The knock on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy early in his tenure was that he was just going to be a game manager, a guy who was solid enough under center, but someone who ultimately wouldn't lose you games but also wouldn't win them.
But, as Purdy's career has gone on, it's becoming clearer with each week that he is more gunslinger than game manager and that he has more than enough arm to make any throw you want him to make.
All that, combined with his high-level processing, allows him to continue to be successful even as the weapons around him are not as extensive.
That's why Purdy, pending the results of the Monday Night Football double-header, is leading the league in passing yards with 1,130 through four games, but is also far and away the leader in yards per attempt (9.3, with second-place Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings at 8.8), showing not only big stats but continued efficiency as a passer.
In Sunday's win over the New England Patriots, Purdy made a bunch of big throws that put the Niners' offense in position to succeed and was instrumental in leading the offense in a much-needed 30-13 win over New England.
Here are the five best throws from Purdy's outing on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, in chronological order through the game.
No. 1: 1st quarter, 4:43 to go, 15 yards to George Kittle
Early in the game, Purdy had to use his legs to make plays, much like he did in San Francisco's Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
Purdy scrambled for two first downs on the Niners' first drive, but it was a whirling effort to escape pressure and then throw a dot to tight end George Kittle on 3rd-and-9 from the Patriots' 21-yard-line that was the quarterback's first impressive throw (starts at the 0:12 mark of the video) of the game.
The 49ers' quarterback wheeled to his left, then turned his body to get into a good throwing position, all while directing his tight end to the spot he wanted.
The throw itself was a good one, even if the degree of difficulty was lower than others on this list, but it was on target and put where only Kittle could grab it.
Plus, extra points for getting out of a messy pocket to make the throw and set up first-and-goal for the offense.
No. 2: 2nd quarter, 6:39 to go, 32 yards to Jauan Jennings
This throw was all about anticipation.
Fox color commentator Greg Olsen noted the Patriots were in a Tampa-2 defense and that Purdy knew exactly where he needed to put the ball where Jennings would be on the play.
The throw came well before Jennings hit his spot and right at the top of Purdy's drop, plus good protection from the offensive line gave the quarterback time to make the correct read and make the throw.
It was also a great catch by Jennings, but without the throw being in the exact right spot, the wide receiver would not have had the opportunity to make the play to begin with.
Jennings, coming off a career game last week in Los Angeles, had another solid game with three receptions for 88 yards.
No. 3: 2nd quarter, 3:18 to go, 12 yards to George Kittle for a touchdown
In a bizarre sequence, the 49ers actually scored three touchdowns on the Patriots, all three on Purdy throws: first to running back Jordan Mason, then to fullback Kyle Juszczyk (in a throw that was similarly impressive as the first one to Kittle above), and finally this impressive throw-and-catch to Kittle.
The Mason touchdown was called back on a highly questionable holding penalty on Kittle (Olsen joked that his fellow tight end did it on purpose so he could score the touchdown), while Juszczyk's came back after an equally suspect illegal shift penalty on the offense.
But Purdy was not phased, even as the Patriots defense pushed the 49ers to 3rd-and-10 from the New England 12-yard-line.
Instead, he dropped back and tossed a dime to Kittle, who soared above three Patriot defenders to pull down the incredible touchdown.
No. 4: 3rd quarter, 12:05 to go, 53 yards to Deebo Samuel
After a less than auspicious start to the second half, where rookie Isaac Guerendo fumbled the opening kickoff, leading to a Patriots touchdown, Purdy was on a mission to get those points back immediately.
So he took the first snap of the half for the 49ers offense and delivered a strike of a deep ball to wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who caught the ball on his hip between two defenders to get the offense rolling again.
The timing of this throw was once again perfect, as Purdy hit the top of his drop and let it fly, dropping the ball right into Deebo's hands to open up a quick scoring drive that would end in a Jordan Mason rushing touchdown just three plays later.
The Niners probably weren't expecting Deebo back so quickly from his calf strain, but the wideout made a massive impact in the game with this catch, even if it was otherwise a quieter return to the lineup, with just five total touches (three catches, two runs) for 72 yards, the bulk of which came on this reception.
Still, it was good to have another explosive player back in the fold.
No. 5: 4th quarter, 13:26 to go, 45 yards to Jauan Jennings
Jennings once against features on the final impressive throw from Purdy, who dropped this ball into a bucket deep down the field against good coverage by Patriots defensive back Marcus Jones.
While not as impressive a catch as the one he made over a Rams defender last week, this is a good grab from Jennings with perfect ball placement from his quarterback.
In terms of pure throws, this is probably the most impressive from Purdy on the day. And it just missed going down as an even longer touchdown throw, as Jones managed to trip Jennings up before the receiver broke free into the open field.
All told, Purdy finished the game 15-of-27 for 288 yards, one touchdown, and one poorly judged interception, along with 5 carries for 11 yards to help lead his team to victory.
One thing is for sure, these throws, along with his overall play against a good Patriots defense, continue to prove that Purdy is among the NFL's best quarterbacks right now.