Just a year ago, the NFC West was considered the best division in football, but after many trades and a few surprising moves, that isn't the case anymore. That's not to say that it's bad however, as the reigning Super Bowl Champions reside in the West, and are joined by two teams with genuine Super Bowl aspirations, as well as a fourth team who could be competitive week in, week out.
Even if the AFC East has taken over the best division in football, you can make an argument that this is right behind it, and if the Rams aren't careful, San Francisco or Arizona can slide in and take this crown from them quite easily. This all depends on a variety of different factors, but as of right now, here is one prediction for every team in the NFC West for the 2022 NFL campaign.
Seattle Seahawks - Drew Lock is better than anyone expects, but Seattle still miss the playoffs
Many people expected the Seattle Seahawks to go into a full on rebuild mode after moving Russell Wilson, but their offence can still be quite good, as they signed DK Metcalf long-term, and have Tyler Lockett still on the team, it all now depends on incoming QB, Drew Lock. He's been widely criticized, especially by the US Open social media page, but actually Lock isn't a bad QB, and with weapons like the two above, if he can stay healthy, he's going to have a lot better year than anyone around the NFL expects.
Unfortunately, the NFC is just too stacked for them to realistically slide into a Wild Card spot, but with the assets they got back from the Wilson trade, a good season will help them going forward, especially if they can find a good young QB to build around. At the end of the day, Seattle has rarely had a bad season under Pete Carrol, and as long as he's there, this team can be genuinely competitive, even with Drew Lock at Quarterback.
San Francisco 49ers - Trey Lance leads the 49ers to a Wild Card spot as Jimmy G gets moved
Despite mediocre QB play for the past few years, the San Francisco 49ers have still been quite good, and if the recent improvements in Trey Lance's game are any indication of his ability, they may have finally filled the one hole that they imagined they'd filled when they brought in Jimmy Garapollo. Unfortunately for the former Patriots backup, it looks like his days in San Francisco are numbered, as the team is moving on to the sophomore QB Lance, and with his two dimensional talent, he may be a candidate for breakout star of the year in 2022.
If he fails to fire and the 49ers do indeed trade Jimmy G, this could end up being a disaster of a season for a team that's very talented on both sides of the ball, but this is a franchise that makes carefully considered moves, so if they believe in Trey Lance as the starting QB, then so should the 49ers fans. Even in such a stacked NFC, this team is more than good enough to beat anyone on their day, and while the Rams should comfortably take a division title, the 49ers can take a top Wild Card spot, and potentially make a big time run through the postseason.
Arizona Cardinals - Arizona surprisingly miss the playoffs in 2022
The Arizona Cardinals have been on the verge of taking the next big step since drafting Kyler Murray a few years ago, but unfortunately, every season it just seems that something goes wrong and the team can't make an extended push for the post-season. DeAndre Hopkins will be back after a six game suspension, but beyond that, this team just doesn't seem to have what it takes to make an extended playoff run in 2022, for a few reasons.
Unlike other teams in the conference, the Cardinals just aren't as deep and talented, and when injuries happen, which they always do, other teams have the experience and the talent to fight through that, but Arizona just aren't blessed with that luxury. The NFC is going to be a dog fight for 18 weeks in 2022, and while the Cardinals may come close, they're still building this team, and in a year or two, they'll be ready to take that step, it just won't be during this upcoming season.
Los Angeles Rams - Aaron Donald wins DPOY, but LA fall one game short of the Super Bowl
The Los Angeles Rams have famously mortgaged their future in search of a Super Bowl, and after last years victory, they've made moves to make it happen again, and it's clear that in 2022, like 2021, they are by far and away the best and most complete team in the NFC West, potentially the entire NFC. Any team with Aaron Donald is always going to be an immense threat, but the Rams added Bobby Wagner to lead this team, as well as Allen Robinson to give Matthew Stafford an insane receiving core, and it's safe to say they may be the team to beat in the NFC.
Unfortunately, the playoffs are all about who gets hot, and in 2022, I see Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers edging out the Rams in the NFC Championship game, due to the crazy amount of talent and experience on that sideline. Either way, this will be another successful year for the Rams as a team, and another Defensive Player of the Year award will cement DT Aaron Donald as one of the greatest defensive players the NFL has ever seen.
Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
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