49ers-Seahawks: Win Puts Niners Back in Anemic NFC West Race

Say what you will about the 49ers and their lousy ownership group (aka the Yorks) but this 49ers team has the talent to come out of the NFC West on top. 

The NFC West, much like the NL West in baseball is clearly the worst division in the league, meaning that the typical rules don't apply.  For years the worst possible record to win a division was 9-7, and over the last 10-15 years there has been a few 8-8 division champions.  But this year, with this division, do not be surprised if the NFC West Champion finishes with a sub .500 record at 7-9.  

With that being said, the NFC West is the hardest division to project.  Four-time defending division champion Seahawks are 1-5, and the St. Louis Rams who started out the year 0-4, and already counted out of the playoff picture, have won two in a row over the NFC East (arguably the best division in football).  Go figure.  

But let us take a real close look at this 49ers' losses.  Throwing out the week one loss to the Cardinals, each of the remaining 49ers' four losses have come against formidable opponents.  They also lost to the Saints, Patriots, Eagles and Giants. 

The other two teams in contention for the feeble NFC West title, the Rams and the Cardinals, have yet to face either of those four teams.  The Rams will begin what 49er fans have referred to as the "murderers row" part of the schedule, Sunday against the Patriots in New England. 

The projected loss will drop the Rams to a 2-5 record.  Now nothing is a sure thing, especially in the West, (which stated earlier is the hardest division to project) but most NFL experts are confident in a Patriots victory this Sunday.

The Cardinals take their 4-2 record into Carolina to take on the Panthers on Sunday, but there is just one problem for Arizona, the Panthers are 4-0 at home so far this season. The Panthers have a healthy Jake Delhomme throwing to a healthy Steve Smith and handing off to a double threat at running back with DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart.  The Panthers look primed to defend their home turf and improve their home-record to 5-0, dropping the Cardinals to 4-3.  

Finally, we get to the 2-5 49ers taking on the 1-5 Seahawks in San Francisco on Sunday afternoon.  The 49ers, who recently fired head coach Mike Nolan, look to come out firing for their new head coach Mike Singletary who takes over on an interim basis.

The 49ers will be facing the Hasselbeck-less Seahawks who have fallen to the cellar of the worst division in football.  If the 49ers', who beat the Seahawks up in Seattle in Week Two, can't come away with a win at home on Sunday, they will have hit rock-bottom.  Unlike Mike Nolan, however, Singletary will have his defense fired up and ready to wreak havoc on Seattle backup Seneca Wallace.  The 49ers should be able to win this one and up their record to 3-5.

Now, if everything goes according to plan, after the conclusion of Week Eight, the Cardinals will lead the division at 4-3, followed by the 49ers at 3-5, Rams at 2-5, and Seahawks at 1-6.  

The 49ers have a bye in Week Nine, while the Cardinals travel to St. Louis to take on the Rams.  Regardless of that outcome, the game that inevitably will decide the 49ers' season will be in Week 10 on Monday Night Football in Arizona.  The 3-5 49ers will take on either the 5-3 Cardinals, or the 4-4 Cardinals. 

Either way it will be a must-win for the 49ers.  And if they win, even though it will be only two wins so far in the Singletary era, it will have the 49ers right back in either at tie for first, or one game out of the top spot in the anemic NFC West.