2024 NFC West race: Can anybody problem the 49ers? How the Rams and Seahawks may put up a struggle

The NFC West’s 4 groups possess a variety of outcomes in 2024. It has been a parity-filled division since 2015, with every of its 4 groups — the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams (each thrice), the Seattle Seahawks (twice) and the Arizona Cardinals (as soon as) — locking down the highest spot in that point.

The 49ers received their second division crown in a row in 2023 with a 12-5 file and had been in a position to relaxation their stars of their common season finale towards the Los Angeles Rams, who went 10-7. The Seahawks had been one spot behind them with a 9-8 file within the ultimate season of the Peta Carroll period (2010-2023), and the rebuilding Cardinals introduced up the rear with a 4-13 file of their first season below coach Jonathan Gannon. 

San Francisco’s offense hummed alongside to twenty-eight.9 factors per recreation on the power of 2023 NFL Offensive Participant of the 12 months Christian McCaffrey, the very best operating again in soccer, and Professional Bowl quarterback Brock Purdy, who set a brand new NFL single-season file for passing yards per try (9.6) (amongst quarterbacks with a minimal of 350 go makes an attempt) and led the league in passer score (113.0) in 2023. 

Los Angeles will doubtless stay the 49ers’ prime challenger after bolstering its offensive line, secondary and defensive entrance within the offseason. Seattle has the suitable items on offense, however it should stay to be seen if new coach Mike Macdonald could make a turnaround sufficiently big on that facet of the ball to get it achieved. Arizona needs to be a lot improved with a full season of a wholesome Kyler Murray at quarterback and the addition of generational huge receiver prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. (fourth general decide in 2024 NFL Draft out of Ohio State), but it surely does not fairly have what it wants defensively to decelerate the remainder of the division simply but. 

Right here is how the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks may find yourself because the NFC West champions.

San Francisco 49ers

Coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense reached one other degree with a full season of CMC round in 2023. McCaffrey led the NFL in speeding yards (1,459) and scrimmage yards (2,023) whereas co-leading the league in touchdowns (21) together with Miami Dolphins Professional Bowl operating again Raheem Mostert. 

Working the ball (14 touchdowns) or receiving the ball (seven touchdowns), he was a risk to attain. His presence opened up the passing recreation for Purdy, who turned the fifth quarterback all-time to throw for 30 or extra touchdowns (31) and 4,000 (4,280) in 2023.

30 go TD and 4,000 go yards in first season as full-time starter 

NFL Historical past

* Full-time starter = began no less than 50% of crew video games

Just about each key offensive participant for the 49ers led the NFL in some notable metric final season from Purdy and McCaffrey to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. 

NFL leaders/co-leaders this season on 49ers

Defensively, the 49ers had been simply nearly as good, rating third within the NFL in scoring protection (17.5 factors per recreation). Lots of the key gamers who led to that determine — 2022 NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months Nick Bosa, All-Professional linebacker Fred Warner and Professional Bowl defensive sort out Javon Hargrave — stay in place. San Francisco additionally added one other potent edge rusher in Leonard Floyd on a two-year, $20 million contract, a participant who registered a career-high 10.5 sacks with the Buffalo Payments in 2023. 

San Francisco has what it must not solely win the NFC West once more but in addition the NFC as an entire. 

Los Angeles Rams

It seems Sean McVay has a cloning laboratory for high-level receiver play in the identical manner the Inexperienced Bay Packers have one for high-level quarterback play. 

With 2021 NFL Offensive Participant of the 12 months Cooper Kupp lacking 5 video games due to harm final season, rookie fifth-round decide Puka Nacua put collectively the best rookie receiving season in NFL historical past: his 105 catches and 1,486 receiving yards had been each probably the most ever by a rookie. When Nacua, Kupp, second-year operating again Kyren Williams (1,144 speeding yards, third-most within the NFL, in 12 video games performed) and quarterback Matthew Stafford all performed, Los Angeles averaged practically 30 factors per recreation (28.5), and Stafford threw 18 touchdowns to solely three interceptions. Oh, and the Rams had been victorious in six of these eight video games. Their yards per play in these was 6.8, which might rank because the third-highest by any crew within the Tremendous Bowl period (since 1966). Fairly, fairly good.

Rams with large 4 on offense all enjoying (2024 season)

• W-L: 6-2
• PPG: 28.5
• YPG: 398.9
• Stafford TD-INT: 18-3

>> Huge 4: Matthew Stafford, Kyren Williams, Cooper Kupp  and Puka Nacua 

Defensively, they’re overcoming the retirement of three-time NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months Aaron Donald by means of their 2024 draft class. Basic supervisor Les Snead used his first two draft picks in April on two All-ACC defensive gamers out of Florida State: edge rusher Jared Verse (nineteenth general decide ) and defensive sort out Braden Fiske (thirty ninth general decide, second spherical). The Rams additionally poured a stable of quantity of sources into their secondary by means of free company, signing former Payments All-Professional cornerback Tre’Davious White (one yr, $4.25 million), former Washington Commanders security Kamren Curl (two years, $9 million) and former Rams and Jaguars cornerback Darious Williams (three years, $22.5 million).

Offered everybody on the offense can keep wholesome, the protection needs to be competent sufficient for Los Angeles to make the 49ers sweat.

Seattle Seahawks

For years, the Seahawks had been identified for his or her protection led by Pete Carroll and the Legion of Increase. Now, the entire aforementioned folks related to the Seahawks’ defensive glory years in the course of the 2010s are gone following the departure of linebacker Bobby Wagner to the Commanders in free company and the crew parting methods with Carroll. 

Seattle lengthy had the oldest head coach within the NFL, however now it has the league’s youngest after hiring Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald (age 36) to guide its squad. His 2023 Ravens unit turned the primary in NFL historical past to guide or co-lead the league in scoring protection (16.5 factors per recreation allowed), sacks (60) and takeaways (31, tied for first with the New York Giants). Now he’s tasked with rebuilding a Seahawks protection that ranked twenty fifth in scoring protection two years in a row, together with a 23.6 factors per recreation common in 2023 (23.6 factors per recreation).

Seattle was thirtieth in complete protection (371.4 complete yards per recreation), and far of that injury got here on the bottom the place it ranked thirty first in speeding yards per recreation allowed (138.4), forward of solely the Cardinals (143.2 speeding yards per recreation allowed). That is why they spent the sixteenth general decide within the 2024 NFL Draft on Texas defensive sort out Byron Murphy II. The second-team All-American was stable towards the run, and his 17% quarterback strain was the very best for any defensive sort out in faculty soccer final season. 

Offensively, the Seahawks have the weapons to contend. Broad receiver DK Metcalf earned his second profession Professional Bowl choice in 2023 with one other 1,000-yard receiving season (1,114) whereas rating in share of catches that went for both a primary down or a landing (78.8%) and fourth in yards per catch (16.9). The regular Tyler Lockett stays, 2023 first-round decide Jaxon Smith-Njigba enters his second NFL season, and Kenneth Walker is ever elusive (his 76 tackles prevented had been the third-most within the NFL final season). 

If Seattle can do a greater job defending quarterback Geno Smith — its 40.2% quarterback strain price allowed was the eighth-worst in NFL — and play a stronger model of protection throughout the board, the Seahawks could possibly be a risk within the NFC West in 2024.