As the San Francisco 49ers roll towards what has now become an almost inevitable playoff spot, the rest of the NFC West seems to be going in reverse. Week nine saw the Seattle Seahawks dropped a 23-13 decision to the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals edge out the St. Louis Rams in overtime. The Seahawks and Cardinals now sit tied for "second" in the NFC West at 2-6, with the Rams in last at 1-7.
This poor play is reflected in weekly NFL power rankings where those three teams are circling the drain for the most part. In the Week 10 NFL Power Rankings over at SB Nation, the Cardinals are No. 28, the Seahawks are No. 29 and the Rams are No. 31. It is not a pretty picture at all. Last year we saw all four teams hanging down pretty low, but with a pair of 7-9 teams and a 6-10 team at season's end, I don't know if it was quite this bad.
The 49ers actually have a chance to clinch the division in two weeks when they face the Arizona Cardinals. It will require all three teams lose this week, but given the schedule that is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. The Seahawks host the Baltimore Ravens, the Cardinals travel to face the Philadelphia Eagles and the Rams travel to face the Cleveland Browns. The Rams have the most winnable game, but when you put them on the road, who knows what will happen.
Here are the top ten according to SB Nation:
1. Green Bay Packers
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. New Orleans Saints
5. Houston Texans
6. Detroit Lions
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. New York Giants
9. Pittsburgh Steelers
10. New England Patriots