Standings:
Rams: 5-0
Seahawks: 2-3
Cardinals: 1-4
49ers: 1-4
Rams Update:
The Rams were able to get out of Seattle with a gutsy 2 point win. The run defense was a sieve the entire game, but per usual the Rams 4th quarter defense pitched a shutout. Marcus Peters arguably had the single worst game of his career. There’ll be a lot of tape for him to watch this upcoming week for sure, but fortunately the Rams have one of the best DB coaches in the league in Aubrey Pleasant. On offense, the Rams lost Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks for the entire second half due to injury. Regardless, the offense was able to hold on to take the lead and score over 30 points for the 5th game in a row. Goff’s “Seattle Sneak” was able to put the final dagger in the Seahawks effort. Coming out of the game, Cooks and Kupp’s concussions seem to be considered not serious.
Seahawks Update:
The Seahawks offense has shown that it can be one of the better rushing teams in the league. In addition to that, Wilson was able to abuse Marcus Peters in particular on more than one occasion. He only had 198 yards passing, but it seemed like he was able to hit plays whenever it was necessary. It cannot be ignored that the Seahawks offensive line has shown steady improvement as the year has gone on. The loss of Earl Thomas will be a problem going forward, as the Rams had 320 yards passing in spite of the injuries at WR. Regardless, the Seahawks at home are a tough out the vast majority of the time and Wilson was able to compensate for the overall talent differential.
Cardinals Update:
The Arizona Cardinals were able to get their first win on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. In a game only MFA could have dared to predict, the defense was able to harass the 49er offense and force 5 turnovers. The 49ers only scored 6 points through 3 quarters, but did get 12 in the 4th. Josh Rosen played well in spurts, hitting a few big plays, but still was only 10/25 for 170 yards. David Johnson again was a non factor averaging 3.1 yards on the ground. He did manage to secure two short yardage scores, however their offense overall still seems to be a train wreck. The defense showed it can still play at a relatively high level provided they have some sort of lead to work with as well as force turnovers. It did let up a lot of yards through the air which is a concern. They might be able to push for 3rd place in the NFCW with this win, but I still tend to think the 49ers win more games.
49ers update:
As far as yards are concerned, the 49ers had a big day on offense. Sadly, this production was negated by 5 turnovers. 2nd year breakout RB Matt Breida also went down early in this game with a high ankle sprain. Unfortunately the 49ers have been hit hard with the injury bug as the season has progressed, potentially negating what might have been somewhat of a breakout season for them. Defensively, the 49ers continued to have serious problems. While Josh Rosen only completed 10 of 25 pass attempts, he hit on big plays downfield that let the Cards establish an early lead they would not relinquish. The 49ers did however make history, this except comes from Yahoo Sports:
Throughout NFL history, when a team gains 30 or more first downs and allows 10 or fewer first downs in a game, they usually win. In fact, since 1954, teams had been 46-3 in that situation.
Until Sunday.
The 49ers gained 33 first downs and held the Cardinals to 10 first downs, but Arizona came away with a 28-18 win in Santa Clara.
So the 49ers are the fourth team in NFL history to lose in this scenario. But of the four, they are the first to lose by double digits.
Overall Analysis:
The Los Angeles Rams continue to solidify their division lead, and I would say have now officially established the “vice grip” that I have discussed with Bob on a few occasions here. The Seahawks are a tough out at home for even the best teams, and that was again proven yesterday. The fact the Rams were able to take punches then counter punch in a dogfight was encouraging to see, as they won a similar game last week against the Vikings. However, in what is likely going to be their toughest divisional game on the road, they came out with an important win. It would not be surprising to me to see Seattle make a strong push for a wildcard berth.
The 49ers and Cardinals however are both clearly at this point out of contention. Both look like they might be picking in the top 5, however I would say SF is probably ahead of the Cardinals at this point in spite of their loss. The Cards offense has been nothing short of a train wreck – and while the same can be said for the 49er defense – the 49er offense is a capable unit even with their starting QB on IR.
Week 6 NFCW Matchups:
Rams at Broncos
49ers at Packers
Cardinals at Vikings
Seahawks vs Raiders(London)
