NFC West Update: Standings, injuries, Outcomes
By Keith Myers
The NFC West is now a complete mess, but at least our Seattle Seahawks are on top of that mess. Now, can they stay there?
The Seattle Seahawks sit atop the NFC West despite losing to a mediocre Saints team this week and having an offense stuck eternally in neutral. Of course, that says more about the lack of good teams in the division the it does about Seattle.
NFC West Standings
| NFC West Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Net Pts | Last 5 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4 | 2 | 1 | .643 | 131 | 109 | 22 | 3-1-1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3 | 4 | 1 | .438 | 179 | 140 | 39 | 2-2-1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 | 120 | 154 | -34 | 2-3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 | 144 | 219 | -75 | 0-5 |
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona went on the road to face the struggling Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton and the Panthers picked a great time to snap out of their post-Super-Bowl funk. Carolina won easily 30-20 in a game that really wasn’t as close as the score.
The loss dropped Arizona to 3-4-1. They remain 1.5 games behind Seattle in the division standings.
The bigger issue for Arizona was the loss of starting left tackle Jared Veldheer to a torn pectoral. He was placed on IR today, and is out for the season.
The Cardinals don’t have depth on the offensive line. They also have a statue for a QB that requires above average protection. Combined with the loss of safety Tyrann Mathieu for 3-4 weeks, this is a major blow to Arizona’s playoff chances.
San Francisco 49ers
I think it is safe to say that (for the 2nd year in a row) the 49ers peaked in Week 1. Since then it has been 6 straight losses, all but one of those losses have been by 12 or more points.
Now the 49ers are in talks to trade away any veteran talent that can fetch good value in return. Wide receiver Torrey Smith and left tackle Joe Staley are the most notable names that are likely to be moved before the trade deadline.
This is a team going nowhere except to the top of the NFL Draft order. It will be very surprising if general manager Trent Baalke is still with the team in January.
Los Angeles Rams
After three straight losses, the Rams managed to avoiding losing this week. They didn’t win or tie either. Bye weeks are fun that way.
Los Angeles has a big decision looming. They believe they are a playoff team, even if their record says otherwise. The need to go on a run and win a few in a row or Jeff Fisher is likely done as their coach.
Next: Positive thoughts on Seattle's offense
At some point Jared Goff is going to have to play at QB. Whether it is because he’s the spark the offense needs, or because the season is lost and they want to prep him for 2017 doesn’t really matter. At some point the Rams have to get him on the field this year.