The NFC West may not be the gauntlet it once was, but Pro Football Focus isn't giving the 49ers a free pass within the division either.
It doesn't seem like too long ago the NFC West was the NFL's biggest powerhouse division. And, yes, that includes being superior to what many in the league would like fans to believe: The AFC West or the AFC North are the two strongest divisions.
But those years have subsided, particularly with teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals taking various steps backward.
The San Francisco 49ers, too, seemingly did a wrong-way step in 2024, falling to 6-11 and relinquishing the division crown.
That said, while the NFC West might no longer be the gauntlet it once was, it's still an awfully tough division.
Pro Football Focus agreed.
PFF ranks NFC West as conference's 2nd-toughest division
In a power rankings-style breakdown heading into 2025, PFF's Trevor Sikkema declared the NFC North as the NFL's biggest gauntlet of a division, which plenty of sense in light of the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings all jockeying for supremacy. Tack on an up-and-coming Chicago Bears squad under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, and few would argue with the placement.
Likewise, the AFC West ranks tops in that conference, especially with the Las Vegas Raiders on the up and up after hiring a Niners rival, Pete Carroll, as head coach.
But the NFC West, despite its fall from the absolute top in recent years, came in at No. 3 on the list of eight divisions.
And Sikkema recognized that all four teams within could seize the division's crown this year:
"If the Cardinals take the next step — and there’s reason to believe they can — the NFC West could turn into a four-team slugfest. Kyler Murray quietly posted his second-highest big-time throw rate (4.7%) in 2024 while keeping his turnover-worthy play percentage at a career-low 2.4%. With the defensive reinforcements Arizona added this offseason, they’re well-positioned to push for a 10-win campaign.
The Rams remain one of the toughest outs in the league, and if not for the blizzard in their playoff game against the Eagles, they might have been on their way to the NFC Championship Game. Seattle faces more uncertainty, with Sam Darnold stepping in at quarterback and no D.K. Metcalf in the receiving corps. As for the 49ers, health will be the biggest variable, but one key area they addressed was the run defense, which ranked 28th in the NFL last year in terms of run-defense grade. Their draft class should go a long way toward correcting that."
What makes things so intriguing for San Francisco and the rest of the NFC West is how all four teams square off against two of the league's weakest divisions this season: the AFC South and NFC South.
True, the 49ers play on a last-place schedule, stemming from 2024's finish. But that only covers so much. And while the Niners have a seemingly easy slate of games, the rest of the division isn't far off.
So, as Sikkema references, a "four-team slugfest" might actually be on tap for the NFC West this season, meaning San Francisco has to do better than its 1-5 record in the division a year ago.
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