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Predicting every NFC West game
After falling just short of winning Super Bowl XLIX, Seattle is again the team to beat in the NFC West, but staying atop the division won't be easy this season. The Rams made significant moves during the off-season, highlighted by a quarterback swap with the Eagles, passing off Sam Bradford to Chip Kelly and getting Nick Foles in return. In Arizona, Carson Palmer will be back under center, but their success could depend on whether or not he (and a few other players) can stay healthy. It's a different tune for the 49ers, who lost not just several top players to free agency and retirement, but also a significant number of coaches in a tumultuous off-season. Expectations are low in San Francisco, but the talent is there.
So how will the division play out? Greg Bedard has picked every single game of the NFL regular season, and below are his predictions for the NFC West.
• BURKE: NFC West—New challengers arise in NFL's toughest division
Seattle Seahawks
Week 1
Loss
Sept. 13
at St. Louis Rams
Week 2
Loss
Sept. 20
at Green Bay Packers
Week 3
Win
Sept. 28
vs. Chicago Bears
Week 4
Win
Oct. 4
vs. Detroit Lions
Week 5
Win
Oct. 11
at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 6
Win
Oct. 18
vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 7
Win
Oct. 22
at San Francisco 49ers
Week 8
Loss
Nov. 1
at Dallas Cowboys
Week 10
Win
Nov. 15
vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week 11
Win
Nov. 22
vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 12
Win
Nov. 29
vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 13
Win
Dec. 6
at Minnesota Vikings
Week 14
Win
Dec. 13
at Baltimore Ravens
Week 15
Win
Dec. 20
vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 16
Win
Dec. 27
vs. St. Louis Rams
Week 17
Loss
Jan. 3
at Arizona Cardinals
St. Louis Rams
Week 1
Win
Sept. 13
vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 2
Loss
Sept. 20
at Washington Redskins
Week 3
Win
Sept. 28
vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 4
Win
Oct. 4
at Arizona Cardinals
Week 5
Loss
Oct. 11
at Green Bay Packers
Week 7
Win
Oct. 25
vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 8
Win
Nov. 1
vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 9
Win
Nov. 8
at Minnesota Vikings
Week 10
Win
Nov. 15
vs. Chicago Bears
Week 11
Loss
Nov. 22
at Baltimore Ravens
Week 12
Win
Nov. 29
at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 13
Win
Dec. 6
vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week 14
Win
Dec. 13
vs. Detroit Lions
Week 15
Win
Dec. 17
vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 16
Loss
Dec. 27
vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 17
Loss
Jan. 3
at San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
Week 1
Loss
Sept. 14
vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 2
Loss
Sept. 20
at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 3
Win
Sept. 27
at Arizona Cardinals
Week 4
Win
Oct. 4
vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 5
Loss
Oct. 11
at New York Giants
Week 6
Loss
Oct. 18
vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 7
Loss
Oct. 22
vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 8
Loss
Nov. 1
at St. Louis Rams
Week 9
Win
Nov. 8
vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 11
Loss
Nov. 22
at Seattle Seahawks
Week 12
Win
Nov. 29
vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week 13
Win
Dec. 6
at Chicago Bears
Week 14
Win
Dec. 13
at Cleveland Browns
Week 15
Win
Dec. 20
vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 16
Win
Dec. 24
at Detroit Lions
Week 17
Win
Jan. 3
vs. St. Louis Rams
Arizona Cardinals
Week 1
Win
Sept. 13
vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 2
Win
Sept. 20
at Chicago Bears
Week 3
Loss
Sept. 27
vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 4
Loss
Oct. 4
vs. St. Louis Rams
Week 5
Loss
Oct. 11
at Detroit Lions
Week 6
Loss
Oct. 18
at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 7
Loss
Oct. 26
vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 8
Loss
Nov. 1
at Cleveland Browns
Week 10
Loss
Nov. 15
at Seattle Seahawks
Week 11
Loss
Nov. 22
vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 12
Loss
Nov. 29
at San Francisco 49ers
Week 13
Loss
Dec. 6
at St. Louis Rams
Week 14
Win
Dec. 13
vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 15
Win
Dec. 20
at Philadelphia Eagles
Week 16
Loss
Dec. 24
vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 17
Win
Jan. 3
vs. Seattle Seahawks
Greg Bedard is a senior NFL writer who covered the Patriots, Packers and Dolphins as a newspaper beat writer and wrote a weekly column for The MMQB before joining SI as a senior NFL writer in 2015.