NFC West Standings Week 3: Seahawks take 2 game lead; 49ers fall to last

Now that you have not had enough time to digest the 49ers’ atrocious game on Sunday let’s discuss how that shakes up the division.

The NFC West saw some movement on Sunday. The 49ers’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams puts them in last place, while the Seattle Seahawks now have a two-game lead over all their division rivals. The 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, and Rams all have one win each.

Gross doesn’t begin to describe this turn of events. It’s still early in the season, and the Seahawks got handed a crippled Miami Dolphin team while playing in Seattle. The 49ers were also beneficiaries of a crippled Rams team, but we won’t go into how that ended.

Let’s just get back to the Seahawks.

Seattle Seahawks (3-0)

The Seahawks took control of the Dolphins early. By the end of the first quarter, it was 17-0, and nothing much had changed for the rest of the game. In fact, after a Dolphins field goal, it stayed 17-3 the entire game until 5 minutes in the fourth quarter.

The Dolphins are having some quarterback issues with Skylar Thompson, who started today because Tua Tagovailoa went on Injured Reserve. The injury bug continued for the Dolphins’ quarterbacks, as Thompson also left in the second half due to injury. This typically means things are going to be a bit impossible to overcome unless you have Brock Purdy waiting as QB3. The Dolphins have Tim Boyle. That’s not going to be a Brock Purdy-like ending.

The Seahawks took care of business and go to 3-0. While many think they were “gifted” a win, I point to the 49ers getting a similarly injured Rams team and not getting the job done. The Seahawks won’t be getting a gift next week, however.

Los Angeles Rams (1-2)

The 49ers had a chance to put the Rams out of their misery for the season. An 0-3 start is usually a deficit few can overcome. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, and now the 49ers have left us with way more questions.

The Rams took advantage of the 49ers’ lackluster special teams play, a defense that can’t get off the field on third and long, and a wide receiver in Ronnie Bell who can’t hold onto passes. They got their first win of the season, and the 49ers now sit with more questions than answers.

Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

Meanwhile, in Arizona, the Cardinals hosted the Detroit Lions in a pretty competitive game, despite what the score indicates. Both teams had it 7-7 to start, but then the Lions’ offense turned itself on, and the next thing you know, it was 20-7. It was the last time either team would score touchdowns, as the Cardinals managed two field goals for the rest of the game. There were points you thought Arizona could—and would—get back into it.

The Cardinals are a sleeper threat in the division. The 49ers have until Week 5 to fix their issues, but if they play like they did today against the Rams, it’s not going to end well.

Onto Week 4

The big game to watch is going to be the Seahawks and Lions on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins and Tennessee Titans are going to be a part of a double header/multicast of sorts, and it’s a good guess most channels are going to be flipped to the Seahawks/Lions game.

The Rams will get to travel to Chicago and take on the Chicago Bears. There are questions on if the Bears should have traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the way rookie quarterback (and No. 1 overall pick) Caleb Williams has played. For a Rams team let back into the race, this is a great opportunity for them.

The Cardinals host the Washington Commanders. The Commanders have a win over the New York Giants, and that’s pretty much it. They are not the Detroit Lions.

The 49ers travel across the country to face the New England Patriots. You know them as “one of those teams that tried to trade for Brandon Aiyuk.”

1st: Seattle Seahawks; Next: at Detroit Lions

2nd: Arizona Cardinals; Next: vs. Washington Commanders

3rd: Los Angeles Rams; Next: at Chicago Bears

4th: San Francisco 49ers; Next: at New England Patriots