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NFC West Update: Arizona Cardinals on Top of Division After Two Weeks

A detailed look around the NFC West after Week 2 in the NFL.

Each of the Seahawks' NFC West rivals recorded wins in Week 1, but not every divisional opponent was as fortunate in the season's second week.

The Arizona Cardinals ran away with one against the Chicago Bears, the San Francisco 49ers couldn't quite keep up with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the St. Louis Rams failed to get their offense going against the Washington Redskins.

Here's a closer look at how Seattle's NFC West rivals fared in Week 2 around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals (2-0)

The Result

The Cardinals topped the Bears, 48-23, at Chicago's Soldier Field.

What Happened

Carson Palmer's hot start to 2015 continued, as the Arizona quarterback tossed four touchdowns and completed 17-of-24 passes for 185 yards to improve to 15-2 in his last 17 starts ... Three of Palmer's four touchdowns and 112 of his 185 passing yards went to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, whose three scores matched a career-high he set in 2008's NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles ... veteran running back Chris Johnson started in place of the injured Andre Ellington (sprained knee), racking up 72 yards rushing ... Rookie running back David Johnson returned the opening kickoff a club-record 108 yards for a touchdown, tying the second-longest kickoff return in NFL history ... Safety Tony Jefferson and cornerback Patrick Peterson recorded interceptions of Bears quarterbacks Jay Cutler (Jefferson) and Jimmy Clausen (Peterson) after Cutler left the game with a hamstring injury.

Who's Hurt

Wide receiver J.J. Nelson partially dislocated his shoulder in the second quarter of Sunday's game and Arizona head coach Bruce Arians said Nelson could miss 2-4 weeks as a result. Linebacker LaMarr Woodley also injured his shoulder in the game and could be limited to start the week of practice.

Name(s) to Know

David Johnson and Bobby Massie. With his 108-yard kick return for a touchdown and 13-yard rushing touchdown in Week 2 coupled with his 55-yard receiving touchdown in Week 1, Johnson became the first rookie in NFL history to score rushing, receiving, and kick-return touchdowns in the first two games of his career. Massie, who started 16 games along the offensive line for the Cardinals last season, is eligible to return to action in Week 3 after serving a two-game suspension to start the year.

Worth a Look

The jersey and shoes from David Johnson's historic game are headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

What's Next

The Cardinals host the division rival San Francisco 49ers in Week 3 at Glendale's University of Phoenix Stadium.


San Francisco 49ers (1-1)

The Result

The 49ers fell to the Steelers, 43-18, at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field.

What Happened

The 49ers defense gave up 369 yards passing and three touchdowns to Ben Roethlisberger, as the Steelers quarterback found wideout Antonio Brown nine times for 195 yards and two scores ... Pittsburgh running back DeAngelo Williams tied a Steelers-record with three rushing touchdowns ... 274 of Colin Kaepernick's 335 yards passing came in the second half, with the 49ers quarterback also keeping the football nine times for 51 yards and suffering five sacks ... Running back Carlos Hyde carried 13 times for 43 yards, upping his NFL-high rushing total to 211 yards ... 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith caught six balls for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Who's Hurt

Running back Carlos Hyde suffered a head injury in the game's third quarter and with the lopsided score was held out as a precaution after passing the doctors' concussion evaluation. Hyde also suffered a leg contusion against the Steelers. Tight end Vance McDonald injured his knee in the first half and did not return, but X-rays came back negative. San Francisco head coach Jim Tomsula said neither of the setbacks are considered serious.

Name to Know

Torrey Smith. A 2015 free-agent addition of the 49ers, the former Baltimore Raven wideout hauled in the longest reception of his career this past Sunday against the Steelers on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Kaepernick. Smith leads all San Francisco pass catchers in receiving yards (131) through the first two weeks.

Worth a Look

A chronicle of NaVorro Bowman's return to the field. The 49ers linebacker missed the entire 2014 season after injuring his knee in the 2013 NFC Championship against the Seahawks.

What's Next

The Niners head to Arizona for a matchup with the NFC West rival Cardinals (2-0).


St. Louis Rams (1-1)

The Result

The Rams lost 24-10 to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.

What Happened

A week after holding Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch to 73 yards, the Rams defense gave up 123 yards and two touchdowns to Redskins rookie running back Matt Jones, a third-round pick out of Florida ... The St. Louis defense that sacked Russell Wilson six times got to Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins just twice, with Cousins completing 23 of his 27 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown as Washington rode its ground game to 182 total yards ... Rams quarterback Nick Foles went 17-of-32 for 150 yards and a touchdown, almost half the yards he put up against the Seahawks in Week 1 (297) ... Linebacker Alec Ogletree led the St. Louis defense with 16 tackles

Who's Hurt

The Rams didn't suffer any serious injuries in Week 2, but Todd Gurley, the team's first pick (No. 10 overall) in the 2015 draft, might be a game-time decision in Week 3. The running back has recovered from the ACL injury he suffered at Georgia, but Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said it's now about increasing Gurley's reps in practice to ensure he's confident heading into gameday.

Name to Know

Tre Mason. The Rams' leading rusher from 2014 returned to action in Week 2 against the Redskins after missing the regular-season opener against the Seahawks to injury. Mason finished this past Sunday's game with a team-high seven carries for 26 yards.

Worth a Look

An off-beat Q&A session with Rams defensive back Cody Davis.

What's Next

The Rams play host to the Steelers (1-1) at St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome.

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