Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season is officially upon us. There will now be an NFL game scheduled every Sunday through February until the bye week heading into the Super Bowl. It is music to the ears of football fans, as they cannot wait to see their favorite teams back on the field. Some teams are expected to do better than others this season, and the NFC West is one of the divisions that will have the fiercest competition.
The Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks can all make legitimate claims as to why they should be division champions. You can even go a step further and say they could all be contenders in the NFC to make the Super Bowl.
With that being said, let’s take a look at how each team in the NFC West will fare in their Week 1 matchups.
Arizona Cardinals
Week 1 will present an opportunity for each of them to get off on the right foot. For some, that will be easier said than done. The Cardinals have the toughest matchup in Week 1 out of the division. They will be traveling to take on the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Arizona will have their hands full trying to slow down the two-time rushing champion, Derrick Henry. The Titans passing game was also bolstered with the addition of Julio Jones, giving Ryan Tannehill two excellent targets to throw the ball to.
The Cardinals have a high-paced offense of their own, which will lead to a fun game. But, Arizona will fall short, as Tennessee will prevail in their home opener, 31-27.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks will also be traveling on the road but will be facing the Indianapolis Colts. It is one of the better matchups of Week 1, but with so much uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position in Indianapolis, Seattle will prevail with Russell Wilson under center, 27-20.
This is one of the top NFL games of the weekend and fans should make sure to tune in.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams will be playing the first Sunday Night Football game of the season, as they will be hosting the Chicago Bears at SoFi Stadium. It will be the debut of Matthew Stafford, who was acquired from the Detroit Lions this offseason.
Stafford will have an excellent debut offensively, while the Rams’ defense will prove too much for Andy Dalton and the Bears’ offense. The Justin Fields watch will heat up a little bit more, as Los Angeles will win 27-13.
San Francisco 49ers
The final matchup of the weekend involving the NFC West is the 49ers traveling to take on the Lions. Detroit is in the early stages of a rebuild, but they will surprise some people this season. Their first surprise will come in Week 1 when they defeat the 49ers at Ford Field.
Detroit isn’t like the usual rebuilding teams, as Jared Goff has played at a high level before. D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson are great weapons, but it will be the offensive line that mauls San Francisco in the trenches and helps Detroit score just enough to squeak out a win.
The Lions will win 20-17, as Trey Lance will start to put heat on Jimmy Garoppolo after he has a multiple-turnover performance in Week 1. San Francisco will have to rebound from this tough loss to prove they are legitimate contenders in the 2021 NFL season.
