In this week’s NFC West preview, there are four games to discuss and how each team can win. The NFC West is tied up with all four teams having a 2-2 record. The San Francisco 49ers sit in first place after beating the LA Rams in Monday Night Football, moving to a 2-0 conference record. This week, there are no NFC west matchups, and the standings can possibly change in many ways, or not at all. For this NFC West preview, I briefly analyze each game, and what the teams must do in order to win.
Seahawks at Saints
The Seattle Seahawks are set to face the 1-3 New Orleans Saints. The Seahawks are coming off a crazy 48-45 point win against the Detroit Lions. In this NFC West preview, I look at where Seattle will need to step up in order to get a needed win. Despite a high-scoring match against the Lions, it did not look like a clean game. Both teams’ defenses looked sloppy. The Saints are coming off a loss in London against the Vikings and looking to get their second win this season.
Seattle will need to fix their defense if they want to beat the Saints, who only lost by a field goal last week. According to ESPN, Seattle gave up 145 rushing yards and 384 receiving yards last week against the Lions. That will need to improve in order to beat the Saints, no matter which quarterback plays.
Seattle cornerback, Tariq Woolen did catch an interception against the Lions and took it for a touchdown, which could be a large reason they won the game. Seattle won by four points which could mean that without their defense getting points on the board, the game could have switched to a Lions win. If the Seahawks want to win, their defense needs to force more turnovers.
Seattle’s Offense played well against the Lions, but the Saints’ defense is the strength of their team. The Saints have totaled 298 tackles, seven sacks, and 14 pass deflections. Seattle quarterback Geno Smith has thrown only two interceptions this year and has been sacked six times. If he can utilize his legs and extend plays, he should be able to get momentum going to beat the Saints. With the NFC West tied up, it is important for Seattle to not lose and fall behind in the race.
49ers at Panthers
The San Francisco 49ers are headed to North Carolina to face the Panthers. The 49ers are 2-2 coming off of a dominating win against the LA Rams. The Panthers are 1-3 coming off a loss against the Arizona Cardinals. The last time these two teams faced was in 2019 when the 49ers dominated with a score of 51-13. Through this NFC West preview, I will look at the 49ers’ last game, and how they can keep their momentum and build from the win.
Last week in an NFC West matchup, the 49ers beat the LA Rams 24-9. The offense totaled 88 rushing yards and 239 receiving yards. It looked as though the offense was finally building momentum, but the run game still needs to do better. Of the 88 rushing yards, 32 were from one play where running back Jeff Wilson Jr rushed for a touchdown. The other touchdown was by wide receiver Deebo Samuel from a 57-yard reception. The Panthers’ defense has allowed 536 rushing yards this season according to the NFL’s website. Despite not getting the run game going this year the way the Niners have done in the past few seasons, this week they can potentially get it going.
The 49ers’ defense had an unbelievable game against the LA Rams. They totaled 68 tackles, seven sacks, and a pick-six. The defense never gave Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford a chance, only allowing the Rams three field goals. Panthers quarterback, Baker Mayfield has thrown three interceptions this season. If the 49ers play the way they did last week, Mayfield’s interception number should increase. The 49ers dropped an additional two potential interceptions last week and will be looking to make up for those.
Cardinals vs Eagles
The Arizona Cardinals are set to face the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday. In this portion of the NFC West preview, I will explain what the Cardinals will need to do to end the Eagle’s winning streak.
Cardinal quarterback, Kyler Murray will need to play smart in order to give their offense a chance. Murray has thrown only two interceptions this season. While this is not many, the Eagles have intercepted the ball five times this year. With the use of his legs, Murray has only been sacked six times this season. It is crucial for Murray to avoid as many sacks as he can, going against a Philly defense that totals 16 sacks this season.
The Cardinal’s defense will need to find a way to stop Eagles quarterback, Jalen Hurts. Hurts totals 1,120 passing yards, and 205 rushing yards so far this season. The dual-threat will be a key aspect for Arizona’s defense to watch. Hurts has many targets to pass to such as wide receiver A. J. Brown, who has totaled 404 yards in four games. The cardinals have only 14 pass deflections according to ESPN, and that will not cut it against the Eagles.
Rams vs Cowboys
The LA Rams are set to face the 3-1 Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have three straight wins led by backup quarterback Cooper Rush. In this NFC West preview, I look at how the Rams can step up from a brutal loss against the 49ers last week.
Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford has thrown six interceptions and been sacked 16 times this season. The biggest need for this team is for the offensive line to step up. The Cowboys’ defense has 15 sacks and tends to blitz with linebacker Micah Parsons, who has four sacks this season. Stafford will have to release the ball quickly or rely on the run game in order to win this weekend.
The Rams’ defense will also need to step up after allowing the 49ers 239 receiving yards last week. The defense had a hard time finishing their tackles and will need to do better against the Cowboys. Dallas totals 873 receiving yards and 416 rushing yards. The Rams have four interceptions this year and forcing more turnovers, can help the team get a win.
Despite this NFC West preview being a short overview of each game, there are still key issues that each team will need to fix going into Sunday. All four teams having a 2-2 record making a win important for each team.
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