NFC West
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The NFC West refers to the Western Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League. 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. 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.
The 2002 re-alignment changed the entire look of the NFC West. The Falcons, Panthers, and Saints moved out 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.
Contents |
- Arizona Cardinals - Joined in 2001 from the NFC East
- St. Louis Rams - Founding member
- Seattle Seahawks - Joined in 1976 as an expansion team; joined in 2001 from the AFC West
- San Francisco 49ers - Founding member
- Atlanta Falcons - Founding member; currently part of the NFC South
- New Orleans Saints - Founding member; currently part of the NFC South
- Carolina Panthers - Joined in 1995 as an expansion team; currently part of the NFC South
- San Francisco 49ers
- Atlanta Falcons
- New Orleans Saints
- Los Angeles Rams
- Creation of division due to 1970 AFL-NFL Merger
- San Francisco 49ers
- Atlanta Falcons
- New Orleans Saints
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- The Seattle Seahawks were added in the 1976 expansion
- San Francisco 49ers
- Atlanta Falcons
- New Orleans Saints
- Los Angeles Rams
- The Seattle Seahawks moved into the AFC West
- San Francisco 49ers
- Atlanta Falcons
- New Orleans Saints
- St. Louis Rams
- Carolina Panthers
- The Carolina Panthers were added in the 1995 expansion
- The Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis
- Arizona Cardinals
- St. Louis Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- San Francisco 49ers
- The Arizona Cardinals moved from the NFC East in the 2002 NFL realignment
- The Seattle Seahawks moved from the AFC West
- The Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Carolina Panthers moved into the NFC South
- A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. Division standings were ignored, Atlanta had the best record of the division teams.
- A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. Division standings were ignored.
| Team | Championships | Playoff Berths |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 17 | 21 |
| Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams1 | 11 | 18 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3 | 4 |
| Atlanta Falcons2 | 3 | 6 |
| New Orleans Saints2 | 2 | 5 |
| Carolina Panthers2 | 1 | 1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 23 | 43 |
1 Known as the Los Angeles Rams before 1995.
2 Realigned into the NFC South during the 2002 NFL season.
3 Cardinals had all of its playoff apperences while in the NFC East. 2 when they were in St.Louis. The 2 championships were when they were in Chicago.
- The Seattle Seahawks played their inaugural season, in 1976, as a member of the NFC West. They since played in the AFC West from 1977 to 2001, and then returned to their original division alignment in 2002.