Updated NFC West standings: Where Seahawks stand after week one
By Jake Luppino
After a highly anticipated Week 1 of the NFL, here we take a look at the aftermath in the NFL’s best divison.
Coming into the 2020 NFL regular season, many predicted that the NFC West would be the best division in football. Last year, the NFC representative in the super bowl was the San Francisco 49ers, who in the offseason improved their offensive line by trading for Trent Williams. They also used their draft picks on both sides of the ball and overall, improved the landscape of their team. In second place came the Seattle Seahawks led by Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner; they made a huge splash in the offseason when trading for all pro safety Jamal Adams.
In third place came the Los Angeles Rams, who in the 2018-2019 season, were playing the super bowl. They’ve experienced some roster turnover cutting ties with Todd Gurley, Marcus Peters, and Aqib Talib, but acquired All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and of course, no one can deny the talent of Aaron Donald.
In last place came the Arizona Cardinals, who many felt improved the most and are the number one contender of this year’s “worse to first” team. Arizona drafted Isaiah Simmons out of Clemson and traded for superstar wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins.
With many anticipating the 49ers to repeat as divisional champs, this division is truly up for grabs this season. Experts all over have predicted each team winning the division and our own experts have Seattle taking the NFC West crown back.
Although week 1 typically tends to lead to overreaction, let’s take a quick look at how the NFC West teams played out over the weekend.
Week 1 Results:
Seattle Seahawks defeat Atlanta Falcons, 38-25
Arizona Cardinals defeat San Francisco 49ers, 24-20
Los Angeles Rams defeat Dallas Cowboys, 20-17
NFC West Standings:
Week 2 Preview
San Francisco 49ers (-7) @ New York Jets
After a Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, expect the Niners to bounce back nicely. Although their offense is dealing with some injuries, I see the Niner defense dominating, especially with Le’Veon Bell being placed on the IR. I expect the Niners to cover the spread and win by at least two touchdowns.
Los Angeles Rams (-1.5) @ Philadelphia Eagles
After coming off a victory against the Dallas Cowboys, in which the defense was impressive, the Rams are going up against an angry Eagle team. After blowing a large lead to the Washington Football Team, I expect the Eagles to come out with energy and passion in this game. Although I see Donald wreaking havoc up front, I see the Eagles winning this game and bouncing back. If not, things can get ugly in Philadelphia.
Washington Football Team @ Arizona Cardinals (-6.5)
Both of these teams are coming off an impressive week 1 victories. Many believe the Cardinals are the better team, and spoiler alert, they are. I expect a big game from DeAndre Hopkins in this one, but expect the Football Team to put up a fight as they are well-coached and will be riding the momentum of their victory over the Eagles. I do expect the Cardinals to cover the spread in this one and win by 10 points.
New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks (-4.5)
The Cam Newton era in New England began with a win over a young and inexperienced Dolphins team. As always, the Patriots were disciplined and did not beat themselves. They will be going up against a hungry Seahawks team, who have shown they are willing to Let Russ Cook this season. I expect a dominant performance from this Seattle defensive and expect Seattle to cover the spread. I see them winning big in their home opener on Sunday Night Football.
Source: DraftKings