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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jess Root

How the teams in the NFC West will or won’t make the playoffs in 2020

The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks hope to return to the postseason in 2020. The 49ers are coming off a Super Bowl loss.

The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams would like to make the postseason. The Rams missed them last season after losing in the Super Bowl the previous year, while the Cardinals haven’t made the playoffs since 2015.

How will each team make it in 2020 and what will keep them from the playoffs?

For the 49ers, they simply need to keep up with what they did last season, while the Super Bowl hangover could keep them from making it back.

For the Seahawks, Russell Wilson needs to keep on being Russell Wilson to make it back. If they continue to play down to some opponents, they could miss the postseason.

For the Rams, Jared Goff needs to return to his previous level of play, they need a No. 1 back to emerge from their committee and their defensive stars need to stay healthy. If Goff remains inconsistent and their lack of depth is exposed, they will miss the postseason again.

The Cardinals can make it if Kyler Murray takes the big second-year jump, develops a connection with DeAndre Hopkins and if Isaiah Simmons can be a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. They will miss the postseason if Murray has any sophomore slump at all.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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