Panelists Split on Seahawks-Rams Race Atop NFC West

The NFC West is shaping up as a two-team race between the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams, according to the three co-hosts of First Things First. Nick Wright and Danny Parkins each picked Seattle to repeat as division champion, while Chris Broussard sided with Los Angeles, citing the offseason return of Aaron Donald alongside newly acquired Myles Garrett.

Seattle enters the season looking to defend its title behind quarterback Sam Darnold, who is coming off a Super Bowl-winning campaign. The Seahawks will do so without running back Kenneth Walker, last season's Super Bowl MVP, a loss all three panelists acknowledged as significant. The Rams, meanwhile, bolstered their defensive front by adding Garrett and safety Trent McDuffie, while Donald came out of retirement to pair with Garrett on the defensive line alongside returning quarterback Matthew Stafford. waterpolo betting

Wright projected the Seahawks to finish 14-3, arguing Darnold could play even better after winning a championship. He placed the Rams second at 11-6, saying Los Angeles is "due" for a strong record but won't match external expectations. Broussard, by contrast, ranked the Rams first and the Seahawks second, suggesting a title hangover is natural after a Super Bowl run. Parkins broke a tie between the two by leaning on Seattle's postseason dominance last season, including playoff wins over San Francisco and a Super Bowl victory over New England, calling the Seahawks the "forgotten champion."

All three panelists placed the San Francisco 49ers third and the Arizona Cardinals last. San Francisco's ranking was tied to a wave of injuries last season and the departure of former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, though Parkins noted the 49ers still won 12 games and reached the NFC Divisional round despite missing Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall for stretches, and predicted they'd return to the playoffs after adding wide receiver Mike Evans. Broussard and Wright were less optimistic, questioning San Francisco's receiving corps and defensive continuity without Saleh. Arizona, coming off a 3-14 finish, was unanimously picked to finish last again, with Wright citing what he called the league's toughest schedule. Broussard and Parkins pointed to individual talents - receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., tight end Trey McBride and rookie Jeremiyah Love - as reasons for optimism, even as they conceded the roster lacks depth elsewhere.