This stat shows how historically tough the NFC West is in 2020...

This stat shows how historically tough the NFC West is in 2020

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva

SportsPulse: For the first time this season, and the first time in a long time, the Pittsburgh Steelers have taken the number one spot in the power ranking. Mackenzie provides the biggest risers and fallers of the week.

By now you’ve probably heard how good the NFC West has been this season. But what you may not know is how it compares to the best divisions in NFL history through seven weeks.

All four teams are above .500, with the San Francisco 49ers sitting in fourth at 4-3. That would be good enough for second place in moth divisions, and would be two more wins than any NFC East team. The Seattle Seahawks lead the way at 5-1, and their only loss was an overtime defeat to the second-place Cardinals, who are tied with the Rams at 5-2.

Combined, the NFC West has a record of 19-8, which carries a winning percentage of .704. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that’s the second-best winning percentage of any division through seven weeks since the 1970 merger, only behind the 1984 AFC West that started 25-10.

No other division in the NFL has all four teams above .500, and only the AFC North even has three teams. All four of the NFC West’s teams have a positive point differential, too, and are either at or above .500 on the road.

What has helped the NFC West up to this point is the lack of divisional games played. There have only been three games between NFC West teams through seven weeks, with the Cardinals beating the 49ers and Seahawks, and San Francisco beating the Rams.

The second half of the season will feature far more divisional games, which will cause these teams to beat up on each other. But even still, it’s clearly the best division in football right now, and it’s not particularly close.