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The San Francisco 49ers play violent defense. They dominate on special teams. They limit turnovers by design and through impeccable decision making. They are good enough on offense to win close games against teams with flawed defenses.

Put it all together and the 49ers are a clear choice to win at home against a less consistent New York Giants team in the NFC Championship Game.

Sure, lots of things can send a football game heading in unexpected directions. Those things are less reliable than the 49ers have been.

Last week, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh told his players to trust their instincts heading into the team's first playoff appearance since January 2003. Good advice for all of us. I wasn't sure the 49ers could outscore New Orleans, but my instincts said they would win at home and a certain tight end would play a leading role in the outcome.

This week, Harbaugh's warning against "overcooking" things comes to mind.

The Giants were 9-7 this season. They lost by double digits at home to Washington a month ago in a game they needed to win. Their victory over 15-1 Green Bay last week served notice they're dangerous. But as well as the Giants played at Lambeau Field, the Packers were at least as horrendous.

The 49ers, 13-3 during the regular season, would have beaten the Packers, too. They put a physical beating on Drew Brees and the Saints, a team that finished the season strong and was playing better than the Packers were playing lately. When Brees hit for two big plays late in the game, the 49ers never flinched. They fired back and won.

Saints-49ers felt like a 50-50 call. Giants-49ers feels more like 60-40 in favor of San Francisco. You want a final score? Let's go with 27-17 and let's see if Frank Gore has something to say about the outcome.

The San Francisco 49ers are favored to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLVI.

They were 40-1 longshots at one point last offseason.

What say you? Will the 49ers beat the New York Giants at Candlestick Park in the NFC Championship Game?

Those picking winners and scores for that game -- or the AFC version -- will join urticina, staserc and dgreenwell1111 on the Wall of Fame below. Those three predicted Baltimore's 20-13 victory over Houston in the divisional round last week. Nice work.

Plenty of people picked the 49ers to defeat New Orleans, but the odd final score (36-32) proved elusive. Better luck this week (my prediction is yet to come).

For a spot on the Wall of Fame below, simply use the comments section of this item to correctly predict winners and scores for the following games:

• New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers
• Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

The chart above honors our repeat contest winners. The chart at the bottom shows all winners for the 2011 season.

The bullet points below list one-time winners from 2008-10 in 10-person blocks, arranged alphabetically:

• _Mr_Zero_, 2_Zero_Sickness, 49ers r golden, ahlycom08, allenjr16, alvaden, artman9865, asowinski33, ballsthompson, BrandonD28;
• brobbb91, CardsCrush85, catterbu, ccolling7979, chahen, cloudturo, CoasterNiner, cobra7282, cole barrick, DiLune2;
• DirtyDezzzzert, egravning, Elion245, fadein, fundadfor2, guillermoman, habitat730, henlex, IAmAtATotalLoss, IamJonasJones;
• jayric81, Jeremy-Clark, Joe_Couch, John510asb, JohnnyBloodletter, juicy2446, kstaub869, Leesters, Lv4Sublime, MalibuRuffRider;
• noahhasabs, pglenn33, pope_c_hawk, Primeau1203, redng0ld, RedRumRBS, Redzone59, RiWeagley, roadto_1, RVAninersFAN;
• salukininer, SeahawkBell, Seahawks Ya Dig, skinavich, TACOREV, the_FREAKs_cousin, TLinkWC, ttmonee, vamp2q, whoknewitt;
• wonderfuldan, workmantiny, WRESTLEMASTER24, urticina, staserc, dgreenwell1111

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers, despite fielding arguably the NFL's best defense in 2011, gave up 513 yards to Philadelphia and 472 yards to Dallas in the first four weeks of the regular season.

Later, the New York Giants managed 395 yards against the 49ers.

The Eagles, Cowboys and Giants gained more yards against the 49ers than any other opponents during San Francisco's 13-3 season.

All three games featured wild finishes. The 49ers won two of them. They blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in losing to the Cowboys in overtime. They needed (and got) a 20-point comeback to beat the Eagles. And they made a frantic defensive stand to hold off the Giants.

We could be headed toward a similar finish when the New Orleans Saints visit Candlestick Park for an NFC divisional-round playoff game Saturday.

The Saints set an NFL record for yards gained, topping 7,000 during the regular season. They set another record with 626 yards against the Detroit Lions in the wild-card round of the playoffs, amassing roughly double what the 49ers gained (314) while beating Detroit in Week 6.

The 49ers' defense should be better than it was early in the season if Patrick Willis returns to pre-injury form and rookie Aldon Smith keeps up his late-season push (provided he is on the field frequently, which could be in question). But the Saints still have a better chance than any 49ers opponent to move up and down the field.

Enough prologue. Let's get to my prediction for the week. Getting both NFC West outcomes right in Week 17 upped my season record to a borderline respectable 34-18. I've had the 49ers' backs all week, balancing out suggestions San Francisco has no chance. Would I turn my back on them when it matters most? Cue the video to find out.

Those predicting a San Francisco 49ers "upset" victory over the favored New Orleans Saints have come to the right place.

Those expecting a Saints victory are welcome, too.

Simply use the comments section of this item to predict winners and scores for the divisional playoff round. Those making correct predictions will earn blog-wide renown through our enduring Wall of Fame. More on that in a bit. First, a look at the matchups:

• Denver at New England.
• Houston at Baltimore.
• New Orleans at San Francisco.
• New York Giants at Green Bay.

The chart above honors our repeat contest winners, including the recently added Superfuzz777 (I had overlooked his correct prediction for the Arizona Cardinals' 20-17 victory over Cleveland a few weeks back). A belated congratulations there.

The chart at the bottom shows all winners for the 2011 season. I saved predictions for the wild-card round and did not see any winners (no shame in missing that 24-2 score for the Giants and Atlanta Falcons). Let me know if I missed your correct prediction. Easily checked.

The bullet points below list one-time winners from 2008-10 in 10-person blocks, arranged alphabetically:

• _Mr_Zero_, 2_Zero_Sickness, 49ers r golden, ahlycom08, allenjr16, alvaden, artman9865, asowinski33, ballsthompson, BrandonD28;
• brobbb91, CardsCrush85, catterbu, ccolling7979, chahen, cloudturo, CoasterNiner, cobra7282, cole barrick, DiLune2;
• DirtyDezzzzert, egravning, Elion245, fadein, fundadfor2, guillermoman, habitat730, henlex, IAmAtATotalLoss, IamJonasJones;
• jayric81, Jeremy-Clark, Joe_Couch, John510asb, JohnnyBloodletter, juicy2446, kstaub869, Leesters, Lv4Sublime, MalibuRuffRider;
• noahhasabs, pglenn33, pope_c_hawk, Primeau1203, redng0ld, RedRumRBS, Redzone59, RiWeagley, roadto_1, RVAninersFAN;
• salukininer, SeahawkBell, Seahawks Ya Dig, skinavich, TACOREV, the_FREAKs_cousin, TLinkWC, ttmonee, vamp2q, whoknewitt;
• wonderfuldan, workmantiny, WRESTLEMASTER24,

And now, on to the 2011 Wall ...

The Arizona Cardinals' record fourth overtime victory of the 2011 season vaulted NINERS4Ever66 onto the "You Called It" Wall of Fame as the regular season closed.

Nice work, '66.

We'll charge forward into the playoffs even though the NFC West has the wild-card round off. Simply use the comments section of this item to predict winners and scores for the following wild-card games:

• Cincinnati at Houston.
• Detroit at New Orleans.
• Atlanta at New York Giants.
• Pittsburgh at Denver.

The Falcons have to be the most nervous heading into the weekend. They have yet to win a playoff game with coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan. They have not won one since Jim Mora and Michael Vick were central figures in Atlanta following the 2004 season. The Falcons beat St. Louis that season in what stands as the most recent playoff game for the Rams.

Back to the contest this week. You'll notice I've cleaned up the Wall of Fame to show only 2011 winners. The Wall was getting a little cluttered. I've also broken out a separate chart showing our repeat winners. pope_c_hawk owns one victory in each of the past three seasons. No one else can make that claim.

Congrats to all our winners, and good luck this week.

On a side note, the "You Called It" Wall of Fame board voted 1-0 to list pre-2011 winners separately in 10-person blocks, arranged alphabetically:

• _Mr_Zero_, 2_Zero_Sickness, 49ers r golden, ahlycom08, allenjr16, alvaden, artman9865, asowinski33, ballsthompson, BrandonD28;
• brobbb91, CardsCrush85, catterbu, ccolling7979, chahen, cloudturo, CoasterNiner, cobra7282, cole barrick, DiLune2;
• DirtyDezzzzert, egravning, Elion245, fadein, fundadfor2, guillermoman, habitat730, henlex, IAmAtATotalLoss, IamJonasJones;
• jayric81, Jeremy-Clark, Joe_Couch, John510asb, JohnnyBloodletter, juicy2446, kstaub869, Leesters, Lv4Sublime, MalibuRuffRider;
• noahhasabs, pglenn33, pope_c_hawk, Primeau1203, redng0ld, RedRumRBS, Redzone59, RiWeagley, roadto_1, RVAninersFAN;
• salukininer, SeahawkBell, Seahawks Ya Dig, skinavich, Superfuzz777, TACOREV, the_FREAKs_cousin, TLinkWC, ttmonee, vamp2q;
• whoknewitt, wonderfuldan, workmantiny, WRESTLEMASTER24,

And now, on to the newly configured 2011 Wall ...
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Nearly five months have passed since I set team-by-team expectations for the NFC West based on what I'd seen at training camps.

The San Francisco 49ers outperformed expectations. The St. Louis Rams fell far short. The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks finished right about where I had projected, but there were more ups and downs along the way than almost anyone could have anticipated.

Let's reconcile expectations with results and try to learn something along the way.

St. Louis Rams

Projected wins: 8

Actual wins: 2

Following up: A tough schedule meant the Rams would need quarterback Sam Bradford to make significant improvement under new coordinator Josh McDaniels. I expected that to happen after speaking with Bradford and McDaniels in some detail during camp. I also expected the Rams' defense to remain a strength after adding veteran role players from winning organizations. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Injuries played a significant role on offense in general and at cornerback, a position I outlined as lacking sufficient depth. But the offensive line wasn't playing well even when the starters were together.

Lesson learned: Bradford and the Rams struggled down the stretch to close out the 2010 season. That should have invited more skepticism from me. I gave Bradford and McDaniels the benefit of the doubt based on Bradford's poise and the confidence both showed heading into the season. The narrative of an ascending young quarterback should not have been so persuasive. Adding veteran role players seemed to make sense at the time because the Rams weren't making significant financial commitments to them. However, signing so many older players meant the team lacked young depth. That should have set off alarms.

Arizona Cardinals

Projected wins: 7-8

Actual wins: 8

Following up: It's tough to take full credit for nailing this projection given how it happened. The team started 1-6 and rallied to 8-8 despite never getting much from newly acquired quarterback Kevin Kolb. I thought Arizona would have needed more games from Kolb to improve its record by three victories. Arizona's ability to manufacture victories through the return game and fourth-quarter rallies made up the difference. The concerns I raised about Kolb's durability in relation to the Cardinals' pass protection hit the mark. The defense showed more improvement than I had anticipated.

Lesson learned: Never underestimate strong safety Adrian Wilson. I had a hard time believing Wilson would hold up physically through a full season after suffering a torn biceps tendon during camp. Wilson not only held up, he got stronger as the season progressed. Wilson even earned a trip to the Pro Bowl. The Cardinals drove home a couple additional lessons this season. They showed that wheeling and dealing aggressively in free agency and through trades can build excitement without delivering immediate results. They also reminded us to withhold final judgments until late in a season. The view from 8-8 looks a lot better than the one from 1-6. But as we look ahead to 2012, we should not assume the Cardinals will continue on their recent trajectory. Every season is different.

San Francisco 49ers

Projected wins: 6-7

Actual wins: 13

Following up: My general feel for the team was accurate. How it would translate into victories was not. I thought the 49ers would be difficult to analyze in the short term because they had a new coaching staff. I thought better-than-expected play at quarterback could quickly upgrade their prospects. And I figured lower expectations from the outside would help. "I am saying there's a chance," was how I put it back in August. A chance for 13-3? Never saw that coming. In retrospect, I should have listed the 49ers' win range as "6+7" instead of 6-7.

Lesson learned: New coach Jim Harbaugh and staff impressed during camp, but I underestimated how much competent coaching would mean for the 49ers right away. The current coaches have done a phenomenal job fitting together how the offense, defense and special teams complement one another. While I allowed for the fact that San Francisco's defensive changes were by design, I wasn't convinced they would pay off. They did, and hugely. The 49ers' personnel people also get credit for resisting temptations to spend lavishly in free agency. They trusted their instincts and got great contributions from NaVorro Bowman and Carlos Rogers in particular. They paid Ray McDonald and parted with Aubrayo Franklin when no one was saying they should do those things. So, if and when the 49ers let players walk in free agency, we should realize things could be going to plan.

Seattle Seahawks

Projected wins: 5-7

Actual wins: 7

Following up: The Seahawks met expectations and probably exceeded them after suffering so many injuries to their offensive line and elsewhere. Seattle was, as expected, a team "eager to let young players develop before acting more boldly to upgrade the quarterback position in the offseason." The Seahawks were an easy team to read for those not blinded by coach Pete Carroll's public support for Tarvaris Jackson. They still need another pass-rusher and better play at quarterback to take the next step.

Lesson learned: Tom Cable is a fantastic offensive line coach, for one. Also, general manager John Schneider and the Seahawks' personnel people should get the benefit of the doubt on their evaluations. They repeatedly got positive results when turning to young players. They replaced Lawyer Milloy with Kam Chancellor and came out way ahead. They replaced Aaron Curry with rookie K.J. Wright and were correct, again. They continually churned the roster and made themselves deeper. They turned a project from the CFL (Brandon Browner) into a Pro Bowl first-alternate even while rookie fifth-round choice Richard Sherman became their best corner. So, if the Seahawks do not show interest in Green Bay quarterback Matt Flynn, we can trust it's because Schneider, formerly of the Packers, knows better.

I predict this will be the final week of NFC West regular-season predictions for 2011.

There, finally got one right.

So much for my thinly-veiled efforts to will the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals toward Week 16 victories and a potentially important matchup to close the regular season Sunday. Both teams lost, dropping my season record to 32-18 heading into Week 17. That's a weak record after going 12-2 to open the season, particularly with the St. Louis Rams outcomes being so easy to forecast.

Let's try to finish on a strong note.

• Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals, 4:15 p.m. ET. The Cardinals have won their last four home games, including victories over Dallas and San Francisco. The Seahawks have fared pretty well on the road, winning their last two and three of their last five. John Skelton's penchant for turnovers puts Arizona at risk. The Seahawks are healthier at running back. Arizona could be without game-changing return specialist Patrick Peterson. The Cardinals have done a better job than Seattle of rising up at home recently, however. Sando's best guess: Cardinals 20, Seahawks 17.
• San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams, 1 p.m. ET. The Rams' upset victory over New Orleans earlier this season puts the 49ers in position to clinch the NFC's second seed and a first-round playoff bye. A victory over the Rams is all the 49ers need. I'm still not sure how the Rams beat the Saints, but that outcome reminds us that just about anything is possible, if not probable, in the NFL. Sando's best guess: 49ers 23, Rams 6.

OK, then, where am I wrong? Guessing quite a few will be picking the Seahawks to win at Arizona. I'd probably take them on a neutral field, and the Skelton turnover factor gives every Cardinals opponent a shot at building a big lead.

Our pal ttmonee needed the Arizona Cardinals to rally back, but not all the way back, from a 23-0 deficit at Cincinnati in Week 16.

The pass Early Doucet could not catch after tripping near the goal line worked out perfectly for our latest two-time winner in the weekly NFC West predictions contest.

The Bengals' 23-16 victory did not sit well with some interested observers, but at least one of our contestants can say he saw it coming. We had two other winners in Week 16, including the occasionally quoted OleSagginSeahawk and a relative unknown, AZKardinal2011. Well done, all.

Your final 2011 regular-season chance to earn a spot on the Wall of Fame below rests on your ability to predict scores and outcomes for the following Week 17 games involving NFC West teams:

• San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams
• Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

I'll make my predictions Friday, as usual. Congrats again to ttmonee, who joins cloudturo, catterbu, and allenjr16 among two-time winners. artman9865, fundadfor2 and pope_c_hawk are three-time winners.

The San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the NFC West. The Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks are the hottest teams.

If only all three could play one another in the same week.

We'll have to settle for the 49ers and Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on Saturday. Various circumstances -- playoff implications, venue, strong defenses, limited offenses, X factors on special teams -- make this the most highly anticipated game of the season between NFC West opponents.

You've been offering your predictions in big numbers. Now, it's my turn. Let the guesswork begin. All NFC West games kick off Saturday.

• Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET. The Bengals struggled for much of their game against the Rams last week. Their top offensive threat, A.J. Green, suffered a shoulder injury. The Cardinals drafted Patrick Peterson for matchups such as this one. Both defenses should have the upper hand overall, but both offenses have shown a flair for the big play. The Bengals have lost four of their past six overall and two of their last three at home. I'm angling for a trip to Arizona in Week 17 and need the Cardinals to play along. Sando's best guess: Cardinals 20, Bengals 17
• St. Louis Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. ET. This could be the second Rams game in a row featuring backup quarterbacks for both teams. Kellen Clemens is expected to start for the Rams. The Steelers need a bounce-back game after struggling through a 20-3 defeat at San Fransicso. They're likely to get it here. Sando's best guess: Steelers 24, Rams 6.
• San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 4:15 p.m. ET. Both offenses figure to have a tough time scoring even though the Seahawks, with assists from defense and special teams, have scored 99 points over their past three games. Both defenses have shown great ability to force turnovers. I'm picturing Tarvaris Jackson throwing the ball late, with Carlos Rogers jumping the route for an interception. I can see the Seahawks' big cornerbacks draped all over the 49ers' receivers, frustrating them and forcing Alex Smith to take sacks. How are the Seahawks going to block Aldon Smith without left tackle Russell Okung? Then again, the 49ers have lost their last two road games. They are coming off an emotional victory, followed by a short week. The stakes are higher for Seattle. Sando's best guess: Seahawks 13, 49ers 12.

I've been wrong on three of the last four 49ers' games. Picked them to win at Baltimore against the odds. Wrong. Thought they might struggle against Arizona, but figured their defense would let them prevail. Wrong. Thought they weren't playing well enough lately to trust them against the Steelers. Wrong again, and emphatically so.

Despite the recent carnage on 49ers predictions, my record for the season stands at 31-16 following a 3-1 showing in Week 15. All I want for Christmas is the NFC West to produce a wild-card entry and three teams with records of .500 or better. Is that too much to ask?

The Wall of Fame grew to welcome adc1333 and nlwhittle for their spot-on predictions from Week 15.

Nicely done. Both predicted scores and outcomes for one game involving at least one NFC West team (see Wall below).

Let's open the comments section of this item for Week 16 predictions. Those picking winners and final scores correctly earn NFC West blog immortality. Here are the games:

• St. Louis Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers
• Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals
• San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

I'll make my predictions Friday, as usual, after going 3-1 last week. Quite a few have asked for my thoughts on the 49ers and Seahawks. A week ago, I would have taken the Seahawks without much hesitation, based on how the 49ers were playing. The 49ers' performance against Pittsburgh on Monday put San Francisco back on course. I'm undecided.

Note: Thanks to SFC_12thMan for pointing out that he did not have the correct score on the Rams' game against Cincinnati. Thanks for being honest. My mistake.

Significant quarterback considerations affect every game involving NFC West teams in Week 15. That makes the picks tougher than usual.

• Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET. The Bears should win home games in December against West Coast teams with losing records. Subtracting Jay Cutler and Matt Forte from the Bears' lineup dramatically improves the Seahawks' chances. But the Seahawks' reshuffled offensive line faces difficult matchups. Let's pick against the team with Caleb Hanie at quarterback. Sando's best guess: Seahawks 13, Bears 10.
• St. Louis Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET. The Bengals have lost four of five, but nothing about the Rams suggests they'll win another game this season. Sam Bradford's injury status -- and his stats -- keep getting worse. Sando's best guess: Bengals 17, Rams 10.
• Arizona Cardinals vs. Cleveland Browns, 4:15 p.m. ET. The Browns have exceeded 14 points twice in their last 10 games. Having Seneca Wallace at quarterback probably helps, but the Cardinals are playing well enough on defense to control this game. The Cardinals, for all their struggles earlier in the season, lead the NFL in touchdowns covering at least 50 yards (nine). The Browns have given up only two. Sando's best guess: Cardinals 20, Browns 13.
• San Francisco 49ers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:30 p.m. ET. This is the toughest NFC West outcome to predict. The Steelers are traveling across the country with an injured quarterback to face one of the toughest defenses in the NFL. But the 49ers' offense is struggling and, as Matt Williamson pointed out, the matchups favor Pittsburgh. The Steelers' last three opponents have combined for 19 points. The 49ers gave up 21 to Arizona. Sando's best guess: Steelers 17, 49ers 16

My record picking NFC West games stands at 28-15 after going 1-1 last week amid indecision over the 49ers-Cardinals game.

Where am I wrong this time?

There was a point Monday night when my 23-6 prediction for a Seattle Seahawks victory seemed about right.

The eventual final score, 30-13 over the St. Louis Rams, kept my name off the Wall of Fame. Two others made it. Congratulations to FanBasher and gsaran, first-time winners with a score, 30-13, that had not won previously.

We've had 99 winners since the 2008 season. Twelve went with 17-13. Eleven went with 31-17. Those are the only final scores with more than seven winners.

Four non-division games await NFC West teams in Week 15. Those using the comments section of this item to correctly predict scores and outcomes for the following games earn a spot on the Wall:

• Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears
• St. Louis Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals
• Arizona Cardinals vs. Cleveland Browns
• San Francisco 49ers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

I'll make my predictions Friday, as usual. Note that NFC West teams are averaging 13 points per game against the AFC North this season.

One NFL game this week features two teams with at least four victories in each of their last five games.

That game takes place right here in the NFC West.

I'm tempted to pick the 5-7 Arizona Cardinals at home against the 10-2 San Francisco 49ers. Both teams are playing well on defense. The 49ers have already clinched the NFC West title. Yes, they would love to improve their seeding. I just don't think players draw much inspiration from potential seeding scenarios.

We have the Cardinals seeking to avenge an embarrassing defeat at San Francisco a few weeks ago, Arizona's fifth consecutive loss in the series. We have a 49ers team that clinched its division last week and plays a primetime game at home against Pittsburgh next week. As if to make sure that game against the Steelers appeared on the 49ers' radar early, Pittsburgh played the primetime game Thursday night, for all to see.

This game against Arizona feels like a setup. Chris Mortensen agrees. He's picking the Cardinals (with Mike Golic taking the St. Louis Rams over Seattle, by the way).

And now, a quick run through my best guesses for Week 14:

• Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers, 4:05 p.m. ET. All those preceding paragraphs are going out the window. Do I think the Cardinals can beat the 49ers? Yes. Do I think the Cardinals will beat the 49ers? Maybe. It hasn't happened since the 2008 season. This game should be much closer than the one between the teams last month. The Cardinals and 49ers are among five NFL teams to allow five or fewer total touchdowns from Week 9-13. Yes, they played the Rams a combined three times during that stretch. Sando's best guess: 49ers 17, Cardinals 13.
• Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET. There are lots of reasons to favor the Seahawks in this matchup. I cannot think of any factors favoring the Rams enough to swing the outcome in their favor. The last time these teams played, the Rams picked off Tarvaris Jackson's first two passes. They still lost by 17 points. It's just tough figuring out where the Rams are going to find their points. Sando's best guess: Seahawks 23, Rams 6.

My record picking NFC West games stands at 27-14 after going 2-1 last week (missing on a disclaimer-ridden 23-20 prediction for a Dallas victory over the Cardinals).

Where am I wrong this time?

Week 13 produced unusual (19-13, 26-0) and unexpected (31-14) scores for NFC West games.

The Wall of Fame held firm, in other words. And yes, I did catch rideaducati including an after-the-fact prediction for the Seattle Seahawks' 31-14 victory over Philadelphia. That'll be a $10,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct (would have been less had he ended someone's season).

Let's dive into Week 14. Those using the comments section of this item to correctly predict scores and outcomes for the following NFC West games earn a spot on the Wall:

• Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers
• Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams

I'll make my predictions Friday, as usual.

The NFC West is entering the second of three consecutive weeks with a prime-time game.

The Thursday night matchup featuring Seattle and Philadelphia moves up the regularly scheduled predictions column once again.

The record was only 1-2 last time out, thanks in part to the 10-point lead the Seahawks blew against the Washington Redskins.

Seattle is the one team in the NFC West that has pretty much met expectations in overall record, but picking the Seahawks' games from week to week has been a challenge. They beat the New York Giants, lost to Cleveland, beat Baltimore and lost to Washington.

I've been leaning against picking them against the Eagles, but the feel is changing as I imagine just how eager the Dream Team must be to face the Seahawks in Seattle.

• Seattle Seahawks vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m. ET. The Eagles' receivers aren't exactly the most physical bunch. Seattle's run defense should improve quite a bit with Alan Branch back in the lineup. Marshawn Lynch leads the NFL in rushing since Week 9. The Eagles went into this season with Super Bowl aspirations. Can they get up for the Seahawks? I'm a little skeptical. Also skeptical regarding Tarvaris Jackson's health and the Seahawks' ability to put up points. Sando's best guess: Seahawks 20, Eagles 17.
• St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers, 4:15 p.m. ET. Just about all the matchups favor the 49ers, who also have a division title to win. This one has the feel of a get-right game for San Francisco. Sando's best guess: 49ers 27, Rams 7.
• Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys own one victory over a team that currently has a winning record (49ers). That is one more than the Cardinals possess, although they led the Ravens, 24-6, before losing. An Arizona victory would not shock me. Sando's best guess: Cowboys 23, Cardinals 20.

Programming note: I'll be attending the Seahawks' game Thursday night and the Rams-49ers game Sunday.