Newsflash: the NFC West is bad (1 Viewer)

[Chase Stuart]

Through the Sunday afternoon games, here's how each division has fared in inter-division games:

Gm W Win % PF PA PythAFCNorth 8 5 0.625 154 120 0.657NFCNorth 6 3 0.500 139 110 0.648AFCWest 13 7 0.538 309 266 0.596AFCSouth 12 7 0.583 277 256 0.551NFCSouth 9 5 0.556 160 170 0.461NFCEast 10 4 0.400 228 247 0.448AFCEast 4 2 0.500 68 78 0.412NFCWest 10 3 0.300 172 260 0.255
That last column is Pythagorean won-loss record, based on the formula (PF^2.6)/(PF^2.6 + PA^2.6). But you don't need any special formula to know the NFC West is just brutally bad. The division is 3-7 against other teams, with the three wins being:

1) Arizona's 24-23 win over Oakland, when Janikowski missed a chip shot as time expired

2) Seattle's 27-20 win over San Diego, thanks to 2 KR TDs for the Seahawks

3) St. Louis' 30-16 win over Washington

In the 7 losses, the average score has been 28-15.

In other news...

The AFC East has played a full round robin (or will at the end of tomorrow night), with the Jets going 3-0, the Bills going 0-3, the Pats-Dolphins winner going 2-1 and the loser going 1-2. The AFC West has played just one division game all season, Kansas City's MNF opener upset against San Diego.

The NFC East, considered one of the best divisions in football entering the season, has looked bad this year, only besting the NFC West in win percentage.

The AFC North looks terrific, with the only losses being the Bengals flop against the Pats in week 1 and a pair of razor thin losses by the division's worst team. They've also beaten a pair of 3-1 teams.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I'm surprised they even won 3 games.

 

[gianmarco]

Here's all you need to know:

Heading into week 5, the Rams are tied for the division lead.

 

[bulger2holt]

Once the Rams get a #1 wr and SF gets a QB, they will be forces to be reckoned with in the years to come.

 

[Babu Bhatt2]

I still think the 0-4 49ers are the best team in that division.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

I think we've known this for weeks. So the Rams are a little better than most thought and the 49ers are much worst. But anyone paying attention knew the NFC West was going to be awful.

 

[Chase Stuart]

I still think the 0-4 49ers are the best team in that division.

They looked good against the Saints, but at this point I think it's time to question if the Saints are any good. They barely beat an awful Carolina team, and didn't look particularly good against Minnesota or Atlanta. Then they 49ers got blown out by two other teams, and then played pretty well today against Atlanta.Right now, I think the Rams look like the best team in the division. I'm sure by this time next week, they'll look like the worst.

 

[Mad Mike Martz]

Rams are playoff bound

 

[mad sweeney]

So bad they sent 2 of the last 5 NFC champs to the Super Bowl.

But seriously, I know what you mean.

 

[the rover]

None of these teams are as bad as the team claiming to be the Bears that played tonight.

 

[Insein]

I don't know. NFC East is really trying hard to suck as much if not more than the NFC west this year.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Here's all you need to know:

Heading into week 5, the Rams are tied for the division lead the favorite to win the division.

corrected

 

[gradin123]

Bradford is the real deal. He'll go through some growing pains against better D's but he outplayed Hasslebeck today badly.

The Defense in STL is improving too. I think they win division, they could easily be 4-0 right now. I still think the 49ers are the second best team in the division but there just isn't enough cohesion on that team to make a sustained run IMO.

I think STL may end up only 8-8 but that may be good enough.

 

[r0llin_game]

ughhh I so wanted to put money on STL winning that division too.

 

[Captain Hook]

Through the Sunday afternoon games, here's how each division has fared in inter-division games:

Gm   W	Win %	PF	 PA	 PythAFCNorth	 8	5	0.625	154	120	0.657NFCNorth	 6	3	0.500	139	110	0.648AFCWest	 13	7	0.538	309	266	0.596AFCSouth	12	7	0.583	277	256	0.551NFCSouth	 9	5	0.556	160	170	0.461NFCEast	 10	4	0.400	228	247	0.448AFCEast	  4	2	0.500	 68	 78	0.412NFCWest	 10	3	0.300	172	260	0.255

That last column is Pythagorean won-loss record, based on the formula (PF^2.6)/(PF^2.6 + PA^2.6). But you don't need any special formula to know the NFC West is just brutally bad. The division is 3-7 against other teams, with the three wins being:1) Arizona's 24-23 win over Oakland, when Janikowski missed a chip shot as time expired2) Seattle's 27-20 win over San Diego, thanks to 2 KR TDs for the Seahawks3) St. Louis' 30-16 win over WashingtonIn the 7 losses, the average score has been 28-15.In other news...The AFC East has played a full round robin (or will at the end of tomorrow night), with the Jets going 3-0, the Bills going 0-3, the Pats-Dolphins winner going 2-1 and the loser going 1-2. The AFC West has played just one division game all season, Kansas City's MNF opener upset against San Diego.The NFC East, considered one of the best divisions in football entering the season, has looked bad this year, only besting the NFC West in win percentage. The AFC North looks terrific, with the only losses being the Bengals flop against the Pats in week 1 and a pair of razor thin losses by the division's worst team. They've also beaten a pair of 3-1 teams.

Great info but just wondering how you consider this "news"...........the division has been terrible for several years......likely an 8-8 record wins it and gets into the playoffs this year

 

[PolishNorbi]

ughhh I so wanted to put money on STL winning that division too.

I took them at 16 to 1 right before today's game. After seeing the rest of the division (being in AZ, you sort of have to care), it was the most obvious pick yet they were the worst on the site.

 

[r0llin_game]

pretty sick value, gl!

 

[Bob Magaw]

rams are about top 5 in scoring defense (?) at 13 PPG (31st last year, at 27)

about top half of the league on offense at 19 PPG (32nd last year, at near 11)

incidentally, what is biggest year-to-year improvement ever in scoring defense?

* in a division where there may not be a lot of separation talent-wise, having the best QB in the division in bradford, in what is a force multiplier type of position (he makes the entire offense & defense better, for too many reasons to delineate here)... could be the difference...