The defending NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams are considered the most vulnerable to repeat according to CBS Sports.
CBS Sports ranks the other seven division winners as having a better chance of winning their division again.
Does that mean the Arizona Cardinals are in prime position to win their first NFC West title since 2015?
CBS Sports writer claims Rams are likely to lose the NFC West crown
CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin didn’t throw much love the Cardinals’ way. His NFC West assessment included one sentence about the Cardinals — the last sentence. “And the Arizona Cardinals just beefed up their own ‘D’ as well,” Benjamin wrote.
Arizona did improve its defense over the offseason through free agency and the draft. A better defense, alone, could help the Cardinals’ fortunes. A better pass rush led by Josh Sweat could help dramatically against mostly stationary quarterbacks on the Rams (Matthew Stafford) and Seahawks (Sam Darnold).
Another factor is the perception that the Cardinals will improve with another season under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. If quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. not only improve but have breakout seasons, the Cardinals should improve on their 8-9 record of 2024.
Remember, the Rams won the NFC West in 2024 with a 10-7 record.
There are other factors involved in Cardinals optimism.
Arizona is tied with the Panthers for the fifth-easiest schedule. Cardinals opponents had a .457 winning percentage in 2024. Arizona’s early schedule could allow the Cardinals to secure some momentum-building and confidence-securing victories.
What about the 49ers?
The 49ers seem to be the team over which experts can’t fashion a consensus. Will the 49ers bounce back from their injury-destroyed 2024 season when, one year after a loss in the Super Bowl, San Francisco finished last in the NFC West at 6-11?
Can they recover from the 17 players they lost this offseason, a list that includes Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw and Javon Hargrave?
Do they have enough remaining to make a run at the Rams?
“And yet the San Francisco 49ers are always a force under Kyle Shanahan when healthy; they're due for a rebound,” Benjamin wrote.
San Francisco has the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL, based on 2024 winning percentage. Niners opponents had a .415 winning percentage.
Benjamin didn’t have much to say about the Seahawks: “The Seattle Seahawks at least offer an imposing defense under Mike Macdonald.”
Seattle has the 22nd-most difficult schedule with opponents winning at a .474 percentage in 2024.
The Rams could be a powerhouse
Los Angeles is quite formidable and probably not going anywhere. The Rams believe they are every bit a Super Bowl contender. Winning the NFC West might be considered a stepping stone to a team with higher ambitions.
“There’s a case to be made that the Rams deserve more props for the way they finished 2024, nearly knocking off the Eagles in the postseason, and giving Matthew Stafford another perimeter weapon in Davante Adams should help Sean McVay oversee a high-flying attack. They could go deep!” Benjamin wrote.
The Rams have the NFL’s 17th-most difficult schedule with opponents winning at a .491 clip last season.
Arizona plays host to the Rams in Week 14 and visit the Rams in Week 18.