By Patricia Cabrido // @Pkc808
Editors Note: With Dayna out on medical leave for a week, our good friend Pattie Cabrido stepped in to cover the NFC West. Give her a follow on Twitter! Thank you, Pattie!
If the season were to end today, the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Rams would be playoff-bound, with all three teams coming out of week 7 with five wins. The 49ers are not far behind, and by the true end of the season, it’s definitely a possibility that the entire NFC West finds its way into playoff spots under the new 7-team model. This is quite the stark change from the days when the Seahawks won the division with a 7-9 record.
San Francisco 49ers (4-3) at New England Patriots (2-4) 33-6
After last weekend, many were asking if quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was really worth the massive contract that he got after his first year with the 49ers. In his first return to Foxboro since leaving the Patriots in 2017, he made a strong case for being worth that and more. Jimmy G lead the 49ers to an impressive win over the New England Patriots. In fact, the 33-6 win was the biggest loss that the Patriots have ever had at home under Head Coach Bill Belichick.
The 49ers dominated the game on both offense and defense, which is particularly impressive considering they have 19 players on IR. Rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had the best game of his career, not only being the leading receiver for the 49ers but also logging a tackle after a Garoppolo interception. On the defensive side, not only did they hold the Patriots to two field goals, but they also came away with four interceptions of the struggling Cam Newton.
Garoppolo ended the night with 20 of 25 completions for 277 yards and two interceptions. In addition to impressive passing yards, the 49ers had 197 rushing yards. Running back Jeffery Wilson Jr. was the leader on the ground with 17 carries for 112 yards and 3 TDs. Meanwhile, Aiyuk lead the way on receptions, making 6 catches for 115 yards.
Seattle Seahawks (5-1) at Arizona Cardinals (5-2) 34-37 (OT)
All eyes were on the Seahawks and Cardinals on Sunday night. For the second year in a row, this match-up in Arizona was on Sunday Night Football and resulted in overtime. While the Seahawks maintained a lead throughout the majority of the game, the Cardinals were able to pull off the win on their second possession of overtime.
With his first touchdown pass in the first quarter, QB Russell Wilson tied Peyton Manning’s 2013 record for the most touchdowns in the first 6 games of the season. He surpassed Manning’s record by the end of the game. On the other side of the field, with his first reception towards the end of the first half, WR Larry Fitzgerald picked up his 1400th career reception, with Jerry Rice being the only receiver ahead of him with 1549 receptions.
One of the biggest plays of the game may have come at the midpoint of the second quarter when a pass intended for Chris Carson was intercepted by Safety Budda Baker at Arizona’s 2-yard line. While the interception and resulting 90-yard return were impressive, WR DK Metcalf’s speed in chasing Baker down, and tackling him at Seattle’s 8-yard line was nothing short of amazing.
One of the scariest moments was when the Cardinal’s Outside Linebacker Isaiah Irving was carted off the field after a run-in with Seahawks running back Travis Homer, towards the end of the first half. While details are still not clear, ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss tweeted that a source said Irving has a back injury that will likely keep him out for the rest of the season.
Russell Wilson had 388 yards on 33 of 50 completions, passed off 200 yards, and three interceptions. Tyler Lockett had the most yards of his career, with 200 receiving yards on 15 receptions. Wilson lead the team in rushing yards, logging 84 yards on 6 carries, with Carlos Hyde behind him gaining 68 yards on 15 carries.
Kyler Murray had 360 yards in the air, completing 34 of his 48 attempts, and one interception. The Cardinals had 159 on the ground, and, like the Seahawks, their quarterback was the leading rusher with 67 yards, followed by Chase Edmonds with 58 yards.
Chicago Bears (5-2) at LA Rams (5-2) 10-24
After all the excitement of Sunday’s NFC West games, Monday’s game between the Bears and Rams was a little lackluster.
While the offense seemed to struggle at times, Goff still managed to have one of his better performances (based on QBR and Passer Ratings) of his career. With targets like WRs Josh Reynolds and Cooper Kupp, and tight end Johnny Mundt, I would watch for more progress as their chemistry continues to develop. On the other side of the field, the defense continues to be a force to be reckoned with.
Jared Goff ended the night with 219 yards, on 23 completions, and 2 touchdowns. Reynolds was the leading receiver, with 52 yards on 4 receptions. On the ground, RB Darrell Henderson had 64 yards on 15 carries. The defense, in true Rams defense fashion, had four sacks on the night, with credit to linebacker Leonard Floyd on two of those. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey and safety Taylor Rapp both came away with interceptions.
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