Divisional games are tricky. Due to their familiarity and closeness, superior teams can usually be knocked off by inferior divisional opponents. Teams destined for deep playoff runs find themselves in dogfights with the worst team in their division. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter about the better roster in divisional matchups.
How does the NFC West stack up against the rest of the NFL, and what does that mean for the San Francisco 49ers?
Taking a glance at the offseason for the NFC West, I see that the Rams lost Cooper Kupp to Seattle but replaced him with Davante Adams. Seattle traded Geno Smith to Las Vegas and D.K. Metcalf to Pittsburgh. Sam Darnold is the starter for the Seahawks, and Arizona had a pretty good draft and is poised to give the 49ers fits in their two matchups in 2025.
As for the 49ers, their foundational pieces are in place, but much of their defense will consist of rookies on the defensive line. The offense will have to do the heavy lifting as the defense goes through its ups and downs in 2025.
Pro Football Focus ranked the eight divisions by strength heading into 2025.
Trevor Sikkema of PFF has the NFC North number one, followed by the AFC and NFC West. All three divisions have a cumulative over/under win total of 37.
Here’s what Sikkema thinks about the third-ranked division in the NFL.
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.
The class of the NFC West will be the Rams and 49ers. However, Arizona is an interesting bet to throw their hat into the ring as the division’s best team. Seattle has taken the largest step back in terms of the roster, but a Mike McDonald-led defense and a new-look offensive scheme led by Klint Kubiak pose an interesting scenario for the Seahawks.
Los Angeles and San Francisco have the experience to navigate a tough NFL season, but there are always teams that jump up the division every season.