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The NFC West Is Now Both Visibly And Historically Pathetic

The best team from the NFC West very well may go 7-9–and that team will make the playoffs. The NFC West is very bad, both to the naked eye and the stat-geek.

Watching the Seahawks on national television twice in the past three weeks has been worse than watching Kurt Warner on “Dancing With the Stars.” Marshawn Lynch masquerading as an NFL running back is a laugh. But it doesn’t make for good football.

ESPN and the Elias Sports Bureau have the numbers to back up just how bad the NFC West is:

NFC WEST: EVERYBODY LOSES… AGAIN

From Elias: The Seahawks, the Cardinals, the 49ers and the Rams all lost on Sunday, marking the second time this season that the four NFC West teams have all lost in the same week; it also happened in the season’s second week. It’s the first time since the NFL split into eight divisions in 2002 that one division has had a pair of 0-4 weeks in the same season.

History, folks. Yesterday, the division was outscored 120-49 (not a single-digit defeat in there). And it may happen again in week 15, the only week in which there is not a division battle. The Cardinals do play the Carolina Panthers, but there is no such thing as a sure thing in the NFC West

Right now, Seattle sits atop the division with a 5-5 record. It’s *probably* safe to rule the 3-7 49ers and Cardinals out of the playoffs. Seattle has three games on their schedule that appear winnable: Carolina, San Francisco, and St. Louis. And that’s with a quarterback who has a history of concussions and currently sports a paw as a left hand.

If Seattle botches either of those first two games, it’s likely the season finale between St. Louis and Seattle will determine who finishes 7-9 – and who makes the playoffs. It’s hard for anyone to get excited about either team’s chances…but someone has to win.

Mike Williams, Seattle’s top wide receiver, went down with a leg injury during yesterday’s game. St. Louis has the stouter defense and stronger rushing attack. Yet, with rookie quarterback Sam Bradford at the helm and an offense devoid of a deep receiving threat, 8-8 seems highly unlikely.

Well, that’s until you look at the the quarterbacks who have seen action for these four teams this year: Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Whitehurst, Derek Anderson, Max Hall, Sam Bradford, Alex Smith, David Carr, and Troy Smith. The NFC West is the used and pre-owned division of quarterbacks. It’s going to keep getting uglier.