NFC West Preview: Return of injured players will propel 49ers from last to first

1. San Francisco 49ers

Coach: Kyle Shanahan (fifth twelvemonth — 29-35 regular season, 2-1 playoffs).

2020 record: 6-10 (fourth successful NFC West).

Defensive play-caller: Coordinator DeMeco Ryans (first year).

Best player/best newcomer connected defense: DE Nick Bosa/OLB Samson Ebukam. Bosa, the 2nd wide prime successful 2019, had a sensational rookie twelvemonth (nine sacks and 47 tackles), but tore his ACL successful Week 2 past year. Ebukam joins the 49ers from the Rams, wherever helium had 14 sacks successful 64 games.

Key statistic: 207.9 — passing yards allowed per crippled past year, fourth-fewest successful the NFL.

Why they’ll decorativeness first: The 49ers can’t beryllium ravaged by injuries arsenic overmuch arsenic they were past year, right? That’s what we’re banking on. If Bosa, choky extremity George Kittle and backmost Jimmy Garoppolo enactment steadfast San Francisco has a accidental to spell from past to first. A afloat play of near tackle Trent Williams and the accomplishment of halfway Alex Mack volition assistance the offense.

2. Seattle Seahawks

Rick Scuteri, The Associated Press

Seattle Seahawks backmost Russell Wilson (3) warms up earlier an NFL preseason shot crippled against the Las Vegas Raiders, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, successful Las Vegas.

Coach: Pete Carroll (12th twelvemonth — 112-63-1 regular season, 10-8 playoffs; 16th twelvemonth overall, 145-94-1 regular season, 11-10 playoffs).

2020 record: 12-4 (first successful NFC West; mislaid to L.A. Rams successful Wild Card Round).

Defensive play-caller: Coordinator Ken Norton (fourth year).

Best player/best newcomer connected defense: S Jamal Adams/CB Ahkello Witherspoon. Adams has made 3 consecutive Pro Bowls and was acquired by Seattle past twelvemonth from the New York Jets for a bundle that included 2 first-round picks. Adams had 9 1/2 sacks. Witherspoon started 33 games for San Francisco the past 4 years (four interceptions).

Key statistic: 1,112 — antiaircraft plays past year, astir successful the league.

Why they’ll decorativeness second: They’re not bully capable defensively. The Seahawks were 31st stopping the walk past twelvemonth (285 yards) and were 27th connected 3rd down (47.1%). They responded by signing Witherspoon. Offensively, backmost Russell Wilson volition proceed to beryllium battered due to the fact that Seattle inactive can’t get its violative enactment figured out.

3. Los Angeles Rams

Kelvin Kuo, The Associated Press

Los Angeles Rams antiaircraft extremity Aaron Donald warms up during an NFL shot grooming campy signifier successful Irvine, Calif., Saturday, July 31, 2021.

Coach: Sean McVay (fifth twelvemonth — 43-21 regular season, 3-3 playoffs).

2020 record: 10-6 (second successful NFC West; mislaid astatine Green Bay successful Divisional Round).

Defensive play-caller: Coordinator Raheem Morris (first year).

Best player/best newcomer connected defense: DL Aaron Donald/DT Bobby Brown. Donald is 1 of the astir ascendant players successful NFL past — six consecutive All-Pro selections and 85 1/2 sacks successful 110 vocation games. The 321-pound Brown is simply a fourth-round rookie who had 7 1/2 tackles for mislaid yardage past twelvemonth for Texas A&M.

Key statistic: 18.5 — points allowed per crippled past year, fewest successful the league.

Why they’ll decorativeness third: A top-heavy wage chart, which means small depth, volition outgo the Rams. Their borderline for mistake is razor thin. Lose backmost Matthew Stafford oregon Donald oregon cornerback Jalen Ramsey oregon receiver Cooper Kupp and the Rams are toast. They mislaid moving backmost Cam Akers earlier campy started. Regardless, ticker the Rams to ticker Donald, a genuinely peculiar player.

4. Arizona Cardinals

Ross D. Franklin, The Associated Press

An injured Arizona Cardinals antiaircraft extremity J.J. Watt, left, stands adjacent to Cardinals antiaircraft extremity Chandler Jones (55) during NFL shot grooming campy practice, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, successful Glendale, Ariz.

Coach: Kliff Kingsbury (third twelvemonth — 13-18-1 regular season).

2020 record: 8-8 (third successful NFC West).

Defensive play-caller: Coordinator Vance Joseph (third year).

Best player/best newcomer connected defense: S Budda Baker/DE J.J. Watt. Baker has 441 tackles successful 4 years and yet broke his interception drought with the archetypal 2 of his vocation past year. A three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Watt has posted double-digit sacks lone erstwhile successful the past 5 years.

Key statistic: 71.9% — blitz complaint past year, 2nd successful the league.

Why they’ll decorativeness fourth: The Cardinals, contempt the additions of Watt and receiver A.J. Green (Who knows what they person left?), won’t determination the needle capable to get them implicit .500. Quarterback Kyler Murray is dynamic and helium has plentifulness of receivers to propulsion to, but their play volition unravel successful Weeks 4-6 (at the Rams, vs. San Francisco and astatine Cleveland).