#nfc-west-focus

#nfc-west-focus

The 49ers were the first NFL team to win 15 regular-season games, losing just once, and were 3 1/2-point favorites but much of the pregame focus was on whether their defense could deal with a prolific Miami passing offense led by second-year quarterback Dan Marino, the league's Most Valuable Player. Marino had set NFL passing records with 5,084 yards passing and 48 touchdowns in the regular season.

Arizona is interviewing a number of candidates for defensive coordinator, while Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial has emerged as a leading candidate to take over as special teams coordinator, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. Ghobrial, 37, has spent the last two years with the Giants. Before that, he served as the Jets' assistant special teams coordinator on Robert Saleh 's staff, overlapping for two years with LaFleur. Ghobrial previously worked for a number of college programs as well as the Lions in 2017. The Giants had a solid year on special teams in 2025. They ranked fifth in yards per kickoff return (27.7) and 10th in average starting field position (31.3). Cornerback Deonte Banks also recorded one of the NFL's five kick return touchdowns last year.

Seattle is tied with the Los Angeles Rams at +950 to win the NFL's championship in 2027, followed by the Buffalo Bills at +1100, and the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and AFC champion New England Patriots tied at +1300, according to DraftKings odds. If they hold until the beginning of the season, the Seahawks' and Rams' odds would be the longest for a preseason favorite on record (since at least 1977), per ESPN Research and SportsOddsHistory.com. Since 2015, +950 would have been the second-shortest odds on the odds board once and fifth-shortest on the board six times.