Poll: Who Will Win NFC West?
Exiting the NFL’s midway point, the NFC West serves as arguably the league’s most compelling division. Although injuries have made the 49ers’ road back to the playoffs exceedingly difficult, the division’s other three teams are surefire contenders.
The Cardinals’ re-emergence has created a crowded competition. Arizona, Los Angeles and Seattle enter Week 11 at 6-3. These three teams have four more combined games against one another, beginning with Thursday night’s Cards-Seahawks rematch.
This season’s top play thus far — the Kyler Murray-to-DeAndre Hopkins game-winner over the Bills — spotlighted the primary reasons behind the Cardinals’ resurgence. They have now beaten two winning teams — Seattle and Buffalo — and rank in the top 10 both scoring and points allowed. Their plus-56 differential leads the division, one this franchise has only won twice (in 2008 and ’15).
Through nine games, Murray has accounted for 27 touchdowns (10 rushing); that is more than unanimous 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson had at this time last season. Providing a predictably strong early return on the Cards-Texans March trade, Hopkins ranks second in the NFL with 861 receiving yards. Arizona’s defense, however, enters Week 11 with five D-linemen on IR — including big-ticket offseason signing Jordan Phillips. Chandler Jones also residing on IR will make matters tougher on Vance Joseph‘s unit in the second half.
The Rams have shown plenty defensively this season; the unit has powered their 6-3 start. Hired after stays as the Bears and Broncos’ outside linebackers coach, Brandon Staley has the Aaron Donald– and Jalen Ramsey-led unit standing second in points allowed. Staley’s troops held Russell Wilson without a touchdown pass and forced him to commit three turnovers Sunday.
Los Angeles also has one of this year’s top-graded offensive lines, though that unit stands to take a hit after Andrew Whitworth‘s knee ligament tears. Jared Goff‘s 25th-ranked QBR figure, however, threatens to impede the Rams from their third division title in four years. The Rams and Cardinals do not play until Week 13.
Seattle is 1-2 in divisional play, holding that mark after a near-70-minute loss in Arizona and Week 10 defeat in L.A. Wilson has lost the MVP lead, per Las Vegas, to Patrick Mahomes and lacks the defensive support Goff and Murray are receiving. The Seahawks enter Week 11 ranked last in yards allowed. Although their maligned pass rush sacked Josh Allen seven times, that game still included 415 passing yards from the Bills quarterback. While Wilson has thrown a league-high 28 touchdown passes and is on track smash his career-high figure (35 in 2018), Seattle’s soon-to-be 32-year-old superstar passer has also turned the ball over 10 times in the team’s three losses.
The 49ers have a somewhat one-sided win over the Rams on their resume, but the defending NFC champions are 4-6. “Decimated” may be too light of a descriptor to illustrate San Francisco’s injury situation.
The new seven-team playoff bracket will make it easier for the NFC West to send three teams to the playoffs. But which of these teams will have the highest seed and the playoff “home” game?
Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/20
Here are the most recent NFL minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Tyler Kroft, S Dean Marlowe, CB Levi Wallace
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: WR/PR Dwayne Harris
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Jack Conklin, K Cody Parkey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: CB C.J. Henderson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Eric Fisher, T Mitchell Schwartz
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: FB C.J. Ham
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: C Hroniss Grasu, LB Joe Walker
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: CB Jayson Stanley
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: P Trevor Daniel
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/20
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Claimed off waivers from Broncos: CB Davontae Harris
Chicago Bears
- Claimed off waivers from Texans: WR DeAndre Carter
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Freedom Akinmoladun
- Removed from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Trae Waynes; Waynes remains on IR
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Tyrone Crawford, QB Andy Dalton
Denver Broncos
- Waived via left-squad designation: LB Nigel Bradham
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: WR Antonio Callaway, DT Benito Jones
New York Giants
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: P Riley Dixon, LS Casey Kreiter
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Patrick Onwuasor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Marcus Epps
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Javon Kinlaw
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: OL Phil Haynes
- Placed on IR: CB Neiko Thorpe
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: RB Senorise Perry
Kyle Shanahan: Jimmy Garoppolo Expected To Start For 2021 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract has entered the year-to-year phase. The 49ers can easily move on from their starting quarterback, should they see an upgrade avenue. For now, that is not the plan.
Kyle Shanahan said Garoppolo still has a chance to return this season and expects him to return as San Francisco’s starter in 2021.
“I expect Jimmy to be our starter next year,” Shanahan said, via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “I expect him to come and play with us this year. … But to think that we’ve made any decisions on anybody going into the future isn’t the case. Jimmy has won a lot of games for us. It’s a lot harder to win games when he’s not here. Just hoping we can get him back.”
The 49ers have Garoppolo on a team-friendly $27.5MM-per-year contract, one that calls for the former Patriots backup to earn a non-guaranteed $24.1MM in 2021 base salary. Were the 49ers to make a change, it would only cost them $2.8MM in dead money. Garoppolo’s deal expires after the 2022 season. San Francisco’s QB1 is currently on IR due to a high ankle sprain.
Garoppolo has impressed at times as a starter, leading last season’s defense-powered 49ers squad to Super Bowl LIV — after the largely Garoppolo-less 49ers went 4-12 in 2018. The 29-year-old passer ranked 12th in QBR in 2019, but even if he does return from this ankle ailment this season, Garoppolo will likely end 2020 having missed more than 20 games due to injury since the 49ers acquired him in 2017.
While the 2021 draft will likely see quarterbacks taken at Nos. 1 and 2 overall — Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields — the 49ers may land out of the range of not just these two but at a draft position where acquiring North Dakota State’s Trey Lance would be difficult. BYU’s Zach Wilson, however, has emerged as possible Round 1 targets, with ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranking the Heisman candidate 13th on his latest 2021 big board.
Free agency could house a similar collection to 2020’s group, with only Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater landing multiyear deals from this year’s top crop. The 49ers acquired Garoppolo via trade, and next year’s trade market could include the likes of Shanahan-coached MVP Matt Ryan or 12-year Lions starter Matthew Stafford. Of course, Garoppolo’s contract is friendlier than either of these Pro Bowlers’, and that will matter more ahead of a year that is expected to bring the biggest salary cap reduction in league history. Sam Darnold figures to land on the trade block, though Garoppolo has outplayed the former prized prospect.
49ers Claim Takk McKinley
3:16pm: This time, the 49ers’ claim went through. They landed McKinley through waivers Wednesday afternoon, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The 49ers have a Week 11 bye, which will allow the veteran defensive end to go through COVID-19 protocols and practice — provided he passes a physical — next week.
9:32am: The 49ers will take another shot at Takkarist McKinley, head coach Kyle Shanahan says (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports). The Niners were among the clubs who submitted waiver claims for the defensive end when he was first dropped by the Falcons. 
[RELATED: Bengals Waive Takk McKinley]
On the first go ’round, the Bengals had the highest waiver priority of the bunch and snagged McKinley. His time in Cincinnati was short-lived – the Bengals released him after he failed his physical with the team. In addition to the Bengals, the 49ers, Browns, and Raiders also submitted claims — the 4-6 49ers have the highest priority of that group, so they should be poised to add him to the roster before the end of the business day.
Injuries have depleted the 49ers’ once-formidable defensive line. Without Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas for the rest of the year (and possibly Dee Ford), McKinley represents their best chance to salvage things and put the pressure on opposing QBs.
McKinley has 17.5 career sacks to his credit, though just one of those came in 2020 season. The UCLA product registered 13 sacks over his first two seasons. Since 2019, he’s logged just 4.5 in total. On the flipside, the first-round pick did notch seven QB hits in just 85 snaps this year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/17/20
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: TE Nick Boyle, CB Terrell Bonds
- Signed from practice squad: S Geno Stone
Denver Broncos
- Released: CB Davontae Harris
Green Bay Packers
- Activated off IR: WR Allen Lazard
Houston Texans
- Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jacob Martin
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: DT Sheldon Day
- Activated off PUP: DE Kemoko Turay
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Clelin Ferrell, S Lamarcus Joyner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed from practice squad: OL Brett Jones
New York Giants
- Signed: P Ryan Santoso
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: Michael Jacquet
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: SS Johnathan Cyprien, RB JaMycal Hasty
Tennessee Titans
- Released: P Ryan Allen
Washington Football Team
- Released off IR: OL Michael Liedtke
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Matt Ioannidis
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/17/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Jake Carlock
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Luke Wilson
Carolina Panthers
- Cut: TE Seth DeValve
Cincinnati Bengals
- Cut: OT O’Shea Dugas
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Breeland Speaks
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: P Johnny Townsend
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Ryan Glasgow
- Cut: DE Will Clarke
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Nate Wieting
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Connor Davis
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: RB Adrian Killins
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Charles Jones
- Released: LB Ray Wilborn
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on practice squad IR: DB Jared Mayden
Chiefs, 49ers Interested In DeAndre Baker
The armed robbery charges against former Giants cornerback Deandre Baker have been dropped and he’s already drawing interest from a handful of NFL teams. The Chiefs, Bengals, 49ers, and Jaguars are all in on Baker, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter). The Cowboys, he adds, “could also be in play.” 
[RELATED: Robbery Charges Against DeAndre Baker Dropped]
The Giants, who immediately distanced themselves from Baker following the allegations from Florida, are not interested in a reunion, Schwartz says. Giants head coach Joe Judge effectively confirmed that when speaking with reporters on Monday.
“[We] wish him the best luck in the future,” Judge said. “We’ve made the decision we think is best for the program. That is all I have to say about that.”
The Giants traded up from the second round in 2019 to draft Baker towards the back-end of the first round. A standout at Georgia, Baker was widely regarded as the top cornerback in the class. The 5-foot-11 athlete turned in a standout 2018 season with the Bulldogs, compiling 40 tackles, two sacks, nine passes defended, and two picks. However, he struggled to grasp the playbook as a rookie and wound up benched late in the season. All in all, he had 55 stops, zero interceptions, and lots of headache-inducing game tape.
On the other hand, Baker is still young and represents a low-risk, high-reward signing for teams like the Chiefs and 49ers. He’s free to sign with any team, though NFL discipline could still be in his future.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/16/20
We’ll put all of today’s minor moves here:
Houston Texans
- Released: KR DeAndre Carter
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: RB Chris Thompson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz, Martinas Rankin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: CB Craig James
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Arik Armstead
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB David Long
Fortunately it looks like all these COVID-19 list placements were due to contacts and not positive tests, meaning the Chiefs will likely have both of their starting tackles available on Sunday assuming they don’t test positive between now and then.
49ers CB K’Waun Williams Out 4-6 Weeks
49ers nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams is expected to miss four to six weeks with the high ankle sprain that he suffered in the team’s loss to the Packers on November 5, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Williams played just four snaps before going down with the injury.
It’s especially unfortunate timing for Williams, who had just been activated off short-term injured reserve at the end of October. And, since he has already been on injured reserve this year, his season will be over if he goes back on IR. So the team will wait to see if there is a chance he can return before making that decision.
The 4-5 Niners have been ravaged by injury this year, but they still have an outside shot at the playoffs. They will battle the Saints this afternoon, and Jamar Taylor will likely continue to get reps at slot corner in Williams’ absence.
San Francisco has a bye next week but expect to have CB Richard Sherman back on the field in Week 12. Sherman has been on IR since Week 2 with a calf injury, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said the 32-year-old practiced all three days this past week (Twitter link via Matt Barrows of The Athletic). If the 49ers somehow pull off the upset against New Orleans this afternoon, their Week 12 matchup against the division rival Rams will be especially important.
Sherman and Williams, like the rest of the Niners’ CB corps, are eligible for free agency at the end of the season. The team has a whopping 40 players on expiring contracts, so GM John Lynch will have a lot of work to do, especially in the defensive backfield.