The NFC West is primarily dominated by the San Francisco 49ers, who have won an astounding 22 championships since their official inception in 1970.
Not surprisingly, sportsbooks are projecting San Francisco to win its 23rd division title.
But with the other two teams in the NFC West just coming off winning seasons, the situation may be more complicated than it seems.
Let’s take a closer look at each team’s projected win numbers and what they’ll do this offseason (odds via FanDuel).
49ers: 11.5 wins (+108/-132)
The 49ers narrowly missed out on a championship last year, losing to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Not much will change as San Francisco continues to boast the best defense in the NFL.
But there are still many variables with this team, including the futures of wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
Will the 49ers trade either of them or keep both?
The answer seems to be the former, given the team’s first-round draft selection of wide receiver Ricky Piersall, but there has been no recent news to indicate that this is the case.
Dre Greenlaw is unlikely to return after rupturing his Achilles in the Super Bowl, so San Francisco will need DevonDre Campbell to replace him this season.
Plus, the newly constructed defensive line may need a few games to develop cohesion.
The Niners will once again be one of the strongest teams in the NFC, but the division will be tougher than last year.
Rams: 8.5 wins (-144/+118)
The biggest news of the offseason for the Rams was the retirement of Aaron Donald, one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
This leaves a glaring hole in a trench unit that was surprisingly solid last season, but Los Angeles still picked up Braden Fisk in the second round in hopes of making the defensive line work.
The Rams also signed Darius Williams, Kamren Curl and Tre’Davious White to bolster their secondary, and the defense should improve slightly despite the loss of Donald.
Offensively, the emergence of Puka Nacua and the dominance of Cooper Kupp will continue to make it an easy battle for Matthew Stafford.
Still, the Rams’ chances will hinge on the effectiveness of these defensive backs’ contracts and the team’s ability to move forward in the post-Donald era.
Seahawks: 7.5 wins (-138/+112)
Pete Carroll was fired and replaced by former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike McDonald.
McDonald hopes to revive a defense that was porous in 2023, but that will be difficult given the Seahawks lost Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Wagner and Damien Lewis in free agency.
Fortunately, the Seahawks re-signed Leonard Williams and drafted Byron Murphy II.
They’re hoping the duo can improve an interior defense that has allowed opponents the second-most rushing yards per game.
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Cardinals: 7.5 wins (+124/-152)
Early last season, Arizona was forced to use Joshua Dobbs at center because Kyler Murray was still recovering from a torn ACL.
The Cardinals went 1-7 under Dobbs but had more success under Murray, winning three of their next eight games.
Drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. to pair with tight end Trey McBride finally gives Murray something to get excited about, but even with the addition of Jonah Williams, the quarterback will still have to constantly make plays with his feet because the offensive line will be so shaky.
The most obvious issue is defense, which needs no explanation.
The Cardinals defense is dismal in every facet, and Murray, Harrison and McBride are going to have to put up big numbers every week if they want to have a chance to win.
Best bets for the NFC West
Despite a slow start to 2023, Sean McVay’s Rams turned things around and won seven of their final eight regular season games to make the playoffs.
Although the Rams suffered a one-point comeback defeat on the road to Detroit in the first round, there was a lot to like about the team’s direction and momentum.
Even without Donald, the Rams should be a playoff-caliber team again and shouldn’t have a hard time surpassing their 8.5 win total (-144).
Best bet: Rams over 8.5 wins (-144, FanDuel)
