NFC West Week 15 Preview

Through 14 weeks, the NFC West shares a combined record of 30 wins and 22 losses.

Author:
Nicolas Newman
Dec 18, 2020 3:43 PM EST

NFC West Week 15 Schedule

Sunday, December 20th - 10AM: 49ers @ Cowboys (FOX)
Sunday, December 20th - 10AM: Seahawks @ Football Team (FOX)
Sunday, December 20th - 1:05PM: Jets @ Rams (FOX)
Sunday, December 20th - 1:05PM: Eagles @ Cardinals (FOX)

Current NFC West Standings

1st- Rams: 9-4

2nd- Seahawks: 9-4

3rd- Cardinals: 7-6

4th- 49ers: 5-8

General Week 14 recap and Week 15 overlook:

For the 49ers, Week 14 was the epitome of the 2020 season. All other NFC West teams won their matchups, except for them.

On Thursday night, the Rams beat the Patriots in convincing fashion. 24-3.
Sunday morning, the Cardinals got a very important win against the surging Giants. 26-7.
Sunday afternoon, the Seahawks bullied the Jets. 40-3.

Through 14 weeks, the NFC West shares a combined record of 30 wins and 22 losses. Slightly behind the AFC North, which shares a combined record of 30 wins, 21 losses, and a tie.

With nothing but divisional games being played in Weeks 16 and 17, the NFC West will need to capitalize this week in order to leapfrog the AFC North, in terms of most wins within a single division.

Looking ahead to Week 15, each NFC West team is favored.

The 49ers are three-point favorites on the road in Dallas.
The Seahawks are six-point favorites on the road in Washington.
The Rams are 17-point favorites at home against the Jets.
The Cardinals are six-point favorites at home against the Eagles.

Let's take a closer look at each matchup:

San Francisco 49ers (5-8) @ Dallas Cowboys (4-9)

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

Points Scored Per Game: 23.1 - 22.9
Passing Yards Per Game: 272.8 - 282.2
Rushing Yards Per Game: 109.7 - 110.9
Points Allowed Per Game: 23.9 - 30.8
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 221.3 - 225.4
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 105.8 - 162.7

Storyline: Can the 49ers tie-up the Cowboys in head-to-head matchups?

Since 1960, the 49ers and Cowboys have played 36 games against each other. In those games, the 49ers have won 17, lost 18, and tied once. Sunday provides an opportunity for the all-time series against each other to get back to even. That is the goal for the 49ers.

When schedule makers first pieced together the 2020 schedule, they placed this game into the Sunday Night Football slot. Understandably so. The 49ers were the reigning NFC champions, and the Cowboys were just a game away from making the playoffs. Two highly competitive football teams. Plus, the rivalry itself is enough to sell.

Since then, a lot has changed. The starting quarterbacks of both teams, Dak Prescott and Jimmy Garoppolo, both suffered ankle injuries. Prescott’s was significantly worse, and ended his season early on. Garoppolo’s was not nearly as bad, but has still sidelined him for the vast majority of the season. As a result, both teams are struggling, largely due to injury, and this once highlighted game has been flexed out of primetime and into the 10AM slot.

In the battle of the backups, I like the 49ers. Despite the down season, the team has been fighting hard. Especially on defense. Robert Saleh has been masterful against quarterbacks who aren’t a threat to make plays outside the pocket, and that is exactly what they’re up against Sunday. Even though Andy Dalton has a plethora of weapons at his disposal, I like the chances of the defense being able to slow down Dallas.

Offensively, Kyle Shanahan and Nick Mullens are going up against one the worst defenses in the league. The Cowboys are giving up a league-high 30.8 points per game, which should make for a field day for the 49ers’ offense. Brandon Aiyuk should have another big game, as he hopes to break Jerry Rice’s franchise rookie receiving record.

Score Prediction: 49ers 31 - Cowboys 23

Seattle Seahawks (9-4) @ Washington Football Team (6-7)

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

Points Scored Per Game: 30.2 - 22.1
Passing Yards Per Game: 286.0 - 234.5
Rushing Yards Per Game: 121.1 - 101.2
Points Allowed Per Game: 24.9 - 21.2
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 308.4 - 227.4
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 95.5 - 107.2

Storyline: Is this matchup a playoff preview?

As of now, the Washington Football Team is leading their division with a 6-7 record. They are currently the fourth seed in the NFC playoff picture. Meanwhile, the Seahawks hold the better record, 9-4, but are currently the fifth seed. If things stay as is, these two teams will be playing each other again in January.

Washington has been playing very good football lately, as they’re winners of four straight contests. The win streak has largely been because of their tremendous defensive play, and the savvy quarterback play of Alex Smith.

Smith’s status for Sunday is up in the air, as he has been battling a calf issue. If Smith can’t go, Washington will turn to 2019 first-round pick and team captain, Dwayne Haskins. (Update: Smith has been ruled out for Sunday's contest). Last Sunday against the 49ers, Haskins actually looked like the better quarterback. That could’ve been a result of the discomfort Smith was experiencing, but nonetheless Haskins was better.

It’ll be interesting to watch Washington’s defensive front go against the Seahawks offensive line. The unit certainly has the ability to throw a wrench in the high octane offense of Seattle. If they are able to hold the Seahawks to around 21 points, the number they’ve averaged to give up over the course of the season, they’ll have a chance.

If that’s the case, can Washington score enough to put them over the top? Their unit last week was anemic against the 49ers’s defense, but that defense is much better than Seattle’s.

With the Rams playing the winless Jets, the Seahawks can’t afford to lose this game.

I don’t see them doing so.

Score prediction: Seahawks 27 - Football Team 17

New York Jets (0-13) @ Los Angeles Rams (9-4)

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

Points Scored Per Game: 14.1 - 25.0
Passing Yards Per Game: 186.5 - 269.9
Rushing Yards Per Game: 103.7 - 128.9
Points Allowed Per Game: 30.2 - 18.9
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 295.4 - 213.6
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 112.8 - 94.2

Storyline: There have been two teams to finish 0-16. The 2008 Lions and the 2017 Browns. Will the Jets end up one step closer to finishing 0-16?

The Jets have been a joke this season, and that joke has gotten increasingly funnier as the season has progressed. Two weeks ago, they lost to the Raiders on a last-second touchdown, on what was one of the worst defensive play-calls of the season. Last week, they lost by 37 points.

Maybe things will take a turn for the better, as Sam Darnold prepares to play his first professional game in Southern California. Darnold is from Southern California and went to the university of Southern California.

However, the odds of him winning his first professional game in Southern California are not good. The Jets are 17-point underdogs, which is an absurdly embarrassing line in the NFL. There’s the cliché, “any given Sunday”. But I’m not sure if that term applies to the 2020 Jets.

Simply put, the Rams are good, the Jets are not. The Jets may be able to cover the spread, but should not win the game.

Score Prediction: Jets 10 - Rams 27

Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (7-6)

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

Points Scored Per Game: 21.3 - 27.5
Passing Yards Per Game: 225.3 - 248.5
Rushing Yards Per Game: 126.2 - 151.2
Points Allowed Per Game: 25.2 - 23.3
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 242.4 - 246.0
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 127.3 - 119.5

Storyline: Will Kyler Murray’s college successor remain undefeated in the NFL?

Cardinals’ quarterback, Kyler Murray, was the starting quarterback at Oklahoma in 2018. Eagles’ quarterback, Jalen Hurts, was the starting quarterback at Oklahoma last season.

Last week, the Eagles made the decision to bench Carson Wentz in favor of starting Hurts. The move paid dividends, as the Eagles won their first game in nearly a month and a half.

Murray and Hurts have similar playing styles, which should make for an exciting game on Sunday. College storylines have not been kind to Murray this season, as he lost to Tua Tagovailoa earlier this season. Just like he did in the College Football Playoffs.

We’ll see if he can avoid another loss to a quarterback that he has collegiate ties with. Collectively, the Cardinals need to avoid as many losses as possible to remain in the playoff picture. They’re currently the seventh seed with three games left to go.

I can see the Eagles continuing to rally around Hurd, and upsetting the Cardinals on the road.

Score Prediction: Eagles 27 - Cardinals 24