NFC West race in 2024: Can anyone challenge the 49ers? How the Rams and Seahawks could put up a fight

The four NFC West teams possess a wide range of results in 2024. It has been a division full of parity since 2015, with each of its four teams, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams (both three times), the Seattle Seahawks (twice) and the Arizona Cardinals (once) – securing first place at that time.

The 49ers won their second straight division crown in 2023 with a 12-5 record and were able to rest their stars in their final regular-season game against the Los Angeles Rams, who finished with a 10-7 record. The Seahawks finished one spot behind them with a 9-8 record in the final season of the Peta Carroll era (2010-2023), and the rebuilding Cardinals finished the season with a 4-13 record in their first season under coach Jonathan Gannon.

San Francisco’s offense advanced to 28.9 points per game thanks to the strength of 2023 National Football League (NFL) Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, The best runner in footballand Pro Bowl quarterback Brock Purdywhich established a new National Football League (NFL) single-season record for passing yards per attempt (9.6) (among quarterbacks with a minimum of 350 pass attempts) and led the league in passer rating (113.0) in 2023.

Los Angeles is likely to remain the 49ers’ top rival after bolstering its offensive line, secondary and defensive front in the offseason. Seattle has the right pieces on offense, but whether new coach Mike Macdonald can make a big enough change on that side of the ball to do so remains to be seen. Arizona should be much improved with a full season from a healthy team. Kyler Murray At quarterback and the addition of a generational wide receiver prospect. Marvin Harrison Jr. (fourth overall pick in 2024) NFL Draft Ohio State), but still doesn’t have what it needs defensively to slow down the rest of the division.

Here’s how the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks could end up as NFC West champions.

San Francisco 49ers

Coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense reached another level with a full CMC season in 2023. McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing yards (1,459) and scrimmage yards (2,023) while co-leading the league in touchdowns (21) along with Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl Running Back Raheem Mostert.

Whether running the ball (14 touchdowns) or receiving the ball (seven touchdowns), he was a threat to score. His presence opened up the passing game for Purdy, who became the fifth quarterback all-time to throw for 30 or more touchdowns (31) and 4,000 (4,280) in 2023.

30 TD passes and 4,000 passing yards in his first season as a full-time starter

History of the NFL

* Full-time starter = started at least 50% of the team’s matches

Virtually every key offensive player on the 49ers led the NFL in some notable metric last season, from Purdy and McCaffrey to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle.

49ers NFL Leaders/Co-Leaders This Season

Brock Purdy	Passing yards/attempt (9.6) and passer rating (113.0)
Christian McCaffrey	Rushing yards (1,459) and TDs from scrimmage (21)
Deebo Samuel	YAC/rec between WR (8,8)
Brandon Aiyuk	Percentage of receptions that end in first down or TD (81.3%)
George Kittle	Yards/catches between TE (15.7)

Defensively, the 49ers were just as good, ranking third in the NFL in scoring defense (17.5 points per game). Many of the key players who led to that number – 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick BosaAll-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave — remain in place. San Francisco also added another potent edge defender in Leonard Floyd with a two-year, $20 million contract, a player who recorded a career-high 10.5 sacks with the Buffalo Bills in 2023.

San Francisco has what it needs to not only win the NFC West again, but the NFC as a whole.

Los Angeles Rams

It appears that Sean McVay has a cloning lab for high-level receiver play in the same way that Green Bay Packers I have one for high level quarterback play.

With the 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Cooper’s Punch Missing five games due to injury last season, fifth-round rookie Puka Nacuá had the best receiving season for a rookie in NFL history: his 105 receptions and 1,486 receiving yards were the most ever for a rookie. When Nacua, second-year running back Kupp Kyren Williams (1,144 rushing yards, third most in the NFL, in 12 games played) and quarterback Matthew Stafford Overall, Los Angeles averaged nearly 30 points per game (28.5) and Stafford threw 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Oh, and the Rams came away victorious in six of those eight games. Their yards per play in those games was 6.8, which would rank as the third-most of any team in history. Super Bowl was (since 1966). Pretty, pretty.

Rams with the Big 4 on offense, all playing (2024 season)

• WL Award Winner: 6-2
• Points per game: 28.5
• YPG: 398.9
• Stafford TD-INT: 18-3

>> The Big 4: Matthew Stafford, Kyren Williams, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua

Defensively, they are moving on from the retirement of the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Aaron Donald through its 2024 draft class. General manager Les Snead used his first two draft picks in April on two All-ACC defensive players from Florida State: edge defender Verse of Jared (19th overall pick) and defensive tackle Brad Fiske (39th overall pick, second round). The Rams also invested heavily in their secondary via free agency, signing former Bills All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White (one year, $4.25 million), ex Washington Commanders security Camera curl (two years, $9 million) and former Rams and Jaguars cornerback Dario Williams (three years, $22.5 million).

As long as everyone on offense can stay healthy, the defense should be competent enough for Los Angeles to make the 49ers sweat.

Seattle Seahawks

For years, the Seahawks were known for their defense led by Pete Carroll and the Legion of Boom. Now, all of the aforementioned people associated with the Seahawks’ defensive glory years during the 2010s are gone following the departure of linebacker Bobby Wagner the Commanders in free agency and the team parting ways with Carroll.

Seattle long had the oldest head coach in the NFL, but now has the youngest in the league after hiring The Baltimore Ravens Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald (36 years old) will lead his team. His 2023 Ravens unit became the first in NFL history to lead or co-lead the league in scoring defense (16.5 points per game allowed), sacks (60) and takeaways (31, tied for first with the Ravens). New York Giants). He is now tasked with rebuilding a Seahawks defense that ranked 25th in scoring defense two years in a row, including averaging 23.6 points per game in 2023 (23.6 ppg).

Seattle ranked 30th in total defense (371.4 total yards per game), and much of that damage came on the ground, where it ranked 31st in rushing yards allowed per game (138.4), ahead of only the Cardinals (143.2 rushing yards allowed per game). That’s why they spent the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 round. NFL Draft on the Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy IIThe second-team All-American was solid against the run, and his 17% quarterback pressure was the highest of any defensive tackle in college football last season.

On offense, the Seahawks have the weapons to compete. Wide Receiver DK Metcalf He earned his second Pro Bowl selection in 2023 with another 1,000-yard receiving season (1,114) while ranking fourth in percentage of receptions that ended in first down or touchdown (78.8%) and fourth in yards per reception (16.9). Tyler Lockett Leftovers, 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba enters his second season in the NFL and Kenneth Walker He’s always elusive (his 76 avoided tackles were third-most in the NFL last season).

If Seattle can do a better job protecting the quarterback Geno Smith — their 40.2% quarterback pressure rate allowed was eighth-worst in the NFL — and they play stronger defense across the board, the Seahawks could be a threat in the NFC West in 2024.