“If the Cardinals take the next step — and there’s reason to believe they can — the NFC West could turn into a four-team slugfest,” Sikkema wrote. “Kyler Murray quietly posted his second-highest big-time throw rate (4.7%) in 2024 while keeping his turnover-worthy play percentage at a career-low 2.4%. With the defensive reinforcements Arizona added this offseason, they’re well-positioned to push for a 10-win campaign.

“The Rams remain one of the toughest outs in the league, and if not for the blizzard in their playoff game against the Eagles, they might have been on their way to the NFC Championship Game. Seattle faces more uncertainty, with Sam Darnold stepping in at quarterback and no D.K. Metcalf in the receiving corps. As for the 49ers, health will be the biggest variable, but one key area they addressed was the run defense, which ranked 28th in the NFL last year in terms of run-defense grade. Their draft class should go a long way toward correcting that.”

The Rams’ first divisional matchup doesn’t come until a Week 5 showdown with the 49ers on Thursday night. Oddly enough, the 49ers’ games are both in the first 10 weeks of the season, while the Cardinals’ games aren’t until the final five weeks of the season.