Rams falter, Seahawks surge, 49ers streak. December's NFC West race ignites with three teams battling for divisional supremacy.

The Rams surprisingly lost to the Panthers in Week 13, which has tightened things in the NFC West. Here's a look at the odds to win the division.

After three months of catastrophic injuries, identity crises, and the kind of week-to-week roster shuffling that usually ages a fan base in dog years, the 49ers are no longer just fighting for oxygen. They are staring down a legitimate, realistic path to the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. Yes, seriously. Stop laughing.

Seattle dominated in a 26-0 shutout win over the Minnesota Vikings at home. The defense picked off Max Brosmer four times, with linebacker Ernest Jones returning one 85 yards for a touchdown, and Jason Myers kicked four field goals. The two teams combined for only 381 yards of offense.

The Los Angeles Rams suffered through a rare dud last weekend, falling to the Carolina Panthers in a turnover-filled 31-28 loss that ended a six-game winning streak

With all four NFC West teams facing each other, it was an interesting week as things went mostly according to plan. Based on the result, the Seattle Seahawks came close to a victory, but their performance wasn’t ideal.

The Bears are in first place because of their conference record tiebreaker over the Rams right now. The Rams, tied with the Seahawks at 9-3, are No. 2 because they have a head-to-head win over Seattle to have the NFC West lead.

As Sunday fast approaches, the Rams will get the chance to capitalize on their mistakes and do so in enemy territory against a fairly dubious 3-9 Arizona Cardinals team in a NFC West divisional showdown.