The San Francisco 49ers have once again destroyed an opponent, and everyone wonders whom they have beat. That’s a tired narrative. The win puts them at 7-0, and they maintain their lead in the NFC West. The West is quickly becoming the best division in the NFL and the most competitive if it hasn’t already. Three of its four teams managed to pull out a win over the weekend and keep pace with the 49ers. After Week 9, the countdown begins.
For one week, the NFC West was all at .500. Not anymore. Let’s get to it:
Seattle Seahawks(6-2)
This was a weird one. The Seahawks won their game in the first half with 24 unanswered points. In the second half, they managed just three points as a Matt Schaub-led Falcons team got back into it with 20 points.
The Falcons did everything they could to give the Seahawks this game. When you look at the play between the two halves, it was not that convincing. Still, a win is a win is a win. The 49ers have had some mighty ugly wins in 2019 as well, so we can’t judge.
The big takeaway is the Seahawks stay within pace of the 49ers.
Los Angeles Rams (5-3)
The Rams played a game in London against the Cincinnati Bengals. . The Bengals have yet to win a game, and the Rams are trying to get on track after getting Jalen Ramsey locked down. That alone should give you an idea of how this went. 24-10 isn’t exactly a convincing win over one of the worst teams in the league (especially when you think of what the 49ers did to the Bengals in their own house), but the Rams right the ship and get out of London.
Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1)
The Cardinals played the New Orleans Saints. A New Orleans Saints team that just got Drew Brees back. And for the briefest of moments, they showed some fight. And three field goals were all that fight got them.
Meanwhile, Drew Brees teed things up in the second quarter, and before you knew, the game ended 31-9, Saints. Considering the game was played in New Orleans, this might come as no surprise. The Saints are primed for a collision course with the 49ers in a few weeks, and we’ll see ho that goes. That game could show us what we are looking at with the 2019 postseason.
Into Week 9
The 49ers and the Cardinals will square off for their Thursday Night Football game on Halloween, and the 49ers have a chance to go further up in the division. The game will be in Arizona, so take from that what you will.
The Rams have a bye. So. Bye.
The Seahawks will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers have been great friends to the 49ers, losing in Week 1 to San Francisco, and then winning against the Rams. If they can knock Seattle off in Seattle, it not only will be epic chaos, but it would be a huge favor for the 49ers in tie-breaking procedures for the common games (the third tier of a tiebreaker). That should be an interesting game.
1st: San Francisco 49ers; Next: at Arizona Cardinals
2nd: Seattle Seahawks; Next: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3rd: Los Angeles Rams; Next: BYE
4th: Arizona Cardinals; Next: vs. San Francisco 49ers