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There was nothing but exciting smashmouth football in Week 9’s NFC West games, which makes Week 10 that much more intriguing. The Arizona Cardinals improved their record to a league-best 7-1 with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys, the St. Louis Rams won a defensive war against the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks survived the winless Oakland Raiders.
Here’s a look at Week 10’s NFC West games:
San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints: From here on out it doesn’t get any easier for the 49ers, and last week’s loss to the Rams could spell disaster for the rest of the season. They must now travel to New Orleans to face the high-flying Saints offense. In all fairness, the 49ers did a solid job in keeping the Rams’ offense at bay, but there is a huge difference between covering against Austin Davis and Drew Brees. Add in the success that running back Mark Ingram has seen as of late, and this could mean the 49ers’ third consecutive loss.
While the Saints’ offense represent a real threat, their defense has been the weak point of this team. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick hasn’t been consistent but when he establishes a rhythm, it’s hard for any defense to contain him. Running backs Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde can also be dangerous but the Saints’ rushing defense has improved over the past couple of weeks. If the 49ers struggle to move the ball, the Saints may just embarrass them on Sunday.
Prediction: 34-21, Saints.
New York Giants @ Seattle Seahawks: So let’s get something straight, the Seahawks just faced the winless Raiders and now will take on the Giants at home? Is this an early Christmas present from the NFL? Ok, so maybe the Giants aren’t as mediocre as the Raiders, but if the Seahawks are truly ready to become defenders instead of pretenders, they absolutely must win this game. Russell Wilson must perform better than his 179-yard performance against the Raiders. Also, having running back Marshawn Lynch continuously pounding the ball wouldn’t hurt either.
The Giants, on the other hand, need to protect quarterback Eli Manning and the receivers need to catch the ball. The Seahawks will take advantage of missed opportunities and their opportunistic secondary is more than capable of creating turnovers. It isn’t clear if running back Rashad Jennings will be able to suit up on Sunday, but if he can go and the Giants can get their ground game going, it could be a close game. All in all, it might be too tough to capture a win at CenturyLink Field.
Prediction: 27-13, Seahawks.
St. Louis Rams @ Arizona Cardinals: I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed in myself for choosing the 49ers last week. Although the re-emergence of “Sack City” is promising, I’m not sure the defensive front alone will be enough to stop the red-hot Cardinals. Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has been on a tear lately, and he has resurrected receiver Larry Fitzgerald after having a quiet first half. Since Palmer’s return in Week 6, Fitzgerald has averaged six receptions for 87 yards. This could pose a real problem for an inexperienced Rams’ secondary.
The Cardinals, by any means, cannot afford to sleep on the Rams. The Rams may hold the worst record in the division, but they can make teams pay for overlooking them, just ask the 49ers and the Seahawks. That said, the Rams’ offense needs some work. The injuries have piled up and they may have won last week, but that was more of a defensive effort. Quarterback Austin Davis showed his youth and made some rookie mistakes. If the Cardinals apply pressure to Davis, he might just repeat last week’s performance with probably disappointing results this time around. An x-factor in this game may rest on the shoulder pads of rookie running back Tre Mason. If he has a huge game, the Rams may be able to score a victory over all three NFC West teams, but it’s still a long shot nevertheless.
Prediction: 30-17, Cardinals.
Source: ESPN.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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There was nothing but exciting smashmouth football in Week 9’s NFC West games, which makes Week 10 that much more intriguing. The Arizona Cardinals improved their record to a league-best 7-1 with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys, the St. Louis Rams won a defensive war against the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks survived the winless Oakland Raiders.
Here’s a look at Week 10’s NFC West games:
San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints: From here on out it doesn’t get any easier for the 49ers, and last week’s loss to the Rams could spell disaster for the rest of the season. They must now travel to New Orleans to face the high-flying Saints offense. In all fairness, the 49ers did a solid job in keeping the Rams’ offense at bay, but there is a huge difference between covering against Austin Davis and Drew Brees. Add in the success that running back Mark Ingram has seen as of late, and this could mean the 49ers’ third consecutive loss.
While the Saints’ offense represent a real threat, their defense has been the weak point of this team. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick hasn’t been consistent but when he establishes a rhythm, it’s hard for any defense to contain him. Running backs Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde can also be dangerous but the Saints’ rushing defense has improved over the past couple of weeks. If the 49ers struggle to move the ball, the Saints may just embarrass them on Sunday.
Prediction: 34-21, Saints.
New York Giants @ Seattle Seahawks: So let’s get something straight, the Seahawks just faced the winless Raiders and now will take on the Giants at home? Is this an early Christmas present from the NFL? Ok, so maybe the Giants aren’t as mediocre as the Raiders, but if the Seahawks are truly ready to become defenders instead of pretenders, they absolutely must win this game. Russell Wilson must perform better than his 179-yard performance against the Raiders. Also, having running back Marshawn Lynch continuously pounding the ball wouldn’t hurt either.
The Giants, on the other hand, need to protect quarterback Eli Manning and the receivers need to catch the ball. The Seahawks will take advantage of missed opportunities and their opportunistic secondary is more than capable of creating turnovers. It isn’t clear if running back Rashad Jennings will be able to suit up on Sunday, but if he can go and the Giants can get their ground game going, it could be a close game. All in all, it might be too tough to capture a win at CenturyLink Field.
Prediction: 27-13, Seahawks.
St. Louis Rams @ Arizona Cardinals: I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed in myself for choosing the 49ers last week. Although the re-emergence of “Sack City” is promising, I’m not sure the defensive front alone will be enough to stop the red-hot Cardinals. Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has been on a tear lately, and he has resurrected receiver Larry Fitzgerald after having a quiet first half. Since Palmer’s return in Week 6, Fitzgerald has averaged six receptions for 87 yards. This could pose a real problem for an inexperienced Rams’ secondary.
The Cardinals, by any means, cannot afford to sleep on the Rams. The Rams may hold the worst record in the division, but they can make teams pay for overlooking them, just ask the 49ers and the Seahawks. That said, the Rams’ offense needs some work. The injuries have piled up and they may have won last week, but that was more of a defensive effort. Quarterback Austin Davis showed his youth and made some rookie mistakes. If the Cardinals apply pressure to Davis, he might just repeat last week’s performance with probably disappointing results this time around. An x-factor in this game may rest on the shoulder pads of rookie running back Tre Mason. If he has a huge game, the Rams may be able to score a victory over all three NFC West teams, but it’s still a long shot nevertheless.
Prediction: 30-17, Cardinals.
Source: ESPN.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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