The NFC West suddenly got a whole lot tougher this season.
For years, this division has been amongst the worst in the NFL, and even sent a sub-500 team to the playoffs only because of the rule that each division winner is guaranteed a spot.
But as the saying goes, what goes up… well, it works the opposite way too.
Currently, San Francisco 49ers sit atop the division at 5-2 in a three-way tie with the Giants and Ravens for third best in the league. However, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals are right on their heels, both at 4-3. Even the St. Louis Rams, at 3-4, have already surpassed their win total from last year.
At this point last season, the 49ers were distancing themselves from the pack and becoming the clear winners of the division. They have a chance to do it again right now. Last Thursday they beat the Seahawks in a defense-driven game. This Monday, they go out to Arizona. And two weeks from now they face St. Louis at home.
With a small, inconsequential thing called playoff positioning on the line, It has always seemed that division games are more competitive than regular ones. QB Alex Smith shares this sentiment.
“I just feel it’s the nature of division games,” Smith said. “The games always are coming down to the wire. They’re always hard fought, there’s just so much history there. The teams don’t like each other, a little more personal in that sense, so tough.”
Interestingly, the 49ers have won the past 5 out of 6 against the Cardinals, and four of those wins were by double digits. Arizona currently has the last laugh, however, as they handed the 49ers their third and final loss of the regular season last year.
On paper, the 49ers appear to be the heavy favorites. Arizona has the 26th ranked passing offense making them statistically the second-worst offense in the league. On the flip side, San Francisco has the number one overall defense, and has allowed the least passing yards per game in the NFL (173.4).
But this game is not based on paper. If it was, the Cardinals would not be just one game back in the division. There are countless intangibles that can never be measured. Things like pride and willpower. That’s what makes the game so fun.
And that’s what makes division games even better.
