The Seattle Seahawks suddenly find themselves at the bottom looking up at a shockingly difficult division. Going into the season, the expectation was obviously the San Francisco 49ers would be a force once again. Regardless of any potential Super Bowl hangover, the Niners were still going to be am incredibly deep and talented team.
What has become the shock of the year, so far, is just how formidable the Arizona Cardinals appear to be! Last season, the Cardinals finished dead last with a 4-13 record and were one of the top teams picking in the 2024 NFL draft. In year two of the Jonathan Gannon era, Arizona has taken a considerable leap. Despite starting 2-4, the Cards have been red hot as of late.
Arizona has won their last four-straight games, and the last two have not been competitive. The Cardinals dismantled the Chicago Bears 29-9 in Week 9, then on Sunday obliterated the New York Jets to the tune of 31-6. Arizona rumbled their way to 147 team rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground, while quarterback Kyler Murray completed 22-of-24 passes for 266 yards and a score.
As it stands, the Cardinals at 6-4 further cement their place atop the NFC West. They have the best record, as well as being 2-0 in division play… including a head to head win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Oh, and speaking of the 49ers, let us not forget about them, either. The Niners traveled cross country to play the Buccaneers in Tampa. It was no cakewalk for them, as it took a last second field goal to escape with a 23-20 win. But a win, nonetheless. On a day where kicker Jake Moody missed his first three-straight field goal attempts and when Christian McCaffrey in his return was held to only 39 yards rushing, San Francisco still found a way to win.
The distance between the Seahawks and the rest of the division is starting to widen, and that is not a good sign for Seattle this year.
