NFC West Week 10 Preview

With the exception of the Rams, who were on their bye week, Week 9 was brutal to the entire division.

Author:
Nicolas Newman
Nov 13, 2020 7:43 PM EST

NFC West Week 10 Schedule:

Sunday, November 15th: Bills @ Cardinals 1:05PM (CBS)
Sunday November 15th: 49ers @ Saints 1:25PM (FOX)
Sunday, November 15th: Seahawks @ Rams 1:25PM (FOX)

Current NFC West Standings:

1st- Seahawks: 6-2

2nd- Cardinals: 5-3

3rd- Rams: 5-3

4th- 49ers: 4-5

General Week 9 recap and Week 10 overlook:

With the exception of the Rams, who were on their bye week, Week 9 was brutal to the entire division. The week kicked off with the practice squad 49ers getting curb-stomped by the Packers on Thursday Night Football, and it did not get any better for the division from there.

The Seahawks followed suit, where their laughing-stock secondary gave up nearly 300 passing yards and allowed three touchdowns in the first half to Josh Allen and the Bills offense. That game ended in a final score of Bills 44, Seahawks 34.

It wasn’t until the Cardinals played the Dolphins for there to finally be a somewhat respectable performance by a team within the NFC West. Despite the Cardinals looking better than both the 49ers and Seahawks, they still lost their matchup 34-31.

Week 9 marked the first time all season that not a single NFC West team won their matchup, which leads to the discussion - maybe the NFC West is not the best division in football after all. Whether it be the health of the 49ers or the defense of the Seahawks, each team has a fatal flaw that’s holding them back.

Looking ahead to Week 10, the road does not get any easier. The Cardinals take on the red-hot Bills, the 49ers take on the red-hot Saints, and there is a huge divisional matchup between the Seahawks and Rams.

Let’s take a closer look at each matchup.

San Francisco 49ers (4-5) @ New Orleans Saints (6-2)

2020 Team Stats (49ers on left side - Saints right side)

Points Scored Per Game: 25.0 - 30.5
Passing Yards Per Game: 274.6 - 277.3
Rushing Yards Per Game: 119.0 - 121.6
Points Allowed Per Game: 23.0 - 25.0
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 228.6 - 251.4
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 106.2 - 80.3

Storyline: Will the 49ers show up and compete against the Saints?

The 49ers were dealt an extremely unfair hand last Thursday night against the Packers. But there was still a football game to be played. When it became time to play that football game, there was zero energy, urgency or intensity to be found -- aside from Fred Warner, of course.

If the team wants to avoid another blowout loss, they must come out ready to go against the Saints. While this season has not gone according to plan, the 49ers still have a shot to sneak into the playoffs. That should be what the team remains focused on. Try your best to get into the dance, and see what happens from there.

Taking a look at the Saints, they’re playing their best football of the season right now. They’re coming off a 38-3 win against the Buccaneers, in a game where they had Michael Thomas in uniform for the first time since Week 1.

Given the Saints blowing out the Buccaneers, and the 49ers getting blown out by the Packers, this game sort of gives off trap games vibes. The Cowboys nearly beat the Steelers after getting blown out by the Eagles the week prior, and I believe the 49ers have a good chance of winning this game. Considering the circumstances of their roster, that’s all you can really ask for. Now it’s just up to the team to go out there and do it.

Here is why the may do it:

Offensively, they’re getting back both Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams. After seeing Justin Skule get taken to school by the Smith brothers last week, it’s a huge relief to have Williams return against the Saints defensive unit which is averaging nearly 3 sacks a game. There is also the possibility that Deebo Samuel returns for this game as well, but that possibility has looked less and less likely as the week has progressed.

The biggest offensive blow is not having Raheem Mostert, as both Mostert and Tevin Coleman are ruled out for this game. It’ll be another heavy dose of Jerick McKinnon with a few sprinkles of JaMycal Hasty - which I feel should be the other way around - but the emergence of Richie James Jr and the return of Aiyuk could mask the lack of explosiveness in the ground game.

Defensively, the 49ers are in luck. They don’t have to worry about the downfield ability that their last two opponents - the Seahawks and Packers - possessed. They should have an easier time limiting Drew Brees and a Saints offense that struggles to push the ball down field.

A key to the game on the defensive side of the ball is to do a solid job tackling. Alvin Kamara is one of the greatest playmakers in the NFL, and is featured heavily in the Saints passing game. Limiting Kamara’s ability to do damage after the catch needs to be a top priority for the defense.

Going back to the Week 8 matchup against the Seahawks, Robert Saleh was tremendous on the first two Seahawks’ drives. He dialed up creative blitzes, and held the Seahawks to 5 total yards on two offensive possessions. If Saleh can call a full game like that, the 49ers offense just needs to score enough points to win.

It was easy for me to predict the 49ers getting blown out by the Packers last week, however this week, I see them upsetting the Saints.

Score Prediction: 49ers 24 - Saints 20

Buffalo Bills (7-2) @ Arizona Cardinals (5-3)

2020 Team Stats (Bills on left side - Cardinals on right side)

Points Scored Per Game: 26.9 - 29.3
Passing Yards Per Game: 289.9 - 266.3
Rushing Yards Per Game: 100.3 - 162.9
Points Allowed Per Game: 25.9 - 22.5
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 253.2 - 265.6
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 125.9 - 126.1

Storyline: Which dual-threat quarterback will get the best of the other?

Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Kyler Murray have combined for 784 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns this season.

While these quarterbacks are completely different in stature (Allen 6’5” / 237 lbs - Murray 5’10” / 207 lbs), they do share a few things in common: rocket arms and mobility. These two young quarterbacks look to be on their way to stardom, and are the present and future of the NFL.

What I’m looking forward to most, is simply watching these quarterbacks go at it. It’s Allen and Stefon Diggs going up against Murray and DeAndre Hopkins.

The Bills have certainly turned the page in regards to the direction of their franchise, as they are on track to make the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. On the other hand, the Cardinals are in the midst of turning around their franchise, and are definitely headed north. Going into the season, many in the media felt like the Cardinals were one season away from being contenders, yet they are knocking on the door of a playoff berth.

Since the Cardinals play in the NFC West, this game means a lot more to them then it means to the Bills. The Bills are sitting comfortably with a huge division lead, while the Cardinals have to go up against division opponents four more times this season.

Even though this game means more for the Cardinals, I don’t see them winning. The Bills are rolling right now, and have the athleticism on defense to slow down Kyler Murray.

Score Prediction: Bills 31 - Cardinals 21

Seattle Seahawks (6-2) @ Los Angeles Rams (5-3)

2020 Team Stats (Seahawks on left side - Rams on right side)

Points Scored Per Game: 34.3 - 24.1
Passing Yards Per Game: 317.6 - 268.1
Rushing Yards Per Game: 116.9 - 137.8
Points Allowed Per Game: 30.4 - 19.0
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 372.5 - 217.8
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 93.6 - 94.8

Storyline: Will there be a shift in the NFC West Division Lead?

Since Sean McVay took over as the Rams’ head coach in 2017, the team has only lost to the Seahawks at home once.

As the two teams get ready for this matchup, they’re coming off two drastically different experiences. The Rams are coming off a week of pamper, as they had their bye. Meanwhile, the Seahawks were getting mollywhopped by the Bills.

I believe this game favors the Rams for many reasons. First, off the field, the Seahawks have been doing a lot of traveling. The fatigue factor hurts the Seahawks right off the bat, as the Rams should be coming into this matchup rejuvenated as ever.

On the field, I believe the Rams defense is one of the few that could legitimately slow down the Seahawks’ passing game. The Seahawks are averaging a league-high 34.3 points per game, and their lowest point total on offense this season is 27. I see the Rams holding the Seahawks under 27 points, because they have stars at all the necessary positions to throw off the most potent offense in the NFL.

It starts with Aaron Donald. Unlike the 49ers in their Week 6 matchup, the Seahawks have no answer for Donald. To quote Marshawn Lynch, Donald should be able to hit Wilson “over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.”

The Rams second-ranked pass defense is led by two of the best at their positions, in cornerback Jalen Ramsey and safety John Johnson. Ramsey, Johnson and the rest of the supporting cast should be the tarp that puts out the fire D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett start every weekend.

Since I see the Rams holding the Seahawks to under 27 points, the question now becomes “can the Rams score more than 27 points?" The answer: hell yes they can. The Seahawks have a sorry defense now, and they’ll likely have a sorry defense for years to come. Jamal Adams is a tremendous football player, but the decision to give up multiple first round picks for him hurts the team long term.

Despite the inconsistent play of Jared Goff, the Rams can still hurt teams by utilizing both the air and ground game. I see the Rams hurting the Seahawks on Sunday, making it the second consecutive unpleasant loss for the boys from the North West.

Score Prediction: Seahawks 23 - Rams 34