Young Cardinals are proving to be NFL's surprise contender 

It's becoming clear the Arizona Cardinals have advanced from fun and competitive to a legitimate contender in the NFC. And for proof, Sunday's dominating 31-6 win over the Jets marked Arizona's fourth straight victory and has the Cardinals at 6-4 and sitting at the top of the NFC West. 

While some could argue the Jets have been imploding for weeks and could lose to anybody at this point — and that appears to be true — the way Arizona won should open people's eyes about this young and exciting team. 

Kyler Murray, who has been having a quietly solid season, had a near-perfect game as far as efficiency. He posted a 91.7 completion percentage, connecting on 22-of-24 passes for 266 yards. Murray added 21 yards with his legs and found the end zone three times — twice on the ground and once through the air. 

The former 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowler is on pace for his best statistical season to date. Through 10 games, Murray has 2,058 passing yards, 371 rushing yards, 16 total touchdowns and only three interceptions as he continues to show his critics he can be a franchise quarterback after all after a couple less than stellar seasons. 

Arizona's offense clicked, just as it has in recent weeks. Murray even involved seven different receivers and running back James Conner totaled 113 yards and a touchdown as he was involved in both the running and passing game. Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. caught five balls, including one for a touchdown, for 54 yards. 

The 31 points scored against the Jets is the second most they've produced in a game so far this season, second only to putting 41 on the Rams in Week 2. The Cardinals have now scored at least 28 points in three straight games, with wins over Miami, Chicago and New York. 

But what makes the Cardinals truly dangerous, especially in a wide-open NFC, is their defense is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in its own right. The Arizona defense has now kept back-to-back opponents to single digits in points and has held three out of the last four teams they've faced to under 20 points. Consistent performances like that are rare against anybody in today's NFL. 

If Arizona can keep this level of play up after their upcoming bye week, there's no reason the Cardinals won't reach the playoffs for the first time since 2021. 

When you factor in that the top players on the team, Murray, Harrison, Conner, tight end Trey McBride, safety Budda Baker, linebacker Kyzir White and second-year defensive lineman Dante Stills are all under 30, the Cardinals are officially putting the rest of the NFL on notice that they are planning to be a problem for years to come.