com/zwPFDOX8vc— RamsMuse (@LARamsMuse) December 4, 2023
Los Angeles is coming off a devastating loss at Baltimore but previously won three in a row. Against the Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns, Stafford impressed with 698 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions. He posted a 101.8 passer rating giving LA no reason to think their quarterback will not be under center in 2024.
2023 Quarterback Play Speaks Volumes About the NFC West: Second Division
3 – Seattle Seahawks Need a Signal Caller in The Draft
It is grossly apparent that quarterback Geno Smith was a one-hit-wonder in 2022. Smith was a great story of a league veteran who found a groove and rode it to a playoff berth.
Smith in 2023 is a different story. He is not as consistent as he was last year, nor as timely as he was with the big plays when needed. For the season thus far Smith has 2,918 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. His QBR is 55.7
The Seahawks are 6-7 overall and 1-4 in the division. Seattle, who seemed on track to draft a quarterback in the last draft, passed and went WR in the first round. Expect a different game plan come the 2024 NFL Draft and Smith a bridge to a better team.
4 – Arizona Cardinals: Last May Be Best
What is left to say about the Cardinals that has not already been said? Arizona looks to be on track for a team picked to win anywhere from zero to four games. With four games to go, it’s all about evaluating what they have, what they need, and how and when they acquire it.
The Cardinals have holes to fill, especially along the offensive line, the need for a home run kind of receiver, and help on defense. After that, the biggest decision facing this team is quarterback Kyler Murray.
Arizona has three wins under its belt, with the most impressive being a Week 13 win at Pittsburgh 24-10.
Murray’s abbreviated season has yielded 864 yards and only three touchdowns. He has thrown two interceptions and heading into Sunday’s game with San Francisco, boasts a 49.8 QBR.
Explore Kyler Murray's most unlikely completions from Week 13 👀, as highlighted by Next Gen Stats.
pic.twitter.com/wPn3OptWMF— OutOfSightSports🚀™️ (@OOSSports) December 6, 2023
The conventional wisdom has been that Murray was on borrowed time in Arizona. The idea he could play someplace else next year is still hard to wrap your head around. Yet, the possibility, remote though it may be, will swirl around the organization and Murray. It is a welcome crossroad for an organization and a fan base thirsty for wins. With the end of the season within view, it likely couldn’t get here soon enough.
Main Photo: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
