December may see a passing of the torch for Rams in the NFC West

Heading down the stretch of the 2017 NFL regular season, the Los Angeles Rams look to be in prime position to assume the top spot in the NFC West.

2017 looks to be a watershed year for the Los Angeles Rams. That may also be so for the NFC West, as the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals look to be making moves not up the division, but back down it. In the case of Arizona, they may be making a move closer to the bottom as age and no viable starting quarterback beyond an injured Carson Palmer is on their roster.

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Meanwhile in Seattle, they look to be struggling with injuries, as a bad offensive line and many of their playmakers on defense are out for the season.

In San Francisco, well, they may be the most interesting team in the division next to the Rams. With newly acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo finally getting a start in Week 13 against the Chicago Bears, and a likely high pick when the 2018 NFL Draft rolls around next spring, the Niners may be in the kind of position Los Angeles is currently enjoying.

As for the balance of 2017, and with five games left on the schedule, if form holds it is more likely than not that the Rams win the NFC West, and may be doing so for the foreseeable future. As with anything, the cyclical nature of the league may be witnessing a passing of the torch as Seattle fades and Los Angeles ascends.

It’s not inconceivable that at this time next season, it’s a young 49ers and a veteran Seahawks teams looking to catch the Rams who will be into year two of the Sean McVay era, and an MVP quarterback in Jared Goff running his offense on the field.

Next: 3 predictions for Rams at Cardinals Week 13

Far fetched?
Maybe.

But wouldn’t what is happening this season seem as much, if this discussion were happening in 2016?