2. San Francisco 49ers
Recap: You may be surprised to see the 49ers so high, but a big reason for that is that when you play a divisional rival records get thrown out the window. Not only that, but the Cardinals and 49ers played each other in just a two weeks ago.
We have seen the 49ers win as favorites, we have seen them win close games, we have seen them win on the road and at home, and now we have seen them overcome a 16-point deficit to win a divisional game.
That matters when you are looking at a coaching staff and when you are looking at how players respond to adverse situations.
Outlook: The 49ers found a passing game in a pinch and they controlled the line of scrimmage on defense. The colder it gets the more of that running game we will see and when the offensive line gets fully healthy and knocks all the rust off, I am curious to see just how good they can be.
Until then, the 49ers will just have to settle for being extremely well coached as well as having the personnel and talent to adapt to any situation in real time.