San Francisco 49ers still the best team in NFC West, according to Darnell Dockett
Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Seahawks clearly look like the kings of the NFC right now, and they don’t seem to have any question marks now that guys like Percy Harvin and Russell Okung are back in the fold. The Seahawks are as deep and as talented as anybody out there, whereas the rival San Francisco 49ers have been disappointing lately. But their losses need to be kept into perspective, as they barely lost to two great NFC South, playoff-lock teams in the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. So while the 49ers aren’t as good as the Seahawks, they are still plenty good, and it would be a shame to see the 49ers sitting at home come January.
It’s not likely that the 49ers will miss out on the playoffs, but it’s not impossible either. There are several other teams chomping at the bit, such as a few squads in the NFC North and a rival in the 49ers own neck of the woods. The Arizona Cardinals haven’t received so much as a whisper, but they are quietly 6-4 and boast an offense that is steadily improving. Moreover, the Cardinals defense is not a unit to take lightly, and a win by the Cardinals tomorrow against their head coach’s old team in the Indianapolis Colts would finally thrust the Cardinals squarely into the national spotlight.
Veteran defensive end Darnell Dockett knows the importance of making the playoffs, and he spoke at length to NBC’s Eric Kuselias about topics of that nature. But what I found most interesting about Kuselias’s interview was Dockett’s mentality regarding the identity of the top dogs in the NFC West. While I would think that most people would respond “Seattle Seahawks”, Dockett believes that the San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the division. Why? Well, he points to the fact that they won the entire NFC last season.
Here’s Dockett, “Last year they won the division and everyone wants to beat them because they got to the playoffs last year. They went to the Super Bowl, had a hell of a game in the Super Bowl but fell short. Right now, everybody is coming at the throne, it’s part of being at the top. Right now, you only get respect when you beat the best and no matter what Seattle is doing, San Fran is the best team in the division. They won the division last year and unless that changes, you’ve got to go for the top.”
As for the Cardinals, don’t fall asleep on them, because they are a darkrhose. While their chances of making the playoffs aren’t likely, they are right in the thick of it and have the same 6-4 record as the 49ers. Dockett and the Cards are determined to prove people wrong and get into the playoffs, so we’ll see if they can pick up a big, seventh win tomorrow against Indy.