Another week, another Seahawks loss while the division ascends. Let’s get this over with.
Cardinals struggle early, but dominate late to secure win over lowly Jaguars
If you managed to catch any of the Jaguars-Cardinals game Sunday, you got quite a thrill. The Jaguars managed to open up a 9-point lead in the second half, which they promptly squandered by allowing the Cardinals to march down the field, and then Trevor Lawrence threw a pitiful flea-flicker pick-6 to put the Cardinals ahead for good. The Jaguars also scored a touchdown as the first half expired thanks to Kliff Kingsbury’s incredibly bizarre decision to have Matt Prater attempt a 68-yard field goal (turns out he was only that good when he was juicing). The Jaguars’ Jamal Agnew then returned the missed field goal 109 yards for the score.
So, aside from all of the theatrics, what is there to take away from this game? Well, honestly, this Cardinals team reminds me a lot of last year’s Seahawks. They can play both up and down to their competition on a consistent basis, and have been involved in some chaotic games these past few weeks, thanks in no small part to the incredibly erratic coaching from Kliff Kingsbury. But hey, if Kingsbury can’t run this team into the ground, nobody can (except maybe Pete Carroll? Controversial take?).
The point is, the Cardinals still have a scary amount of talent on both sides of the ball, and remain the NFC West team I’m looking forward to playing the least.
Rams dominate Super Bowl champs
In what was previewed as the game of the week, perhaps the two best teams in the NFC faced off in LA Saturday, and it was... very one-sided. The Rams defense was suspect at times, allowing Brady to throw for well over 400 yards, but they ultimately maintained control throughout the game. What really impressed, though, was their offense. Stafford was impeccable, throwing for 343 yards and four touchdowns in a dominant performance. Cooper Kupp continued to ball out, and 35 year-old DeSean Jackson, who I honestly had no idea was even on the Rams, broke free for a 75-yard score.
The Rams just seem to keep getting better, and I’m becoming a believer in this team’s Super Bowl chances very quickly. It remains to be seen if the offense can be this good week-to-week, but right now, I see no reason to think otherwise. The Rams weren’t even this complete of a team when they went to the Super Bowl, but now, they are, and that’s really scary. Our division will not be doing us any favors if we’re going to turn this season around.
Niners prove skill despite slow start from Garoppolo, fall late to Packers
We don’t really know just how good either the Packers or the 49ers are yet, but the two teams delivered a thriller on Sunday Night Football. Despite a slow start, Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners offense rallied late in the fourth quarter to take the lead, only to squander it on the Packers’ final possession, as Mason Crosby hit the game-winner as time expired.
As the first half progressed, I was getting ready to write the “Niners and Seahawks both dwelling at NFC West’s cellar” bit for this article, but the truth is, the Niners looked like a far better team than the Seahawks on the whole tonight. The defense wasn’t amazing, but the offense certainly outperformed my expectations, and Garoppolo was once again above average. The Niners’ young receiving corps showed out, and I expect them to just eviscerate the Seahawks’ secondary next week.
Thankfully, the Niners have dropped to 2-1, meaning the Seahawks aren’t two games behind everyone else in the division, but next week’s game (and the following Thursday Night game against the Rams, for that matter) could very well make or break the Seahawks’ chances at winning the division. It seems weird to say that so early on, but all three teams above Seattle are definitely playoff-caliber, and the ‘Hawks have set themselves up to play catch-up for the next 15 weeks.
Standings
Los Angeles Rams: 3-0
Arizona Cardinals: 3-0
San Francisco 49ers: 2-1
Seattle Seahawks: 1-2
Week 4 Schedule
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Rest of the NFC West, Week 3: At least the 49ers lost... - Field Gulls
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