Updated Oct. 14
Don't shake your head to try and clear your eyes. It is as real as the financial crisis. We're talking about the Arizona Cardinals sitting in the top 10 of the CBSSports.com Power Rankings.
Believe it.
That includes you, Mark Swanson (my skeptical boss who is a long-suffering Cardinals fan).
The Cardinals are for real, which is why they are No. 9 in the rankings. The past two weeks showed us that they are the team to beat in the NFC West. Two Sundays ago they dominated the Bills, Buffalo's only loss, and then beat the Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday in a wacky and wild game which actually wasn't as close as it looked.
The Cardinals have a two-game lead in the NFC West. They haven't had a two-game lead in a division since they moved to Arizona in 1988.
For the past three years, four if you count this one, I've picked the Cardinals to win the NFC West. I've been wrong. And it has led to an endless stream of ripping from my co-workers.
"They're the same old Cardinals," they tell me.
No, they are not.
This Cardinals team can score with a high-octane passing game. Kurt Warner can make all the throws and receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin make the best duo in football. The offensive line has developed into a quality five.
But the biggest difference is with the defense. They can pressure the quarterback. The Cowboys have one of the best offensive lines in football, but on Sunday the Cardinals got after Tony Romo, eventually breaking his pinkie in overtime.
Young talent is fun to watch as it grows. It can be so unpredictable at times, like when the New York Jets lit up the Arizona secondary in that blowout loss three weeks ago, jumping to a 34-0 lead. But when it comes together, which it appears to be doing, look out.
That Cardinals defense has young, fast, aggressive players in their fourth, fifth and sixth seasons that need to start getting some much-deserved attention. I pimped Adrian Wilson as a star long before he made it to Hawaii, and he has continued playing at a high level when he's not being bothered by injuries.
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Defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, who can also play end, is another young player moving up on the star pecking order. The defense is deep, too. They can run a bunch of players at you in their front seven, which keeps them fresh and keeps the opposing quarterback jumping.
They will stay in the top 10 for another week, too since they are off this week. That takes us to two Sundays from now. That's when they hit the road to play the Carolina Panthers, giving Cardinals fans another chance for doubt.
Arizona is 3-8 on the road under second-year coach Ken Whisenhunt, including two road losses this season. The last time they played in somebody else's stadium, the Jets embarrassed them in that first half.
Same old Cardinals, they said.
They're not. Even my boss has to believe that now.
The Power Rankings through Week 6:
| Power Rankings | ||||||||||
| Current | Team | Previous | ||||||||
 | 1 | Colts · Trends | 1 | |||||||
| They didn't look great against the 49ers, but they found a way. That's what good teams do. It has to be good having Bob Sanders back again. | ||||||||||
 | 2 | Saints · Trends | 2 | |||||||
| It was a little bit of a struggle against the Falcons, but the schedule is favorable the rest of the way, to say the least. Is an undefeated season possible? | ||||||||||
 | 3 | Vikings · Trends | 4 | |||||||
| They have a real hold on the division after sweeping the Packers. They really are a balanced team and Brett Favre is coming off a big game. There, I said it. Aside from the Steelers game, he is playing well. | ||||||||||
 | 4 | Broncos · Trends | 3 | |||||||
| After their first loss, here come the champions. The Pittsburgh Steelers will provide another stiff test for the Broncos. They need to throw it better. Period. | ||||||||||
 | 5 | Patriots · Trends | 5 | |||||||
| They come off the bye with a chance to take a real hold of the division by beating Miami. You know they'll be ready for the Wildcat. | ||||||||||
 | 6 | Bengals · Trends | 6 | |||||||
| At 5-2 after their bye, they get a rematch with the Ravens this week. They can throw it better now than when they beat them the first time, which should help. | ||||||||||
 | 7 | Steelers · Trends | 7 | |||||||
| They can show they are back with a road victory at Denver. The bye week gives them a little edge heading into that one, although Denver will be angry coming off its first loss. | ||||||||||
 | 8 | Eagles · Trends | 8 | |||||||
| We get Eagles-Cowboys this week for first place in the NFC East. That should be fun. The Eagles are rolling after that Oakland disaster two weeks ago. | ||||||||||
 | 9 | Cowboys · Trends | 11 | |||||||
| Is it time to stop ripping on Tony Romo? He's playing some of his best football. The defense, which was a problem much of the season, is playing better. | ||||||||||
 | 10 | Ravens · Trends | 14 | |||||||
| They had to beat Denver to save their season, but now they get a big one against the Bengals on the road. To have a real chance to win the division, they need that one. | ||||||||||
 | 11 | Cardinals · Trends | 9 | |||||||
| Can anybody figure this team out? They play well on the road and stink it up at home. Good thing they're on the road this week. | ||||||||||
 | 12 | Giants · Trends | 10 | |||||||
| They are an example of how fast things can go bad in the NFL. If that defense doesn't play better soon, they could be playoff-less. | ||||||||||
 | 13 | Texans · Trends | 16 | |||||||
| The improvement of the defense to go with that passing game has really helped this team. They do have a lot of premium talent on the defensive side of the ball. | ||||||||||
 | 14 | Chargers · Trends | 17 | |||||||
| They seemed to right things the past two weeks, but now must head east to play a desperate Giants team. That won't be easy. | ||||||||||
 | 15 | Falcons · Trends | 12 | |||||||
| They played well at New Orleans, especially in the second half, and the schedule gets easier now. They are a good 4-3 team. | ||||||||||
 | 16 | Packers · Trends | 13 | |||||||
| Boy that offensive line is bad. If they don't improve there, Aaron Rodgers doesn't stand a chance. | ||||||||||
 | 17 | Bears · Trends | 19 | |||||||
| Nothing like the Cleveland Browns to provide the perfect potion for all that ails a team. Facing Arizona at home this week won't be as easy. | ||||||||||
 | 18 | Dolphins · Trends | 22 | |||||||
| That wasn't pretty against the Jets, but they found a way. Now they have to go to New England, with a chance to get back into the race. Playing two consecutive road games is tough. | ||||||||||
 | 19 | Jets · Trends | 15 | |||||||
| There is no way they should have lost to the Dolphins at home, but at 4-4 they have been way too inconsistent. How about some special-teams work this week? | ||||||||||
 | 20 | Jaguars · Trends | 18 | |||||||
| They will be a .500 team at best. The defense isn't very good, so they will play a lot of high-scoring games. The good news is they have a winnable game against Kansas City this week. | ||||||||||
 | 21 | Panthers · Trends | 24 | |||||||
| Was that a job saver for coach John Fox and a season saver last week in Arizona? It was a big win, but those two things are still to be decided. | ||||||||||
 | 22 | 49ers · Trends | 20 | |||||||
| Playing close isn't good enough. They have to start winning those kinds of games. It's hard when they're limited on offense. | ||||||||||
 | 23 | Bills · Trends | 21 | |||||||
| The run defense is really bad and they don't have the offense to make up for it. Did you ever think they would long to get Trent Edwards back so much? | ||||||||||
 | 24 | Seahawks · Trends | 23 | |||||||
| They've been a major disappointment in a lot of people's minds. But the injuries have crippled this team. It's a tough first year for Jim Mora Jr. | ||||||||||
 | 25 | Raiders · Trends | 25 | |||||||
| At least they showed up and competed against the Chargers. It's more than they did the previous week. Wonder how Tom Cable's troubles will affect the team? | ||||||||||
 | 26 | Chiefs · Trends | 26 | |||||||
| They come off their bye with the Larry Johnson saga hanging over their heads. Something they need more of: Better play from Matt Cassel. | ||||||||||
 | 27 | Redskins · Trends | 27 | |||||||
| Did they fix things during the bye? Is Jim Zorn safe now that he made it through the week off? Can they turn it around? Doubtful. | ||||||||||
 | 28 | Rams · Trends | 31 | |||||||
| They won. They won. They won. After 17 consecutive losses, they should celebrate. Steven Jackson is having a good year for a bad team. | ||||||||||
 | 29 | Titans · Trends | 32 | |||||||
| The move to Vince Young paid off. Yeah, as long as Chris Johnson runs for 228, it paid off. They did show more life coming off their bye in winning for the first time. | ||||||||||
 | 30 | Lions · Trends | 28 | |||||||
| Losing to the Rams drops them down a few spots. They are competing, which is a good sign for this young team. | ||||||||||
 | 31 | Browns · Trends | 29 | |||||||
| Does this team need a bye or what? Do they really have to play out the season with that offense? | ||||||||||
 | 32 | Buccaneers · Trends | 30 | |||||||
| The Josh Freeman Era begins, and it's the right thing to do. They have to get him going for the future. Why wait? | ||||||||||
