Photo courtesy of Richard Ericsson via flickr.com

Heading into the 2016 season, the NFC West seems to be a two-horse race. With Arizona and Seattle headlining the conference, Los Angeles and San Francisco will look to spoil the fates of the two juggernauts. Seattle has consistently been one of the best NFC teams recently, and Arizona has built a very quiet powerhouse in the desert. Teams should really take notice of them.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are an early Super Bowl favorite in the eyes of many. Led by veteran quarterback Carson Palmer and veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the Cards will look to build off of last year’s performance that ranked the team second in the NFL in total offense. The club will undoubtedly be a threat not only to finish atop the NFC West, but also to raise the Lombardi trophy in February.

Key Acqusitons: Evan Mathis, Robert Nikemdiche (Draft)

Key Departures: Rashad Jennings

Prediction: 12-4

Seattle Seahawks

QB Russell Wilson and the Seahawks enter the season coming off of a 10-6 campaign that ended with a divisional round loss to the Carolina Panthers. The club lost star running back Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch in the offseason, but look for them to continue to dominate opponents on the defensive side of the ball. Safeties Kam “Big Hit” Chancellor and Earl Thomas anchor a core of defensive backs that are probably the best in the NFL. The Hawks are a force to be reckoned with in the west.

Key Acquisations: Brandon Browner, Ifedi Germain (Draft)

Key Departures: Bruce Irvin, Russell Okung

Prediction: 11-4

Los Angeles Rams

Football is back in Los Angeles! The Rams roll into LA on the back of RB Todd Gurley, and have to hope he performs well enough to push the franchise into the win column more often this year. Additionally, many eyes will be on first overall pick QB Jared Goff. Although he will not open the year as starter, he could see time at some point during season. The Rams are buying their time until they open a brand new stadium in L.A. in 2019.

Key Acqusitions: Jared Goff (Draft)

Key Departures: Nick Fairley, Janoris Jenkins, Rodney McLeod

Prediction:   4-12

San Francisco 49ers

The Niners have been in the news for all of the wrong reasons lately. After quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem in August, media has swarmed the team. On the field, San Fran has many holes. If there were a team that could have zero wins on the year, it would be this team. The club will look to play spoiler as they rebuild for the future.

Key Acquisitions: DeForest Buckner (Draft)

Key Departures: Alex Boone

Prediction: 2-14