ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams are getting the ball deep in the passing game. They are also avoiding turnovers. With an assist from Mark Francescutti of ESPN Stats & Analysis, we take a look at NFC West teams in those and other categories near the season's midpoint:

• Going deep: The 49ers rank tied for third in pass plays of at least 30 yards, but the Rams are gaining. St. Louis has 10, tied for sixth-most. The Cardinals are tied for ninth with nine. Seattle ranks 28th with four, including two by fullback Leonard Weaver against the 49ers. The Patriots, slightly different without Tom Brady, have three.
  
• Pounding away: The Seahawks rank fourth in the league with eight rushing plays of at least 20 yards. The 49ers are tied for sixth with six. The Rams have four, tied for 16th. The Cardinals and Bengals are tied for last with one.
• Beat deep: The Seahawks have allowed 14 pass plays of at least 30 yards, tied with the Lions for most in the league. The Rams rank third with 13. Arizona is tied for sixth with 10. Teams looking to go deep can do so against the NFC West. The Colts have allowed two, a league low.
• Run over: The Rams have allowed nine rushing plays of at least 20 yards, tied for second-most in the league. Seattle has allowed seven, tied for fifth-most. The 49ers have allowed four, tied for 16th, while the Cardinals have allowed three, tied for 23rd.
  
• Giving it away: The 49ers have lost 20 turnovers, most in the league and 16 more than the league-best Giants. The Cardinals have 14 giveaways, tied for sixth-most (thanks largely to a meltdown against the Jets). The Seahawks have 11, tied for 13th. And in a potential upset, the Rams have lost only seven turnovers, tied for fourth-fewest.
• Getting greedy: The Cardinals rank tied for eighth in the league with 12 takeaways. The Rams rank tied for 11th with 11. The 49ers are tied for 16th with 10, while the Seahawks are tied for worst in the league with only seven.