- In the NFC West Report, we keep you covered on the San Francisco 49ers divisional rivals.*
Through Week 5, only one team in the division owns a record above .500.
There is plenty of time to change that, of course, as just three of the scheduled 12 NFC West games have already taken place.
As San Francisco prepares to host the Baltimore Ravens, here's what's happening around the division.
Arizona Cardinals (4-1)
Week 5:42-17 win over the Detroit Lions.
Notes:Trailing by a touchdown after the first quarter, the Cardinals responded to outscore the Lions 28-0 in the second period. Carson Palmer only needed to throw 14 times on Sunday, and the veteran signal-caller racked up 161 yards and three touchdowns. Palmer leads the NFL in touchdown passes with 13 thus far. Backup quarterback Drew Stanton finished the game with the victory already secured. Chris Johnson ran for 103 yards while John Brown tallied four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Arizona continued to be a takeaway machine. The Cardinals forced six turnovers, including four interceptions. The unit ranks first in the league with 11 picks through Week 5. In their four wins, Arizona's average margin of victory has been 25.5 points. The Cardinals have also outscored their five opponents by 100 points. The last team with a point differential of 100-plus through five games were the 2007 New England Patriots, who went 16-0 in the regular season.
Week 6:Arizona visits the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) on Sunday.
St. Louis Rams (2-3)
Week 5:24-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers
Notes:The Rams defense accomplished something no team has done since December of 2012: intercept Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field. St. Louis actually did it twice, with James Laurinaitis and Trumaine Johnson each picking off the reigning NFL MVP. The Rams also forced a Rodgers fumble, but the three turnovers weren't enough for them to pull off the upset in Green Bay.
Nick Foles had a rough day at the office, completing just 11-of-30 passes for 141 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. The bright spot for St. Louis? After bursting onto the scene last week with 146 yards against the Cardinals, Todd Gurley shined again on Sunday to the tune of 159 yards on 30 carries versus the Packers. Among players with at least 33 rushing attempts this season, Gurley ranks second in yards per carry at 5.7 trailing only Colin Kaepernick (6.1).
Week 6:St. Louis has a bye.
Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
Week 5:27-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Notes:Ahead by 17 points in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks looked well on their way to defeating the unbeaten Bengals on the road. But Andy Dalton threw for a touchdown and ran for another before setting up a last-second field goal to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, Seattle possessed the ball twice but picked up just one first down. The Bengals then won on a 42-yard Mike Nugent field goal. The 17-point collapse tied for the largest blown lead in franchise history.
Marshawn Lynch missed his second game of the season with a hamstring injury, but his replacement, Thomas Rawls, carried the ball 23 times for 169 yards and a touchdown. Lynch is expected to return this week. Russell Wilson threw for 213 yards and a touchdown but threw an interception and was sacked four times. Through Week 5, Seattle is tied with Kansas City for most sacks allowed (22). The Seahawks surrendered 331 passing yards to Andy Dalton, 90 of which went to Tyler Eifert. The tight end also hauled in two touchdowns.
Week 6:Seattle hosts the Carolina Panthers (4-0) on Sunday.
