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NFC West Report: 17 Things to Know before Week 8

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With that said, here are 17 things to know about the San Francisco 49ers three divisional foes entering Week 8, which is the 49ers bye.

1. The Arizona Cardinals held off the Oakland Raiders, 24-13.

  1. In quarterback Carson Palmer's return to Oakland, where he played from 2011 to '12, he was 22-of-31 for 253 yards passing to go along with two touchdowns. It appears Palmer's in midseason form after missing time with a shoulder strain.
  1. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who told reporters it was nice to be "in the driver's seat" in the division race, has just 23 catches and one touchdown through six games. He was one of nine Cardinals wideouts with a reception in this game.
  1. Running back Andre Ellington might be the team's best wideout. He had 88 rushing yards and 72 receiving yards against Oakland despite suffering a minor rib injury.

5. Kicker Chandler Catanzaro has started his NFL career with 15 straight successful field goal attempts. 

  1. Arizona, which has been on a roll since last season, hosts the 5-1 Philadelphia Eagles next.

7. The St. Louis Rams bested the Seattle Seahawks, 28-26, thanks to a couple of perfectly executed special teams fakes.

  1. One week after debuting against the 49ers, Rams rookie Tre Mason filled in for Zac Stacy, gaining 85 yards on 18 carries. He said postgame that he left the ball from his first touchdown on the field because he doesn't want to get "stuck on one."
  1. Coach Jeff Fisher told reporters that a healthy Stacey could get 25 carries next Sunday versus the 3-3 Kansas City Chiefs.
  1. In the passing game, it seems like quarterback Austin Davis has found his safety net on third down.
  1. Speaking of wideouts, St. Louis cut Austin Pettis because he missed a team meeting, according to reports.
  1. Offensive guard Rodger Saffold left late in Week 7 action with a knee injury but said he will be ready to go for the Chiefs game.

13. The Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson, passed for 313 yards and rushed for 106 yards, the first time in NFL history that a signal-caller has crossed both thresholds in the same game. It's not often that he's going to put up those numbers and lose.

14. Wideout Doug Baldwin, who didn't always see eye to eye with now-ex-teammate Percy Harvin (traded to the New York Jets), caught a team-high seven passes for 123 yards and a score. 

15. The team added to its pass-catching corps.

  1. Defensively, Seattle's defense failed to sack Davis. The unit hadn't been shut out in the category since its 2012 regular season finale against the Rams. They'll need to get back on the board against Cam Newton and the 3-3-1 Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
  1. On the injury front: Fullback Derrick Coleman broke his foot during pregame warmups, but the team hopes to have center Max Unger (foot) and cornerback Byron Maxwell (calf) back at practice this week.
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