There are numerous questions surrounding the NFC West in the NFL. The 2023 San Francisco 49ers are projected to be the leaders in the West, but it will not be an easy task. The 49ers need to be able to keep their quarterback healthy while the rest of the teams in the NFC West have their own issues as well. In 2022, the 49ers went undefeated against their NFC West opponents. There is a chance they can do it again, but will they? Here is a look at how the 2023 San Francisco 49ers will do against the NFC West.
2023 San Francisco 49ers vs. the NFC West
There is a solid chance that the 49ers will win the NFC West in 2023. It may not be a cakewalk, it rarely is, but with the team that they have, they should be able to. Even with the uncertainty around the quarterback position in 2022, the 49ers went 6-0. To do that while going through three quarterbacks is impressive. Their offense is starting off better in 2023 than it did in 2022, which will give San Francisco an extra edge.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel (19) – Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
It will be a quick start for the West. In week two of the season, the 49ers will face the Rams. Los Angeles won just five games in 2022. This caused many to count them out, but it will be important for San Francisco to take this seriously. The Rams were decimated by injuries in 2022 and as of now, are set to be healthy to start the season. This means that team that won the Super Bowl will be back, at least one similar to that year’s team.
That being said, the 49ers have swept them three years in a row, which includes 2021, when the Rams won it all. The two will face each other again in the final week of the season. It could have major playoff implications, including seeding. Last year the 49ers ended up the number two seed, but just like every team, they will want to be the first in 2023.
The next NFC West opponent this 2023 San Francisco team will face is the Arizona Cardinals. This is just two weeks after they faced the Rams for the first time. There is so much unknown about the Cardinals. The 49ers should definitely have the edge in this game. The most important thing for the 49ers will be to not treat it like a trap game. In December of 2022, Arizona’s quarterback, Kyler Murray went down for the season. In January, he had ACL surgery, and not much has been said about when he will be returning.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) is tackled by Arizona Cardinals tight end Darrell Daniels (81) and linebacker Tanner Vallejo (51) – Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
In addition to the unknown about Murray, the team lost two key players. Defensive lineman J.J. Watt retired following the 2022 season. This will be a big hit to their defense. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was also released during the off-season. This means not only did the Cardinals lose a big defensive player, but they lost their key playmaker on offense as well. This is all in addition to having a new head coach, which always brings on more questions.
The 2023 San Francisco 49ers should be able to sweep the Cardinals between the defense they have and the number of weapons they have on offense. The two will face each other again in week 14, and perhaps Murray will be back by then.
It will not be until Thanksgiving when the 2023 San Francisco 49ers face the Seattle Seahawks. While the 49ers did sweep them in 2022, it was not easy. The game will be in Seattle on holiday, which means the crowd will be loud. Seattle also had a strong draft, which adds to a team that did make playoffs in 2022. San Francisco not only swept the Seahawks in the regular season, the 49ers defeated them in the Wild Card round as well.
Seattle will want to take the 49ers down, but this 2023 San Francisco team will also want to make sure they take care of the NFC West through their hunger for a Super Bowl. The two face each other again just two weeks later. Luckily, the 49ers will be back home by then after two weeks away.
49ers TE George Kittle (85) – Steph Chambers/Getty Images
2023 San Francisco 49ers NFC West Prediction
In all honesty, the 2023 San Francisco 49ers could go undefeated in the NFC West again this season. The official prediction in the West is that the 49ers will go 6-0. The one game that has a high possibility to change this is the Thanksgiving game against the Seattle Seahawks. This will be the first time the team’s faced since the 49ers beat them in playoffs, and it is in Seattle.
That is a really tough game for San Francisco. The 49ers can definitely win if healthy, but it will be a battle. It is also a big ask for the 49ers to sweep the Rams for a fourth year in a row. That is not a common thing to happen, but it is possible.
As long as the 2023 San Francisco 49ers stay healthy and never doubt an opponent, there is no reason that they should not keep winning. This is a strong and complete team. Even with some of their questionable positions, such as the offensive line, the team should be able to get by. There is no reason to believe the 49ers will not control the NFC West in 2023.
