Many already considered the NFC West to be the best division in football before the season even started. Now, seven weeks into the season, all four teams sit above .500. Shockingly, last year's division winners and the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers sit in last place within the division — at 4-3.
The last-place 49ers' record would be good enough for first place in the NFC East, good enough for second place in two other divisions, and the third-best record in three others. Ahead of them are three teams with five wins — the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Los Angeles Rams. On Sunday, San Francisco will get its first shot at knocking off the Seahawks.
The combined winning percentage of .704 within the NFC West is tied for the second-highest combined winning percentage for a division through seven weeks of play since the 1970 merger, according to Elias Sports Bureau and ESPN Stats and Info (h/t to Rams Wire). It trails only the 1984 AFC West, which owned a .714 winning percentage through seven weeks.
After the Rams win on MNF, the NFC West now has a combined .704 win percentage (19-8 combined record).
That's tied for the 2nd-highest combined win percentage for a division through 7 weeks since the 1970 merger, trailing only the 1984 AFC West (25-10).
h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/oCtZtLPIuD
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 27, 2020
Only one other division, the AFC North, has more than two teams with records above .500. With expanded playoffs down the road, it's not inconceivable to wonder if all four teams from the NFC West could potentially earn postseason play.
Of course, a lot could change between now and the end of the regular season. The 49ers have only faced two division opponents so far and are 1-1 in those games. They still face the Seahawks twice, and the Rams and Cardinals on the road.