Week 7 NFC West predictions: Brock Purdy, 49ers redeem themselves

 It was a tough week for the NFC West in Week 6 as only one team — the Los Angeles Rams — found the W column. Here are some predictions for how each team will do in Week 7.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers and Rams have a lot of similarities going into this game. They are both trying to bounce back and make the playoffs after down years, they tend to play tight, low-scoring games and they both have future Hall of Fame talents leading their defenses (T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh and Aaron Donald in Los Angeles.)

The Steelers have their share of problems and concerns on both sides of the ball, but they do two things very well: They create turnovers on defense, and no matter how bad they might look for the bulk of a game on offense they always seem to find a way to make the one or two plays they need at the end to pull out an ugly win. 

The Rams might have the better quarterback in Matthew Stafford, but he has been prone to mistakes over the past two years when healthy and the Steelers defense should be able to force him into just enough to pull out another close, low-scoring win. 

PREDICTION: Steelers, 20-14

Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks have to be kicking themselves after letting a very winnable game in Cincinnati slip away last Sunday, but they should be able to get back on track this week when the 1-5 Arizona Cardinals travel to Seattle. 

It should be a great opportunity for quarterback Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense to get back on track after scoring just 13 points a week ago. Arizona's defense ranks 22nd in the NFL against the pass and is 27th in the league in giving up an average of 27 points per game. The Cardinals have played most teams extremely tough this season, but they may not have the secondary depth or the pass rush to slow down a Seahawks offense led by Smith and an extremely talented trio of wide receivers in D.K. Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett. 

It could also be a really challenging game for Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Aside from having to deal with the 12th man in Seattle, the one thing the Seahawks do exceptionally well on defense is stop the run, allowing just 79.2 yards per game on the ground. That could put a lot of pressure on Dobbs to win the game with his arm, and even though he is been a pleasant surprise this season the Cardinals offense is not equipped to win games with a pass-heavy offense. 

PREDICTION: Seahawks, 28-10

San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings. It was only a matter of time until the San Francisco 49ers lost a regular season game, and it happened in stunning fashion a week ago by losing to P.J. Walker and the Cleveland Browns. They are facing a good news, bad news situation going into Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings.

The good news is they facing a defense that is not anywhere near as good as the one they faced last week in Cleveland. So there should be more opportunities for quarterback Brock Purdy to get back on track. 

The bad news is the 49ers are dealing with some significant injury concerns as running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and offensive tackle Trent Williams were all injured a week ago, leaving their status for Monday night in doubt. The extra day of rest will certainly help get them ready, but even if one (or all) are limited the 49ers should be positioned for a better game from Purdy and the talent he still has around him. One bad game might make it seem like the league has caught on to Purdy, but every quarterback is prone to the occasional bad game. The 49ers' defense should also be able to have a big day against a Vikings team that is playing without superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson. 

PREDICTION: 49ers, 28-14