NFC West stock up, down: Brock Purdy answers all of the questions

With Week 1 of the regular season in the books, here's a look at whose stock is up and down in the NFC West:

Stock up

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers quarterback: Maybe the nine regular-season games and three postseason contests he played as a rookie in 2022 were not enough for you to buy in on Purdy. Maybe you were concerned about his recovery from a major elbow injury that limited him in the offseason. Maybe you were like Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson and thought Purdy and the 49ers had some "tells" offensively that could limit them.

Whatever the question might have been, Purdy and the 49ers answered it emphatically on Sunday in an impressive 30-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Purdy looked poised, mobile and efficient as he completed 19 of 29 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers are 8-0 in games Purdy has started and completed dating to last season (including the playoffs). 

Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver: The injury to Cooper Kupp was a massive concern for the Rams going into Sunday's opener. That's not only because he is one of the best wide receivers in football and a key part of their offense, but also because the wide receiver depth chart after him did not look deep.

That simply meant it was an opportunity for other players to step up, and nobody did that more than Atwell. He caught six of the eight passes thrown his way for 119 yards in the Rams' 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Coming into this season, he had 18 receptions over two years.

Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver: While Purdy and the 49ers did a fantastic job spreading the ball around, nobody was more impactful in the passing game than Aiyuk. He caught eight passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, including a highlight-reel grab around near-perfect coverage.