For the past couple of seasons, the NFC West has been the league doormat. On Sunday, it was a different story, at least for a week. The division went 4-0, and not just against some cupcakes. The San Francisco 49ers held on against Eli Manning and the New York Giants, the Arizona Cardinals rallied in the fourth quarter to knock off the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks Beat the Baltimore Ravens. Only the St. Louis Rams had what could be considered a weaker opponent in the Cleveland Browns, and they won in ugly fashion, 13-12.
San Francisco is now 8-1 and still is very much in line to end up with a first-round bye in the playoffs, but their road got a little harder because Frank Gore is banged up. With their wins, both Seattle and Arizona are not too far out of the wild card. There is a lot of football yet to be played and the NFC playoff picture is very much a muddy one.
Read on to catch the recaps of the games from the NFC West team blogs.
Arizona Cardinals Shock The Philadelphia Eagles, Win 21-17 - Revenge of the Birds
The "Dream Team" sure looked like they were dreaming, as the Arizona Cardinals shocked every expert in the football world by defeating them 21-17, in Philadelphia. In a game that was exciting to the very end, the Cardinals extended their winning streak to 2, and improved their record to 3-6
Seahawks Outlast Ravens 22-17 - Field Gulls
The Seahawks managed the unexpected, capitalizing on a few key special teams miscues by the Ravens and five Steven Hauschka field goals to hold on for a 22-17 win. The Hawks weathered injuries to John Moffitt (knee injury), Doug Baldwin (concussion), Sidney Rice (concussion), Kam Chancellor (concussion), and Anthony Hargrove (hamstring), and the seemingly endless injury list is a good indication of how hard fought the game was for both sides. Ravens' kick returner David Reed fumbled twice deep in the Seahawks end in the first half and this helped the Seahawks march into halftime with a 19-7 lead. The Hawks added another field goal in the third quarter and survived a Baltimore comeback attempt late in the game.
Rams Vs. Browns: Spagnuolo Spared As Rams Win A Stinker - Turf Show Times
The St. Louis Rams picked up their second win of the season in spite of a handful of key injuries, struggling play from Sam Bradford and another uninspired offensive performance. Nevertheless, a win is a win, and the Rams will take it. The win also staves off the reaper for Steve Spagnuolo, the Rams' embattled head coach, for at least another week. It was the first win of the season for Bradford. A few quick observations from the Rams' 13-12 win:
49ers Vs. Giants: Alex Smith, Offense Overcome A Banged Up Frank Gore - Niners Nation
There are numerous storylines following the 49ers 27-20 victory over the New York Giants. One of the biggest has to be the 49ers ability to overcome a struggling ground game to emerge victorious. Frank Gore rushed six times for zero yards and gave way to Kendall Hunter in the second half. Gore made his way back onto the field at a couple points, but he had some ankle and knee issues that limited him.