Rest of the NFC West, Week 7: The 49ers are in last (for now)

For the rare in-season Sundays where we don’t have to expose ourselves to the constant stress of watching Seahawks football, I at least hope for some exciting games, and some in-division losses. Unfortunately, this Sunday didn’t provide a whole lot of that, although we were once again blessed with a 49ers loss. First, let’s briefly touch on the Cardinals’ easy win over the Texans.

Cardinals correct slow start to dominate Texans, 31-5

Midway through the second quarter, things were looking a little rough for the usually-potent Cardinals offense; Kyler Murray and crew had only managed to build a 7-5 lead. However, 10 points late in the second half gave the Cardinals a nice cushion headed into the break, which they were able to expand on later in the game thanks to dominant performances on the ground from Chase Edmonds and James Conner.

The Cardinals took care of business in this game, scoring more than 30 points for the sixth time out of 7 games to start the season. We didn’t learn a whole lot about them in this game, aside from the fact that new addition Zach Ertz still has a little left in the tank; the former Eagle pulled in a 47-yard strike from Kyler Murray in the third quarter to help build on the Cardinals’ advantage.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this game was the final score, which produced a Scorigami. For those of you unaware of the concept, a Scorigami occurs when a game ends in a score that has never been seen before in NFL history. And when a team manages just 5 points in a game, the chance of a Scorigami is fairly high.

Rams outlast feisty Lions in Goff revenge game, 28-19

For a time, this game looked surprisingly similar to the Jets’ miracle upset of the Rams last year, but Matthew Stafford and the Rams held on late thanks to a Jared Goff interception. Once again, the Rams defense proved to be suspect, as Detroit’s running backs found success all day on the ground and through the air— the first score of the game was a 63-yard screen pass from Jared Goff to Deandre Swift.

I think I actually learned more about the Lions from this game than the Rams. This team seems to give an effort which isn’t quite compatible with its 0-7 record, and I would bookmark their late-season matchup with Seattle as a potential season-spoiler for the ‘Hawks (on the off-chance that we’re in position to make the playoffs at that point anyways).

Niners fall to last in the division after home loss to Colts

The Niners looked ready to dominate after marching down the field with ease on their first drive; Elijah Mitchell had already cracked 80 yards on the ground, and the Niners were taking it to Darius Leonard and the Colts defense. Three quarters later, they had managed just 12 points, and found themselves trailing to Carson Wentz and the Colts 20-12. The game had been an absolute mess; thanks to the pouring rain, the two teams had combined for four lost fumbles, and most yardage was being gained on the ground. The Niners finally found success in the play action game, and cut the lead to two late, but a Jimmy Garoppolo interception sealed their fate (as usual).

The Niners defense was exposed by Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for over 100 yards on the night. The 49ers offense was not helped by the weather conditions, but they once again were unable to find a way to involve Brandon Aiyuk, which has been a troubling trend for the team. Overall, the Niners continued to look like the below-average team they’ve been this year. Perhaps the dumpster fire in Santa Clara will be the silver-lining in our nearly lost season. I wouldn’t mind that.

Standings

Arizona Cardinals - 7-0 (2-0 DIV)

Los Angeles Rams - 6-1 (1-1 DIV)

Seattle Seahawks - 2-4 (1-1 DIV)

San Francisco 49ers - 2-4 (0-2 DIV)

Next week

Los Angeles Rams at Houston Texans

Seattle Seahawks vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Arizona Cardinals vs Green Bay Packers (TNF)

San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears