NFC West Final Check In: 49ers are Crowned Champions

The NFC west was the most competitive division in all of football. Three teams were viable for the playoffs up until week 16 when the Los Angeles Rams were eliminated. The division was so tight, that it took the final game of the regular season to determine the winner.

That winner is none other than the San Francisco 49ers who were crowned as NFC west champions with their victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

It was a nail biter until the very finish for both of these fan bases as it once again took until the finals seconds for these two teams to decided the victor. The 49ers came out the gates explosive and aggressive, which lead to a 13-0 shutout over Seattle.

Now that the 49ers are division champs, they will turn their attention to getting healthy since they are on a bye. As for the Seahawks, they will need to quickly turn it around as they will be playing on Sunday in the wild card round.

Before getting into that, I take one final check in of the NFC west with the regular season at an end.

San Francisco 49ers (13-3)

For the first time since 2011, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seahawks in Seattle. It makes their division winning game that much sweeter to know they went up against history. Beating Seattle in the final week of the regular season after going back-and-forth for the last seven weeks was the only way to settle this tight race.

San Francisco fell to the Seahawks in week 10, so it was only right that avenged their loss with the divisions on the line. The NFC west is the 49ers as well as a No. 1 seed with a first-round bye. The path to the Super Bowl now becomes much easier since they do not have to travel and have one less game to play. 2019 has been a phenomenal year for the red and gold. It was only fitting that they won the division, despite stumbling a bit towards the end.

The margin for error was extremely slim for the 49ers and they ended up pushing the threshold quite a bit. Nevertheless, it all worked out in the end with the 49ers poised at a Super Bowl run. They don’t have to worry about it now, but 2020 is going to be another tough outing in the division. Seattle is sure to maintain their strength as well as the Rams. The wild card will be the Cardinals. This division has become must watch football, but luckily for the 49ers they can continue to add on to their achievements outside of a division title.

Seattle Seahawks (11-5)

You just can never count out the Seahawks no matter what. Russell Wilson just makes their team go and he proved that yet again on Sunday night. Despite the loss, Wilson had the offense clicking in the second half. In fact, they almost scored on every possession they had and were inches away from victory. The NFC west could have been theirs to claim had they not had an error filled final four plays.

However, it really came down to a couple of critical matchups that ruined Seattle’s chances at clinching the division. Last week against the Cardinals was one game they should not have dropped as well their road loss to the Rams a few weeks ago. Now the Seahawks have to settle for a wild card berth as the No. 5 seed.

Seattle will pay a visit to the Eagles in Philadelphia. On paper, the Seahawks are the clear favorites. But traveling cross-country in a cold and hostile environment will be difficult. The Eagles have been surging of late, so they actually matchup well with the Seahawks. If Seattle wins, then they may end up getting a third and final battle with the 49ers.

Los Angeles Rams (9-7)

The 2019 season officially ended for the Rams in week 16 when the 49ers served them a loss at Levi’s Stadium. Meaning, the Rams will not get a chance to defend their NFC title despite finishing with a winning record. This season was such a roller coaster ride for the Rams. It was essentially the poison that derailed their season.

They just could never hit their stride and find a balance. Losing to 49ers in week six was what really set this team of course, for not just this season but years to come. The Rams believed that the answer to their issues was by trading for Jalen Ramsey. While it does bolster their secondary, the real issue lied with their offensive line and even Sean McVay to a certain extent.

Because of the Ramsey trade, Los Angeles will be without a first round pick for the foreseeable future. They will still be a solid team, but it is difficult to envision them ever elevating their current strength.

Arizona Cardinals (5-10-1)

The record of the Cardinals does not do their season justice. It started out insanely rough for this team in their first six games, but after that they really started to come along. Much of that was the elevation of Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury’s offense starting to unfold. The Cardinals will be a very intriguing team next season. If they add the right pieces in the offseason, along with Murray improving, then they will easily be a force to be reckoned with in the NFC west.