Are the 49ers the Team to Beat in the NFC West?

I can tell you why the 49ers are the team to beat in the NFC West. But first, let me tell you why the other three teams aren't.

I can tell you why the 49ers are the team to beat in the NFC West. But first, let me tell you why the other three teams aren't.

1. The Arizona Cardinals.

Forget them. Can we just write them off now? Their head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, is over his head. Hasn't proven he can win at any level of football -- college or pros. Last season, he went 8-8 -- not a winning season. He needs to win next season, or he could be on the hot seat, because he hasn't had a winning season yet. Too bad his best play involves five receivers running five matching curl routes.

2. The Seattle Seahawks.

They're a very good team, but basically they're a quarterback who runs around a lot who's getting older and gets hit. Their wide receivers, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Locket, are terrific. But the rest of the team is not. Their offensive line is terrible -- worse than the 49ers offensive line. So while they're still a very good team, they're not elite, and they seem to be getting slightly worse as time passes.

3. The Los Angeles Rams.

Sure, they got Matthew Stafford. So now people think they're Super Bowl contenders. We'll see. Stafford is good, but he can't singlehandedly propel a franchise to a championship. Otherwise he would have done so in Detroit. Instead, his record was 74-90-1.

Stafford needs help. And the Rams lose key players and assistant coaches every year. They're not a deep team.

The 49ers are one hell of a team on both offense and defense. In terms of talent, they're the best team in the NFC West. They just need a starting quarterback who can stay healthy for an entire season.

They should get one in two weeks.