One thing is certain in the NFC West: The Arizona Cardinals are already looking toward the offseason. After that, the rest of the division is deep in the NFL playoff race and as the deepest division in the playoffs, could realistically have one of the teams in the Super Bowl. After all, the LA Rams are the top team in the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks have new life with Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba amidst a career year. And then there’s the San Francisco 49ers, who have one of the last wild card spots as a nine-win team.
As strong as the division is, they’re not bulletproof. Only one team from the NFC can reach the Super Bowl and each team in the NFC West has an Achilles heel that could keep them from a deep postseason run. Here’s what could hold every contender in the NFC West back from a Super Bowl run.
Los Angeles Rams
There’s really two things that could keep Matthew Stafford from winning his second Super Bowl. One, if he turns the ball over and two, if he gets in a shootout. The Rams have been pretty good at running the score up on teams, but when they get in a shootout, especially with explosive offenses, that’s when things get iffy for them.
All three of their losses involved back and forth scoring, with losses against the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers, Stafford had a combined three interceptions. Stafford has been really good at protecting the ball, but the loss against the Panthers – where he threw two interceptions – highlights that if he turns the ball over, it will ultimately make it difficult for the Rams to win.
San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy’s availability will be the biggest factor in whether the 49ers can return to the Super Bowl or not. Mac Jones has played really well when the 49ers have needed him too, but Purdy is the only one good enough to lead this team to the Super Bowl. He’s had a lot of issues with injuries and health, so if that continues to affect him later in the season, it could be the difference in Kyle Shanahan finally getting a championship or coming up short once again.
The Niners have a very favorable remaining schedule with games against the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and Seahawks left to play. They should beat the Titans and Colts. The Bears are a wild card and the Seahawks are up in the air as well.
Seattle Seahawks
The biggest thing that could doom Seattle’s strong season is another late season collapse from Darnold. The Seahawks, much like the Minnesota Vikings a year ago, are having a strong season and look primed for a deep playoff run. But the Vikings’ season was cut short with back-go-back losses to end the year. Could Seattle have that same fate?
It all comes down to how well Darnold plays to end the season. If he looks like he has for much of the season, then they should be fine. If he looks inconsistent like he has at times, well the Seahawks will have the same outcome the Vikings did a year ago. Seattle has a top 10 offense and defense, they should be set for a deep playoff run. Things can change though so they can’t waste away a strong season.