San Francisco 49ers
With two trips to the Super Bowl in the last four seasons, the 49ers sit atop the NFC West and entire NFC heading into 2024. The team’s roster is filled with skilled players making big money, but when the starting QB makes less than $1 million per season, you certainly have the room to spend it on the other guys. Eventually, Brock Purdy will get paid, and the team will have to cut ties with a few players. For now, though, San Francisco remains in win-now mode.
With Kyle Shanahan and Christian McCaffrey both back in the red and gold, we expect to see this rushing attack flourish once again. CMC is truly a one-of-a-kind talent, and with a mastermind like Shanahan designing the plays, he’s been deadly ever since the trade from Carolina. Then, there’s Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle catching passes. Aiyuk has expressed interest in a trade, but even without him, this offence will move the ball downfield all season and remain a top five unit.
Defensively, the ‘9ers are just as dangerous. In each of the last two seasons, they’ve been top three in the NFL in points against. For a team with such a good offence, this just makes them downright terrifying. Nick Bosa is one of the best defensive ends in the league, while linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw control the game in the middle of the field. This team is just simply one of the best in the league, and I don’t expect to see much change in 2024.
Prediction: 13-4
Seattle Seahawks
The Pete Carroll era is over in Seattle, but Mike Macdonald might be just what this franchise needed to get back to relevance in the NFC. The defensive-minded head coach was terrific with the Baltimore Ravens last season, and he’s got a lot of skill to work with in the PNW. Second and third-year corners Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen are one of the best secondary duos in the league, while rookie Byron Murphy should help Seattle’s defensive line considerably this season.
On offence, the options are there as well. Geno Smith may not be the franchise quarterback of the future, but he’s proven his capability, especially with a healthy offensive line in front of him. At receiver, expect big years for both D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. JSN got more looks as the season progressed last year, and this year we should see him fully emerge as one of Seattle’s premier playmakers.
Overall, Seattle still has a lot of competition in the NFC West with San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Arizona. First year coaches don’t always fare well in this league, but we think Macdonald and the Seahawks are a perfect fit. If he truly is the defensive mind most people think he is, Seattle will be tough to score against this year, especially at home.
Prediction: 10-7
Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay and the Rams were surprisingly good last season after an off year in 2022, and they should be on everyone’s radar once again heading into the new campaign. Fifth round draft pick Puka Nacua was terrific for L.A. last year, and as long as Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp stay healthy, I expect this offence to be a dangerous one again in the pass game. In the run game, Kyren Williams also emerged as one of the better backs in the NFL, as he was efficient both through the air and on the ground.
Their defence wasn’t spectacular statistically last year, but it did enough to get the job done more often than not. With Aaron Donald officially retired, it’s hard to expect much improvement from the unit, but they should be good enough to give Stafford and the offence opportunities to win games.
I expect the Rams to be in a very similar position as they were last year – battling with Seattle within the NFC West and the rest of the bubble teams for playoff positioning all season long. Injury concerns for both Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp are more relevant at this point in their careers, but we know both players are extremely tough mentally and physically. Like the team, they won’t bow down easily.
Prediction: 9-8
Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray is back for a full season, and with rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. joining the ranks as well, I expect Arizona to be a lot better this year. After Murray returned from injury midway through last year, the team went 3-5 in eight games, moving from 1-8 to 4-13. Of course, these aren’t numbers that get you into the playoffs or even close, but the offensive side of the ball was considerably better for Arizona down the stretch. Say what you want about Kyler Murray, but the guy can still play.
After Harrison was taken fourth overall, Arizona then drafted back-to-back defensive players at 27th and 43rd. First, it was DE Darius Robinson, who was just the fifth defensive end taken in the draft. At 43rd, they went to the secondary and grabbed Max Melton from Rutgers. For a defence that was statistically miserable last season, upgrades like this are a very welcome sign and should make an impact at least at some point during the year.
In a tough NFC West, the Cardinals are still the team at the bottom, but expect them to be a lot more competitive this season. If Harrison and Murray can find some chemistry and James Connor has another good year for the Cards, this team could certainly surprise some people.
Prediction: 6-11
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