The NFC West is on display for the world tonight as the St. Louis Rams face the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Given the problems the 49ers had yesterday, MNF might be a chance to change the topic for at least a few hours. My fantasy matchups have been decided, which means tonight just about enjoying some football.
The Rams wrap up a weekend of NFC West action that has been less than stellar. We'll have more on the rest of the division tomorrow, but for now we can take a look at the NFC West, which will feature at least two 1-1 teams at the top, and possibly a third if the Rams can beat the Giants in the Meadowlands.
The Rams will be playing without Steven Jackson which bumps up the degree of difficulty (no disrespect to Cadillac Williams). Throw in a lack of Danny Amendola and this will be a tough one for the Rams. While records don't tell us a whole lot after two games, it's safe to say the NFC West will not feature a juggernaut team by season's end. I don't know if we'll have another 7-9 division winner, but it may not be far off. Accordingly, inter-division games are all the more important. If a team can grab some games outside the NFC West, particularly against somewhat decent opponents, it is big for the division race.
So it seems pretty simple to root against the Rams tonight. I realize the 49ers aren't exactly looking like a playoff team, but that won't stop me from rooting against the rest of the division. I suppose it would be nice for some divisional respect, but all I really care about is 49ers wins. The rest of the nonsense can sort itself out after that.