n*f*c west
What Is The NFC West In Football?
1. The NFC West is one of four divisions in the National Football Conference (NFC), which is one of two conferences in the National Football League (NFL). The NFC West is made up of four teams which represent the states of Arizona, California and Washington.
History of the NFC West
The NFC West was founded in 1967 and was first known as the Coastal Division of the NFL. It originally included the Baltimore Colts, Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.
In 1970, the American Football League (AFL) merged with the NFL. The addition of new teams to the NFL caused major shifts in its divisional alignment. That season, the NFC Coastal Division was renamed the NFC West. Unlike many other divisions, the NFC West retained its name following another major NFL divisional realignment that took place in 2002 upon the league’s expansion to 32 teams.
However, while the name remained the same, the teams that comprised the division underwent a major change. Three of the teams in the NFC West were moved out of the division and two teams entered the division.
Since 2002, the NFC West has been one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. It is one of only two conferences in which every team has made it to the NFL Conference Championship game at least once. As of 2022, the San Francisco 49ers have made it to the NFL Conference Championship four times since 2002, the most out of the four current teams in the division.
The San Francisco 49ers have won the division 20 times and have the highest overall win percentage (.542) among the teams in the NFC West. The Arizona Cardinals have the lowest overall win percentage (.426) and are in the bottom five in NFL history. The franchises in the division have won the Super Bowl a combined 10 times.
Previous Teams In The NFC West
The NFC West, along with a name change in 1970, has undergone significant changes over the years. When it was originally formed in 1967 as the NFL Coastal Division, it contained the following four teams:
- Baltimore Colts
- Atlanta Falcons
- San Francisco 49ers
- Los Angeles Rams
After the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, the division was renamed the NFC West and the Baltimore Colts were moved to a different division. The New Orleans Saints were added to the division.
For one season, in 1976, the Seattle Seahawks were added to the NFC West when they became an NFL expansion team. For one season, the NFC West contained the following five teams.
- Atlanta Falcons
- San Francisco 49ers
- Los Angeles Rams
- New Orleans Saints
- Seattle Seahawks
In 1977, the Seattle Seahawks were moved out of the division. The division remained with only five teams until 1995. That season, the expansion Carolina Panthers were added to the division. That same season, the Rams moved to St. Louis.
From 1995 up until the 2002 season, the NFC West was comprised of the following teams:
- St. Louis Rams
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- San Francisco 49ers
The divisional realignment of the NFL leading up to the 2002 season was a major shake-up for the NFC West, but it made it make more sense geographically. The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints were moved into different divisions, and the Arizona Cardinals (who were known as the Phoenix Cardinals prior to 1994) and Seattle Seahawks were moved into the division.
In 2002, following the NFL divisional realignment, the NFC West included the following four teams:
- St. Louis Rams
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
Current Teams In The NFC West
The only change in the NFC West since 2002 was when the Rams franchise relocated back to Los Angeles in 2016. As of 2022, the division includes:
Sport The Term Is Used
1. Football