The NFC West is already starting to take shape, and the San Francisco 49ers are the team everyone else is chasing.
Even with the injury issues piling up, San Francisco keeps finding ways to win. The Niners handled the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, 36-30, and remain the division’s only undefeated club. Kyle Shanahan’s group hasn’t exactly looked untouched by the grind, but the results keep coming, and that’s what separates them from the pack right now.
That gap widened over the weekend because both the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams stumbled. Seattle fell to the Washington Commanders, 33-31, while the Rams dropped a 30-26 decision to the Denver Broncos. Those losses matter in a division where every week feels like it could swing the race.
Here’s how the NFC West stacks up entering Week 4:
- San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are still winning despite the kind of injury list that would sink most teams. Against Arizona, they put up 36 points even with Mike Evans and Trent Williams sidelined for a significant portion of the game.
Three strong wins have put San Francisco in firm control early, and the team looks every bit like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The bigger question now is how long they can keep outrunning the injury bug. Week 4 against the Denver Broncos should tell us plenty.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 4 vs. Broncos
- Seattle Seahawks
Seattle’s loss to Washington was the shock of the weekend. Even with Sam Darnold back in the lineup, the defending champs couldn’t close it out against an 0-2 Commanders team. Mike Macdonald’s defense, which has looked nearly untouchable at times, gave up 33 points to an offense led by Marcus Mariota.
One bad week doesn’t erase what Seattle is. The Seahawks still belong among the conference’s biggest threats, but they’ll need to answer fast in Week 4.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 4 vs. Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are 1-2, and that’s not where anyone expected them to be after three weeks. They’re missing two of their best players in Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett, but the start still feels worse than what the preseason script had in mind.
There’s still time for Los Angeles to turn things around, but the division isn’t going to wait around. A Week 4 trip to face the Philadelphia Eagles suddenly carries a lot of weight for Sean McVay’s team.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 4 @ Eagles
- Arizona Cardinals
Arizona showed some fight against San Francisco, with Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jeremiyah Love all getting involved in the passing game. That said, the Cardinals still don’t measure up to the rest of the division.
The offense has been workable, but the defense hasn’t shown it can handle the league’s top attacks. A Week 4 matchup with a beat-up New York Giants team offers a chance at a win, but the division race is already out of reach.
Next game: Sunday, Oct. 4 vs. Giants
In Other News...
Fred Warner May Have Created A Rivalry Problem For The 49ers
Fred Warners postgame comments after the 49ers close win over the Arizona Cardinals added a little edge to a division race that already has plenty of it. The veteran linebacker said the earlier meetings were not true NFL ball because starters were sitting out in the fourth quarter, a remark that was really about the competitive feel of those games rather than a direct shot at anyone in particular.
Even so, the line has a way of landing differently when a division rival is involved, especially with the Los Angeles Rams dealing with their own adversity this season. If the Rams take it as a slight, Warner may have given them a little extra fuel, and the 49ers will find out soon enough whether a passing comment turns into something bigger on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Tyreek Hill Is Back On The Radar For Banged-Up 49ers
Tyreek Hill is back in the conversation after posting on social media that he is close to returning to work, a notable update for a receiver still working back from a severe knee injury. Around the league, that kind of message tends to spark instant speculation, and it lands especially hard for the 49ers, who have been hit by a string of wide receiver injuries this season.
San Franciscos need at the position has only grown with the recent rib injury to Mike Evans adding to the teams already banged-up receiving group. Hill has naturally become a name to watch, but for now the interest remains just that, with no official contact or deal reported as the 49ers and other teams monitor his recovery. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Purdy's Hot Start Is About To Face A Different Test
Brock Purdys early-season surge has drawn plenty of notice around the league, with Dan Orlovsky and Pat McAfee both publicly praising the 49ers quarterback and putting him in the early MVP conversation. The numbers have backed up the buzz, as Purdy has been near the top of the league in completion rate, touchdowns and touchdown-to-interception ratio while guiding San Francisco through a fast start.
The next step in evaluating just how real this run is may come this week, when the 49ers face the Broncos. Some of Purdys early opponents have not exactly presented elite defenses, so Denver offers a different kind of measuring stick for San Franciscos offense and its quarterback, who will be asked to keep the same rhythm against a sturdier test. [Read more 🡒]