Is the AFC North the NFL’s best division
By Scott Long
The Argument for the NFC West
Heading into the season the NFC West was widely regarded as the top division in the NFL. Every team in the division is loaded with talent and had they not all been in the same division, it’s likely all would’ve been picked by most to make the playoffs.
The Arizona Cardinals sit in first place in this division, and in all of football, and they were not by any means considered the best team in the division entering the year. However, with a loaded offense featuring: Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Chase Edmonds, James Conner, and Christian Kirk, this team has been extremely difficult to stop.
Not to mention the team boasts superstar talent on the defensive side of the ball as well, headlined by Budda Baker and Chandler Jones. If this team can stay healthy they will be a legitimate threat in the NFL, as the only thing currently holding them back is inexperience.
Not far behind the Cardinals are the Los Angeles Rams, who boast what may be the NFL’s most loaded roster. The team sits at 7-2, and already possessed a dominant roster, but made things even better this year by adding Matthew Stafford in the offseason, Von Miller at the Trade Deadline, and just recently scooping up free agent Odell Beckham Jr. They are joined by a top 5 player in the sport in Aaron Donald, the best receiver in the NFL thus far in Cooper Kupp, as well as Jalen Ramsey, Robert Woods, and many more.
The Rams have built their roster differently than any team ever has, trading all of their draft capital away in order to acquire big-time stars who are ready to win now. One thing is for sure, this team is loaded and ready to compete, and will look to get over the hump and win a Super Bowl this year.
Additionally, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks reside in this division, and while both have dealt with a multitude of injuries thus far, they are getting back to full strength. For the Seahawks, they have had Russell Wilson and Chris Carson both miss significant time this year, and their offense has struggled to move the ball without them, despite the continued presence of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
For the 49ers, a multitude of players have missed time including George Kittle, Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance, Javon Kinlaw, and Jeff Wilson, while also losing Raheem Mostert to a season-ending injury Week 1. With these two teams finally getting healthy, this division could return to the fully dominant force many expected it to be.