After what seemed like an eternity this offseason, the NFL is finally back this weekend. With a ton of different storylines to follow, one that stands out is the strength of the NFC West division. With potential Super Bowl contenders like the 49ers and Seahawks, along with a Rams team looking to rectify a disappointing 2019 season and an up and coming Arizona Cardinals, the division looks to be one of the most competitive in the league.

Fans will get to see a head-to-head matchup right out of the gate with the 49ers taking on the Cardinals this Sunday, and while the 49ers might seem like the clear favorites, MySportsUpdate host Ari discussed with Ted Nguyen of The Athletic about why San Francisco should be on high alert against Arizona.

“I’m going to go out on a limb over here and say I would not be shocked if they win this week against the 49ers,” Ari said. “I know that might be a little bit of a hot take, but I really like this team, if they could start off and pull off an upset, I feel like big things are happening in Arizona.”

The Cardinals will be in their second season under head coach Kliff Kingsbury, and with quarterback Kyler Murray and new wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona is looking to become a serious contender. A win against the 49ers could be just the way to take that first step.

Nguyen discussed some of the standouts on the Cardinals roster that could help them get there.

“Kyler’s going to be going into his second year and as we mentioned that’s the time when a lot of these young quarterbacks are starting to break out now,” Nguyen said. “He didn’t have a number one last year and now he has one of the best number ones in the game with Deandre Hopkins.”

In addition to what could be a standout offense, the roster also appears to be revitalized on the other side of the ball.

“I think that defense is a lot better than people think, they have playmakers on every level of that defense,” Nguyen said.

Arizona has a defense that features stars like safety Budda Baker and cornerback Patrick Peterson in its secondary, along with one of the league’s best pass rushers in Chandler Jones.

The Cardinals will hope that unit can contain players like quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle this Sunday.

“I don’t think their defense is going to be a top ten unit, but I think they’re better than people think.”

The Cardinals will get a chance to pull off the upset against the 49ers this Sunday at 1:25 PST. You can listen to Ari and Nguyen’s thoughts on Arizona and all other things NFL on the latest episode of MySportsUpdate, available on all streaming platforms.