As part of an ongoing 8-part series, the Steel City Underground team takes their stab at predicting the 2017 NFL season.

This edition focuses on the NFC West.

	Joe	Brian	Tina	Tommy	Mike	Terry
1	SEA	SEA	SEA	SEA	SEA	ARI
2	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	SEA
3	LAR	LAR	LAR	LAR	LAR	SF
4	SF	SF	SF	SF	SF	LAR

Here’s some commentary justifying everyone’s picks:

Joe

Seattle keeps wheeling and dealing to maintain the status quo. Russell Wilson helps this team rise above Arizona, who I feel could be on the decline.

The Rams should be about the same this season. Coaching changes are for the better, but a lack of consistency keeps them in limbo.

Ditto for San Francisco, though their young bodies should help them do maybe a bit better this year.

Brian

It’s possible that Bruce Arians pulls the last gasp out of Carson Palmer and the Cardinals bounce back to take this division. They have a good defense, maybe even a great one, but so does Seattle and they have a better offense, and a more dynamic player at the QB position, so I lean towards Seattle taking the crown.

The Rams might be better (and Nate will cry if they aren’t), but it will depend on if they really have a QB or not. Regardless, I don’t see them making any real push towards the top of the division.

The Niners made some good moves int he draft and I think they are on their way back, but they need help on that offense and especially at QB. Another year in the basement will get them more ammunition to rebuild in next years draft.

Tina

Seattle will ride Russ Wilson and a tough D to first place but I expect the Cardinals to push hard to make their presence known, but whether Carson Palmer can get them over the top is questionable. David Johnson produces, but if Larry Fitzgerald and Patrick Peterson are the only “stars” who shine, Ariens will spend the postseason on a golf course.

The Rams and Niners could almost be as equally awful in 2017 as each other, but the tiebreaker goes to Sean McVey over Kyle Shanahan in 2017 as the two fight to create productive offenses under tough conditions at several positions, starting with QB. Rams’ ‘D’ won’t peter out as quick as Niners’ do this season, but both will be gut-punched when their offenses falter or completely stall out.

Tommy

It’s hard to see the NFC West stirring up too much this year. The Seahawks still possess a dangerous defense and the best quarterback in the division. First place is theirs to lose. The Cardinals are the clear second place favorites with a competitive offense and defense, though they may not be good enough to compete for a wildcard spot this year. The Rams are a distant third with an offense that has been amongst the worst in the NFL. They may improve on last year’s four-win performance, but not by much.

The 49ers, despite getting one of the best head coaches and offensive minds in the league this offseason in Kyle Shanahan, still have a lot of catching up to do. There’s a chance they overtake the Rams, but they are a long way from competing.

Mike

The NFC West is simply going to the Seahawks. The defense is still strong and Russell Wilson is a very good QB who knows how to win games. I see the Cardinals finishing second but way behind the Seahawks. Carson Palmer is done but the defense is still good.  The Rams will finish third because the 49ers, who will finish last are awful.

Terry

I

I’m going to go out on a limb here and take Cardinals as my worst to first team. Larry Fitzgerald and Carson Palmer are in the final stages of their careers so they will be playing with a sense of urgency.

The Seahawks will finish strong as always but will they make it to a Super Bowl? Not sure.

Living in So Cal I’ve seen the Rams practice and they are a defensive team: not offensive. LA is shaky at quarterback, so I think the 49ers squeak by them with their better offense for third place in the division.