2024 NFC West race: Can anyone challenge the 49ers? How the Rams and Seahawks could put up a fight

The NFC West’s four teams possess a wide range of outcomes in 2024. It’s been a parity-filled division since 2015, with each of its four teams — the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams (both thrice), the Seattle Seahawks (twice) and the Arizona Cardinals (once) — locking down the top spot in that time.

The 49ers won their second division crown in a row in 2023 with a 12-5 record and were able to rest their stars in their regular season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, who went 10-7. The Seahawks were one spot behind them with a 9-8 record in the final season of the Peta Carroll era (2010-2023), and the rebuilding Cardinals brought up the rear with a 4-13 record in their first season under coach Jonathan Gannon. 

San Francisco’s offense hummed along to 28.9 points per game on the strength of 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, the best running back in football, and Pro Bowl quarterback Brock Purdy, who set a new NFL single-season record for passing yards per attempt (9.6) (among quarterbacks with a minimum of 350 pass attempts) and led the league in passer rating (113.0) in 2023. 

Los Angeles will likely remain the 49ers’ top challenger after bolstering its offensive line, secondary and defensive front in the offseason. Seattle has the right pieces on offense, but it will remain to be seen if new coach Mike Macdonald can make a turnaround big enough on that side of the ball to get it done. Arizona should be much improved with a full season of a healthy Kyler Murray at quarterback and the addition of generational wide receiver prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. (fourth overall pick in 2024 NFL Draft out of Ohio State), but it doesn’t quite have what it needs defensively to slow down the rest of the division just yet. 

Here is how the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks could end up as the NFC West champions.

San Francisco 49ers

…


Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfc-west-race-can-anyone-challenge-the-49ers-how-the-rams-and-seahawks-could-put-up-a-fight/

Author : Garrett Podell

Publish date : 2024-07-03 12:41:56

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.