NFL Preseason Predictions: West Divisions

Photo from the Seattle Seahawks

We save the best for last, and these two divisions do truly seem to be the best in football.

You could go many different ways in terms of who wins the division and who makes the playoffs.

But this is how I see it playing out.

AFC West

4. Las Vegas Raiders (No Playoffs)

The Raiders had high expectations last year with Geno Smith and Pete Carroll joining the fold.

It went pretty terribly.

Now, with new head coach Klint Kubiak and first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders are going the patient route.

Mendoza is likely not going to play and will sit behind Kirk Cousins to just get his feet wet in the NFL, and the Raiders will let Kubiak build over multiple years.

So the Raiders probably won’t be good.

But that’s ok this time around.

3. Los Angeles Chargers (#7 Seed)

In terms of talent? This is probably the best team in the division.

They even added Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, which is extremely exciting for Justin Herbert and that offense.

In terms of the fact that they are the Los Angeles Chargers? There will likely be devastating injuries that affect the season, lose them some games, and finds them in a Wild Card spot come playoff time.

But making the playoffs isn’t the issue.

It’s how they perform in the playoffs that matters the most.

2. Denver Broncos (#5 Seed)

You know what?

I kind of need to mention the top seed before I talk about the Broncos. Give me a second.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (#3 Seed)

Two years ago, the Chiefs went 15-1, thanks to going 11-0 in one score games. That was obviously going to regress to the mean, and it did!

It regressed to them going 1-9 in one score games last season.

That’s too much regression. That’s absolutely going to swing back to the mean, and the Chiefs will likely be fine.

As for the Broncos, they went 11-2 in one score games last year.

The Broncos one score wins will regress. The Chiefs one score games record will likely progress.

Both teams are really good, and both teams are playoff teams.

But the data says we will have a different story in 2026.

NFC West

4. Arizona Cardinals (No Playoffs)

It took so long for the Cardinals to hire a coach this offseason that it seemed like people simply did not want to coach them at all.

Their journeyman QB Jacoby Brissett held out of training camp for a bit because he wanted a better contract.

This whole franchise is bad.

Ownership, the front office, the uniform, the stadium.

It stinks.

3. San Francisco 49ers (No Playoffs)

The Niners were one win away from the 1 seed in the playoffs even though they had a massive amount of injuries last year.

Now, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are back from catastrophic injuries, so they should be better, right?

Well, maybe.

But they did lose Robert Saleh, and the Niners defenses without Robert Saleh have not been the same level as they are with him, and the injury bug is already hitting again, with Ricky Pearsall having a knee issue that will force him out of the entire season.

They’re always one of the most injured teams, and the core is once again another year older.

If they stay healthy, they might be elite.

I just doubt they’ll stay healthy.

2. Seattle Seahawks (#5 Seed)

I think the Seahawks, on paper, are the second best team in football.

They have an excellent head coach, the defense is absolutely outstanding, they have a really good receiving room, and they replaced Klint Kubiak with new coordinator Brian Fleury, who comes from the exact same offensive system Kubiak used.

But they did lose Kubiak, they lost one of their two starting running backs and reigning Super Bowl MVP in Kenneth Walker to free agency, and their biggest rival in the conference went nuclear in terms of who they added.

If it takes some time for Fleury’s offense to come into its own and it drops the Seahawks a game early on, that might be one game too many to win the division.

1. Los Angeles Rams (#1 Seed)

The Rams were 4 points away from making, and probably winning, the Super Bowl last year.

In response to that, they went out and added Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Myles Garrett.

There are still things that could sink this.

Matt Stafford is pushing 40, Davante Adams is also getting up there in age, Puka Nacua had a messy offseason off the field, and, for some reason, the Rams special teams always seem to stink, which likely cost them a title last year.

But all in all? This team is like a team you build on Madden with force trades on and the salary cap off.

They are stacked, and they are rightfully the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year.