NFC West Week 5 predictions: 49ers show they are class of the NFC

The game of the week of is in the NFC West with the San Francisco 49ers playing host to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, while the Seattle Seahawks go into the bye week after a big Monday night win. Let's get into the Week 5 predictions for the NFC West.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) vs. Los Angeles Rams (2-2). This is a big stretch of games for the Rams and an opportunity for them to really gain some ground in the NFC playoff race. Sunday's game against the Eagles begins a stretch of three consecutive home games, two of which are against the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Sunday's game against the Eagles will obviously be the biggest challenge of the three, but there is an opportunity to maybe get a couple of wins and keep pace in the playoff chase. 

The problem for the Rams is going to be at least two of those opponents (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) will probably turn SoFi Stadium into a virtual road game. 

The Rams have kept pretty much every game close this season and are still trying to find their way on offense. Rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua has been one of the biggest surprise stars in the league already hauling in 39 passes for 501 yards, but veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford has not quite had the bounce back season the Rams were hoping for. Entering play on Sunday he has thrown more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (three). That is going to be a problem against an Eagles defense that can make life miserable for quarterbacks. Los Angeles' secondary is also going to be in for a huge challenge against a dominant Eagles offense that is starting to get on track. 

The Rams might eventually stack some wins on this homestand, but it is not going to start on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Eagles, 31-20

Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) vs. Arizona Cardinals (1-3). A couple of weeks ago this matchup looked like aa huge mismatch on paper. The Bengals were expected to be one of the best teams in the NFL, while the Cardinals were viewed as aa rebuilding team that might even be tanking for draft status. 

But this is why they play the games.

The Bengals are coming in having won just one of their first four games and have actually been held without a touchdown in two of them. The Cardinals, meanwhile, might be where everybody expected them to be in terms of their record, but they have played pretty much every team on their schedule extremely tough. The lone exception to that was Sunday's blowout loss to the 49ers. Still, Arizona is not going to be a pushover here.

Quarterback Joshua Dobbs has handled himself extremely well in place of the injured Kyler Murray and takes a 99.7 passer rating into Sunday's game. The Cardinals defense has struggled at times, but the Bengals offense has its own share of problems. Joe Burrow is still not 100 percent recovered from his calf injury, the offensive line has not protected him well and he might not have one of his top wide receivers in Tee Higgins. Despite all of that the Bengals should be able to do enough here to squeeze out a win, especially knowing they might be playing for their season. A loss and a 1-4 record would be too much for them to overcome.

PREDICTION: Bengals, 20-14

Dallas Cowboys (3-1) vs. San Francisco 49ers (4-0). Now we get to the game of the week on Sunday night. Dallas and San Francisco are two of the best teams in the NFC and this is going to be a great barometer for each of them to see where they are. For as impressive as Dallas has looked, it has not really been tested this season with its first four games coming against a dreadful New York Giants team, a Zach Wilson-led New York Jets team, Arizona (which beat them) and New England. None of those teams are any good. To Dallas' credit, it has mostly done what has been expected and crushed three of them.

But the 49ers are going to be an entirely different animal and be the first team on the schedule that is going to be able to deliver a punch back at them. 

San Francisco has been one of the NFL's most dominant teams on both sides of the ball, and boasts a potential MVP candidate in running back Christian McCaffrey and the reigning defensive player of the year in Nick Bosa. They can beat you on the ground, through the air, in a defensive slugfest and basically any way you want to take the game. They have also scored at least 30 points in every game, while quarterback Brock Purdy remains unbeaten in games he has started and finished in the NFL. That will continue on Sunday night with another impressive showing against Dallas.

PREDICTION: 49ers, 30-17

Bye week: Seattle Seahawks