It’s early, but the NFC West looks like one of the best divisions in the NFL.
The San Francisco 49ers are 3-0. Right behind them, the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals are all 2-1. Every team has a positive point differential, the only division in the NFL that can claim that. That makes every divisional game a bit more important.
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We have a good matchup for Thursday night. The Seahawks, who have won their last two games by a combined score of 75-30 after a close loss to the 49ers in the opener, travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals. Arizona’s only loss is also to the 49ers, after it started the season 2-0.
There are plenty of storylines in this game. Sam Darnold got off to a slow start for the Seahawks but has been very good for his new team during the two-game winning streak. In Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s second season his defense looks much improved. On the Cardinals side, can the combo of Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. find some consistency?
The Cardinals and Seahawks aren’t among the NFL’s marquee teams, but it should be a fun game to kick off Week 4.
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals are looking to improve to 3-1 with a win on Thursday night. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
(Norm Hall via Getty Images)
Who needs it more?
Both teams are 2-1 with a loss to the 49ers, a win over the Saints and a Week 2 win over a middle-of-the-road opponent (the Seahawks beat the Steelers while the Cardinals knocked off the Panthers). Given the similarities between their early-season resumes, it’s hard to say who needs it more. Neither team wants to fall to 2-2, which will be last place in the NFC West after Thursday night. We’ll give a slight edge in this category to the Cardinals because it’s a home game for them; it will be hard to win the rematch at Seattle and they’re trying to move ahead without James Conner, a key piece for them. Arizona might need it a little more, but whoever wins will feel good at 3-1 about their chances of competing for an NFC West title.
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Key player: Cardinals RB Trey Benson
The Cardinals love James Conner. When they signed him to a two-year, $19 million extension late last season, they spoke highly of his dependability and leadership as a tone setter for a mostly young Cardinals team. Losing him to a season-ending ankle injury hurts. But we have seen glimpses of a Benson breakout in his second season. He is averaging six yards per attempt, has eight catches and was eating into Conner’s role due to his explosiveness. Now Benson gets to be the unquestioned starter. The Cardinals don’t have much quality depth behind him, so he’ll get plenty of snaps and touches. Benson isn’t just a big factor for this game, but the rest of the season as a whole. He needs to make up for Conner’s lost production for the Cardinals’ offense to remain viable.
Betting market watch, by Ben Fawkes
The Seahawks opened as a small underdog in this game, but they’ve flipped to a 1.5-point favorite at BetMGM and public bettors are backing Seattle. The Cardinals looking sloppy again in a loss to an injured Mac Jones-led 49ers team likely didn’t instill a ton of confidence in Arizona for bettors. Plenty of secondary issues for Arizona, along with losing James Conner for the season also don’t help. Both teams are 2-1 straight up and against the spread. This is a huge early game in the NFC West and playoff race.
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Check out more of Ben’s work at the Yahoo Sports betting hub.
Week 4 kicks off with a fun game, with the Seahawks visiting the Cardinals. Both teams are 2–1, part of an NFC West that’s off to a 9-3 collective start, the best in football. Here are three fantasy themes to watch for:
• What does Trey Benson look like as Arizona’s starter? Benson came on at the end of 2024 and was seeing increased work even before James Conner got hurt. Now Benson is a likely bell cow with Conner out for the year.
• Can anything stop Jaxon Smith-Njigba? JSN had a breakout sophomore year, but he’s been other-worldly this season, off to a 22-323-1 start. His first-read target share is an unheard of 50%.
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• Which Kenneth Walker do we see? Walker marked his territory with a snappy 13-105-1 game in Week 2 at Pittsburgh, but he averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in his other two starts. The Seattle offensive line has not played well, either.
Check out more of Scott’s work at the Yahoo Sports fantasy hub.