NFC West Rundown: Rams and Seahawks Surge While 49ers Rest, Cardinals Slide Further
Week 14 in the NFC West was anything but quiet-unless you were the San Francisco 49ers, who were on a late-season bye and watched from the couch as their division rivals made moves. With both the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks notching their 10th wins of the season, the division race tightened at the top, while the Arizona Cardinals continued their downward spiral with their 10th loss.
Let’s break down where things stand, what went down in Week 14, and what’s on deck for Week 15 in one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions.
NFC West Standings (Entering Week 15)
- Los Angeles Rams: 10-3 (3-1 division, 5-3 conference)
- Seattle Seahawks: 10-3 (2-2 division, 6-3 conference)
- San Francisco 49ers: 9-4 (4-1 division, 8-2 conference)
- Arizona Cardinals: 3-10 (0-5 division, 3-7 conference)
The Rams sit atop the division thanks to a key head-to-head tiebreaker over Seattle, but with three teams at nine wins or more, this race is far from over.
Week 14 Recap: Rams and Seahawks Make Statements
49ers (Bye Week)
San Francisco had the latest bye week possible, and while the rest was certainly earned, the timing wasn’t ideal.
With both the Rams and Seahawks grabbing wins, the Niners dropped to third in the standings-at least for now. The good news?
They still hold the best division record (4-1) and the best conference record (8-2), which could loom large in playoff seeding.
Seahawks 37, Falcons 9
Seattle followed up their Week 13 shutout of Minnesota with another dominant performance-this time on the road in Atlanta.
Sam Darnold looked sharp, tossing three touchdown passes and showing the kind of poise that’s eluded him at times in his career. The defense was flying, too, picking off Kirk Cousins twice and holding the Falcons to single digits.
That’s back-to-back blowout wins for a Seahawks team that suddenly looks like a legitimate NFC threat.
Rams 45, Cardinals 17
The Rams put on a clinic in Glendale.
Matthew Stafford was in full command, throwing three touchdown passes, but the real star was the ground game. Blake Corum ran wild for a career-high 128 yards, and the Rams as a team racked up 249 rushing yards.
After a 10-10 start, LA ripped off 35 unanswered points, turning a divisional game into a rout. This team is peaking at the right time-and doing it with balance on both sides of the ball.
Cardinals (Loss No. 10)
Arizona’s season continues to spiral. Now 3-10 and winless in the division, the Cardinals are clearly in rebuild mode.
They couldn’t keep pace with the Rams and were outclassed in every phase. The gap between Arizona and the rest of the NFC West has never felt wider.
Week 15 Preview: A Critical Stretch Ahead
Cardinals at Texans
Arizona heads to Houston to face one of the hottest teams in football.
The Texans have won five straight and boast the NFL’s top-ranked defense. For the Cardinals, this is less about the standings and more about evaluating young talent against elite competition.
Rams vs. Lions
Circle this one. The Rams host the Detroit Lions in what could be a playoff preview.
Both teams are fighting for seeding, and with LA riding a wave of momentum, this matchup has major implications. Expect a physical, high-energy battle.
Seahawks vs. Colts
Seattle returns home to face a Colts team that’s now without Daniel Jones. The Seahawks are rolling, and this is a prime opportunity to keep that momentum going in front of the home crowd.
49ers vs. Titans
San Francisco gets back to work against a struggling Tennessee squad. With fresh legs and a favorable matchup, the Niners have a chance to keep pace-or even leapfrog-depending on how the rest of the division fares.
Final Word
The NFC West is shaping up to be a three-horse race heading into the final stretch. The Rams and Seahawks are surging, the 49ers are well-positioned after their bye, and the Cardinals are looking toward the future. With just a few weeks left, every game matters-and the margin for error is razor-thin.
Get ready. December football in the NFC West is about to get wild.