- NFC West
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NFC West Conference National Football Conference League National Football League Sport American Football Founded 1967 No. of teams 4 Most recent champion(s) Seattle Seahawks (5th title) Most titles San Francisco 49ers (17 titles) The NFC West is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks.
When the division was created after the AFL-NFL Merger in 1970, the division had the following four teams: Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers, basically being the old Coastal Division with a team substitution (the Saints replacing the Baltimore Colts), although Atlanta was far from a western city, and New Orleans as part of the west being debatable. When the Seattle Seahawks began play in 1976, they spent their first year in this division before moving to the AFC West the following year. In 1995, the new Carolina Panthers team was put into the NFC West. And even though the Rams moved to St. Louis that same year, they remained in this division (despite the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East being located further west), leaving just one team on the West Coast.
The 2002 re-alignment changed the entire look of the NFC West. The Falcons, Panthers, and Saints moved into the NFC South, while the Cardinals and Seahawks moved in. The Rams remained in the West, preserving the historical rivalry with the 49ers that has existed since 1950, and thus are currently the only team in the division that is located east of the Rocky Mountains (the Rams had played in Los Angeles from 1946-1994, thus contributing to the rivalry with the 49ers).
In 2010, the NFC West became the first division in NFL history to have a champion with a losing record, after the 2010 Seattle Seahawks won the division title with a record of 7-9.
Contents
Divisional lineups
- 1967-69
The Western Conference respectively divided into the Coastal and Central divisions. Atlanta moved in from the Eastern Conference. Also joining the Coastal Division are Baltimore, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
- 1970-75
- Atlanta Falcons
- Los Angeles Rams
- New Orleans Saints
- San Francisco 49ers
New Orleans Saints moved in from Capitol Division (now National Football Conference's East division, also known as NFC East) The Coastal Division is renamed National Football Conference's West division (or NFC West for short), due to the AFL-NFL Merger. Baltimore moved to the American Football Conference's East division (or AFC East for short).
- 1976
- Atlanta Falcons
- Los Angeles Rams
- New Orleans Saints
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks are enfranchised.
- 1977-94
- Atlanta Falcons
- Los Angeles Rams
- New Orleans Saints
- San Francisco 49ers
Seattle moved to AFC West.
- 1995-2001
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- St. Louis Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
L.A. Rams moved to St. Louis. Carolina Panthers are enfranchised.
- 2002-present
- Arizona Cardinals
- St. Louis Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
Atlanta, Carolina, and New Orleans moved to the NFC South division. Arizona moved in from NFC East, Seattle moved in from AFC West.
Division champions
Season Team Record Playoff Results 1970 San Francisco 49ers 10-3-1 Lost NFC Championship Game 1971 San Francisco 49ers 9-5-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1972 San Francisco 49ers 8-5-1 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1973 Los Angeles Rams 12-2-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1974 Los Angeles Rams 10-4-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1975 Los Angeles Rams 12-2-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1976 Los Angeles Rams 10-3-1 Lost NFC Championship Game 1977 Los Angeles Rams 10-4-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1978 Los Angeles Rams 12-4-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1979 Los Angeles Rams 9-7-0 Lost Super Bowl XIV 1980 Atlanta Falcons 12-4-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1981 San Francisco 49ers 13-3-0 Won Super Bowl XVI 1982* Atlanta Falcons 5-4-0 Lost NFC First Round 1983 San Francisco 49ers 10-6-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1984 San Francisco 49ers 15-1-0 Won Super Bowl XIX 1985 Los Angeles Rams 11-5-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1986 San Francisco 49ers 10-5-1 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1987 San Francisco 49ers 13-2-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1988 San Francisco 49ers 10-6-0 Won Super Bowl XXIII 1989 San Francisco 49ers 14-2-0 Won Super Bowl XXIV 1990 San Francisco 49ers 14-2-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1991 New Orleans Saints 11-5-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 1992 San Francisco 49ers 14-2-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1993 San Francisco 49ers 10-6-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1994 San Francisco 49ers 13-3-0 Won Super Bowl XXIX 1995 San Francisco 49ers 11-5-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1996 Carolina Panthers 12-4-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1997 San Francisco 49ers 13-3-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1998 Atlanta Falcons 14-2-0 Lost Super Bowl XXXIII 1999 St. Louis Rams 13-3-0 Won Super Bowl XXXIV 2000 New Orleans Saints 10-6-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 2001 St. Louis Rams 14-2-0 Lost Super Bowl XXXVI 2002 San Francisco 49ers 10-6-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 2003 St. Louis Rams 12-4-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 2004 Seattle Seahawks 9-7-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 2005 Seattle Seahawks 13-3-0 Lost Super Bowl XL 2006 Seattle Seahawks 9-7-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 2007 Seattle Seahawks 10-6-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 2008 Arizona Cardinals 9-7-0 Lost Super Bowl XLIII 2009 Arizona Cardinals 10-6-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 2010 Seattle Seahawks 7-9-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs *A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special sixteen-team playoff tournament for that year only. Division standings were ignored, and Atlanta had the best record of the division teams.
Wild Card qualifiers
Season Team Record Playoff Results 1970 None -- -- 1971 None -- -- 1972 None -- -- 1973 None -- -- 1974 None -- -- 1975 None -- -- 1976 None -- -- 1977 None -- -- 1978 Atlanta Falcons 9-7-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1979 None -- -- 1980 None -- -- 1981 None -- -- 1982* None -- -- 1983 Los Angeles Rams 9-7-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1984 Los Angeles Rams 10-6-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 1985 San Francisco 49ers 10-6-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 1986 Los Angeles Rams 10-6-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 1987 New Orleans Saints 12-3-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 1988 Los Angeles Rams 10-6-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 1989 Los Angeles Rams 11-5-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1990 New Orleans Saints 8-8-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 1991 Atlanta Falcons 10-6-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1992 New Orleans Saints 12-4-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 1993 None -- -- 1994 None -- -- 1995 Atlanta Falcons 9-7-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 1996 San Francisco 49ers 12-4-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1997 None -- -- 1998 San Francisco 49ers 12-4-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 1999 None -- -- 2000 St. Louis Rams 10-6-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 2001 San Francisco 49ers 12-4-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 2002 None -- -- 2003 Seattle Seahawks 10-6-0 Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs 2004 St. Louis Rams 8-8-0 Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs 2005 None -- -- 2006 None -- -- 2007 None -- -- 2008 None -- -- 2009 None -- -- 2010 None -- -- *A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special sixteen-team playoff tournament for that year only. Division standings were ignored.
See Also
Total playoff berths
Team Division Championships Playoff Berths Super Bowl Record (wins-losses) San Francisco 49ers 17 21 5-0 St. Louis Rams 11 18 1-2 Seattle Seahawks 5 6 0-1 Arizona Cardinals 2 2 0-1 Arizona Cardinals The Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore 1925 Chicago Cardinals – Milwaukee Badgers scandal · 1925 NFL Championship controversy · Card-Pitt · Million Dollar BackfieldHead Coaches Driscoll · Horween · Barry · Chamberlin · Gillies · Scanlon · Nevers · Andrews · Nevers · Chevigny · Schissler · Creighton · Nevers · Conzelman · Handler · Conzelman · Handler · Parker · Lambeau · Handler · Isbell · Kuharich · Stydahar · Richards · Ivy · Drulis · Porchaska · Willsey · Lemm · Winner · Hollway · Coryell · Wilkinson · Wilson · Hanifan · Stallings · Kuhlmann · Bugel · Ryan · Tobin · McGinnis · Green · WhisenhuntDivision Championships (6) League Championships (2) Super Bowl Appearances (1) Retired Numbers Current League Affiliations League: National Football League · Conference: National Football Conference · Division: West DivisionSeasons (115) 1898 · 1899 · 1900 · 1901 · 1902 · 1903 · 1904 · 1905 · 1906 · 1913 · 1914 · 1915 · 1916 · 1917 · 1918 · 1919 · 1920 · 1921 · 1922 · 1923 · 1924 · 1925 · 1926 · 1927 · 1928 · 1929 · 1930 · 1931 · 1932 · 1933 · 1934 · 1935 · 1936 · 1937 · 1938 · 1939 · 1940 · 1941 · 1942 · 1943 · 1944 · 1945 · 1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949 · 1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011St. Louis Rams Franchise Team History • Coaches • Players • First-Round Draft Picks • Seasons • Statistics • Starting Quarterbacks • Awards • Current SeasonStadiums Culture History of the NFL in Los Angeles • CheerleadersRivalries Missouri Governor's Cup • San Francisco 49ersLore The Greatest Show on Turf • The Tackle • Fearsome FoursomeRetired Numbers Head Coaches League
Championships (3)NFL Championship
Appearances (5)Super Bowl
Appearances (3)Seasons (73) 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • Suspended operations 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011Current League
AffiliationsLeague: National Football League • Conference: National Football Conference • Division: West DivisionSan Francisco 49ers Founded in 1946 • Based in San Francisco, CaliforniaFranchise Stadiums Culture Super Bowl appearances Lore Key figures Head coaches League championships (5) Current league affiliations League: National Football League · Conference: National Football Conference · Division: West DivisionSeattle Seahawks Founded in 1976 • Based in Seattle, WashingtonThe Franchise The Franchise • History • Players • Quarterbacks • Expansion draft • First-round Draft Picks • Seasons • Records • DraftStadiums Culture Head Coaches Division Championships (7) Super Bowl Appearances (1) Retired Numbers Current League Affiliations League: National Football League • Conference: National Football Conference • Division: West DivisionSeasons (36) 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2010 • 2011Categories:- National Football League divisions
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- St. Louis Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Sports in the Western United States
- 1970 establishments
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