NFC West Week 8 Preview

There may have been a debate before, but there is certainly no debate now. The NFC West is the best division in football.

Author:
Nicolas Newman
Oct 30, 2020 5:15 PM EDT

NFC West Week 8 Schedule

Sunday, November 1st @ 10AM (Fox): Rams @ Dolphins
Sunday, November 1st @ 1:25PM (Fox): 49ers @ Seahawks

Current NFC West Standings

1st- Seahawks: 5-1

2nd- Cardinals: 5-2 (better division record than Rams)

3rd- Rams: 5-2

4th- 49ers: 4-3

General Week 7 recap and Week 8 overlook:

There may have been a debate before, but there is certainly no debate now. The NFC West is the best division in football, as it's the only division with all four teams boasting an above .500 record. The division’s combined record of 19 wins and 8 losses is the best mark in the league. The only other division in that neighborhood is the AFC North, which has a combined record of 17 wins, 8 losses, and a tie.

Week 7 was a very strong week for the NFC West. The only losers from this past week were the Seahawks, who played a divisional game that went right down to the wire against the Cardinals. Both the 49ers and Rams won their games rather comfortably, as the 49ers won their matchup by 27 points and the Rams won theirs by 14.

Looking ahead to Week 8, the scheduling is much more quiet for the division. The Cardinals have their bye week, so only three teams will be playing. And for the first time since Week 3 -and only for the second time this season- the NFC West will not be represented in a prime time game. This week, the division has an out of conference and a divisional game on it’s plate.

Let's take a closer look at each matchup:

San Francisco 49ers (4-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (5-1)

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

Points Scored Per Game: 25.9 (16th) - 33.8 (1st)
Passing Yards Per Game: 244.9 (21st) - 295.7 (1st)
Rushing Yards Per Game: 137.7 (8th) - 129.5 (12th)
Points Allowed Per Game: 19.4 (5th) - 28.3 (23rd)
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 203.3 (3rd) - 368.7 (2nd)
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 106.3 (9th) - 110.5 (13th)

Storyline: Can the 49ers win their second consecutive game in Seattle?

The 49ers have never won in Seattle in back-to-back years, but they have an opportunity to accomplish that this Sunday. You have to go all the way back to the 1988 and 1991 seasons as to when the team last had a win streak up north.

On paper, this is not a game that the 49ers should win. Offensively, they’ll be without running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, in addition to wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

Defensively, the team could be without linebacker Kwon Alexander, and safeties Jimmie Ward and Jaquaski Tartt. Though, both Alexander and Ward practiced in some capacity this week, so they seem more likely to play than Tartt. Then there are all of the defenders who are on Injured Reserve, like Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Richard Sherman.

The bottom line is that this is a significantly different looking team than the one who beat the Seahawks in Week 17 to win the division and clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC. It’s the team’s first trip back to Seattle since that historic game, and they’ll be wearing their throwback ‘94 all white uniforms just like they did last year.

Looking at the Seahawks, they are also dealing with their fair share of injuries. Nine Seahawks’ players missed practice on Thursday, including star safety Jamal Adams. The Seahawks’ top three running backs - Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde, and Travis Homer - all missed practice as well. However if the running backs can’t play, that may not even matter, as Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, and D.K. Metcalf are all healthy.

Even though this game favors the Seahawks on paper, there are still 60 minutes of football to be played. Within those 60 minutes, anything could happen.

The 49ers have done a tremendous job chugging along despite losing a key player or two to injury seemingly every week. They are back on the map, even though it felt like the season was bursting in flames just two weeks ago.

A statement could be made this week by the 49ers, a statement that screams out, “This division still runs through us.” That statement could be made, but only if the they follow this game plan:

The 49ers must stick with their offensive identity. Run the ball, and rely on the short-area passing game. Even with Mostert and Wilson out, the 49ers must run the ball with JaMycal Hasty and Tevin Coleman if he returns. Allow the run to set up the pass, and expand the playbook from there.

Kyle Shanahan has done a tremendous job of scheming up opening drives that result in touchdowns, as he has accomplished that each of the past two weeks. That trend will need to continue, so that the 49ers do not have to play from behind. This season, the team has yet to win a game that they trailed in.

It’s tempting to attack the Seahawks’ pedestrian secondary but, if the 49ers are smart, that won’t be their initial game plan. They should control the time of possession battle just like they’ve been doing and limit the opportunities that Wilson has the ball in his hands.

A few weeks ago, the Vikings laid down the blueprint of how to beat the Seahawks. Except they couldn’t follow their own blueprint long enough to win the game. The Vikings were winning 13-0 at halftime, and they achieved that by sustaining long drives on the ground and utilizing the underneath passing game.

At halftime, they had possession of the ball for 20 minutes, to the Seahawks 10. This sort of approach is what will maximize the 49ers’ chances of winning. Not taking shots down field to attack the Seahawks’ weak secondary.

Defensively for the 49ers, they must keep the Seahawks’ offense in front of them. Don’t get beat deep, as the Seahawks are the best long-ball team in the NFL. That is something the defense already does a solid job of, and it’ll need to continue that if the 49ers want to win.

If the Seahawks lose this game, it’ll be their fifth consecutive division loss. I believe the 49ers have a good chance of making that happen. They’re hot right now, and their game plan the past two weeks is the perfect game plan to slow down Seattle. After blowing the Sunday Night Football game against the Cardinals, the Seahawks are on the ropes.

The 49ers have the opportunity to send them another blow, and send the message that the NFC West is not theirs.

I like the 49ers to win in Seattle, again.

Prediction: 49ers 28 - Seahawks 24

Los Angeles Rams (5-2) @ Miami Dolphins (3-3)

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

Points Scored Per Game: 25.1 (T-20th) - 26.7 (12th)
Passing Yards Per Game: 247.0 (18th) - 249.2 (17th)
Rushing Yards Per Game: 138.7 (7th) - 105.2 (22nd)
Points Allowed Per Game: 17.7 (2nd) - 18.8 (3rd)
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 212.4 (5th) - 236.0 (16th)
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 100.4 (7th) - 124.2 (19th)

Storyline: How will Tua Tagovailoa’s debut pan out?

Going into their bye week, the Dolphins made the very surprising decision to name rookie quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, their starter. This move caught many off guard, including Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Through seven weeks, Miami has been a very solid football team. Right now, they’re only a game back from the final wildcard spot. The move to insert Tagovailoa into the starting line up could either give them a major boost forward or set them back. This matchup with the Rams is fairly even, and Tagovailoa’s play could be the deciding factor in the game.

The Rams are flying into Miami hot off of a Monday night win against the Bears, which was a nice recovery victory for them after getting manhandled by the 49ers the week prior.

If Ryan Fitzpatrick was starting this game, I would like the Dolphins’ chances a heck of a lot more. They’ve been very competitive this year, and have played 2019 playoff teams extremely tough. The unknown of Tagovailoa makes this game a lot tougher to gauge.

What this game boils down to for me, is which defense has a stronger performance. The Rams are giving up the second least amount of points per game (17.7), and the Dolphins are right behind them in the third (18.8).

Personally, I like the Rams’ chances of slowing down the Dolphins a lot more than I like the Dolphins’ chances of slowing down the Rams.

I like the Rams to head into their bye week with a win, as they get ready for a big Week 10 showdown against the Seahawks.

Prediction: Rams 27 - Dolphins 17