NFC West full of mediocre teams

Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz.

Well, somebody has to win the NFC West, where mediocrity would be an improvement.

There is an increasingly strong possibility that the champion will have a losing record.

Not only that, a 7-9 St. Louis or Seattle or San Francisco team could wind up hosting a first-round playoff game against a team that has won 10 or 11 games, maybe more.

That potentially embarrassing scenario results from an NFL rule that guarantees each division champion a home playoff game.

With five weeks to go, Seattle and St. Louis are tied for first at 5-6, with San Francisco 4-7 and Arizona 3-8.

As Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck put it, “Yeah, it’s weird.”

In games outside their division, NFC West teams are 10-20. Only St. Louis is respectable at 4-4.

The coaches of the four NFC West teams don’t like to talk about the sorry state of their division. They’re understandably consumed by trying to right their respective ships.

“I don’t know. It’s hard for me to speculate on that,” Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said on Tuesday when asked if he thought the division winner would have a losing record.

The Cardinals, winners of the NFC West the past two seasons, are mired in a six-game losing streak and were embarrassed on national television in a 27-6 home loss to San Francisco on Monday night.

St. Louis could have the best shot at finishing above .500. After going 6-42 the past three seasons and 1-15 last year, the Rams are on the rise under second-year coach Steve Spagnuolo and rookie quarterback Sam Bradford. They play three of their last five against NFC West opponents. A sweep there and St. Louis could lose to Kansas City and New Orleans and still finish 8-8. It could come down to the regular-season finale at Seattle on Jan 2.

Seattle has allowed 76 points in its last two games, losses at New Orleans and at home against Kansas City. On the positive side, the Seahawks have a home game against the Carolina Panthers, whose only win this season was against, of course, an NFC West foe — 23-20 over San Francisco. But the Seahawks have Atlanta at home and are at Tampa Bay. Seattle might have to sweep San Francisco and St. Louis to climb to .500.

San Francisco was the preseason favorite but started 0-5. The 49ers have won three of four since Troy Smith became starting quarterback but have lost star running back Frank Gore for the season with a hip injury. They would have to finish 4-1 to get to 8-8.