This could be one of the most surprising four weeks in Arizona Cardinals history.

Even more so than a few years ago, when Arizona was off to a 7-0 start, very few fans, analysts or perhaps even those close to the team saw this coming.

Even if we had predicted this coming, it would have been difficult to see the path that four-game winning streak is here.

The latest victory could be the magnum opus. Most fans don’t hope so – but at least at this point in the season.

Here are several takeaways – and yes, they are all positive. If you can find a major flaw in the way Arizona won this game, kudos to you.

It could be 17 consecutive successes. Maybe the two rushing touchdowns. Maybe he was throwing a nice touchdown pass right after being sacked so hard his helmet flew off.

Whatever proof you need, Murray looked and played comfortable against one of the best defenses (or at least early in the year) in the league.

Murray had no problem doing what he wanted. His “worst” thrown ball of the day probably still came to Trey McBride (who was wide open). Murray keeping pace with Drew Petzing’s offense heading into the bye week is not only exciting news for Cardinals fans, but something most didn’t believe possible a few weeks ago .

Every time McBride touched the ball today, it was a big play. The aforementioned wide open catch. The big third down conversion with 10 minutes left in the second, Arizona led 14-6, where he broke a tackle to pick up 17 yards instead of the four or so he should have had.

He only had four catches, but every one of them seemed important (most fans will even forget that he “dropped” a touchdown). He is a huge target, physically and mentally, for Kyler Murray.

And yes, I think that’s not a bad thing for Marvin Harrison Jr.

Before the season started, most analysts and fans could see Arizona putting together games like this fairly regularly, mostly because most fans thought they should do it with the defense.

Again, not to belabor the point, but just a few weeks ago these kinds of games were in doubt.

Two weeks ago in Miami, it was the passing game. Last week, it was the running game that destroyed the Bears. This week… how about clicking on both aspects?

What’s scary about this offense is that over the last two games, the stats probably could have been even more gaudy (350 and 406 yards, respectively) if the game hadn’t been in hand in the fourth two games. quarters.

They’re controlling things with the running game, as was the plan for the start of the year, and keeping their defense off the field by staying in rhythm with easy throws to Murray (well, mostly easy… .).

It’s crazy to think that we may not have seen the best of this offense yet.

Trey Benson is having a somewhat disappointing start to the season. Grouped together with the rest of the four third-round picks Arizona had in Benson, Isaiah Adams, Tip Reiman and Elijah Jones, most Cardinals fans would say it was a disappointing round for Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort .

Maybe not so much anymore.

Benson was considered by some to be the best running back in last year’s draft and finally appears to be delivering on that promise. He led the team with 62 rushing yards – with several long plays in the second half wearing down the Jets.

Some, including myself, thought Michael Carter deserved more work. However, given the time and patience he deserved, Benson proves that he is not only a good compliment to James Conner, but also a viable replacement. Some of his runs, with the broken tackles and vision, seemed very Conner-esque.

Adams and Reiman as well, with each passing week and more playing time, continue to prove Ossenfort wise as they are valuable parts of the Cardinals’ unstoppable running game. It’s a huge lesson in patience for critical fans – but also an exciting turnaround after a slow start to the season for these three.

We wonder what Elijah Jones will do when he returns, don’t we?

Speaking of Arizona’s secondary:

It’s past time to admit that the Cardinals secondary has been the most impressive part of this team, and perhaps the main linchpin of their current momentum.

Yes, the defense as a whole has impressed over the last two weeks, but let’s take a step back. Arizona held two very good receiving corps (at least on paper) in check, despite two weeks of injuries to a starter.

Budda Baker may be having the best season of her career, and that says a lot about a perennial professional bowler. He doesn’t have the gaudy interception numbers you’d expect from a safety, but his tackling is impeccable and he’s constantly close to the football. He has 7 lost tackles this season, along with a total of 100 tackles and got his first sack on Sunday – and a well-deserved sack to say the least.

He will challenge Ossenfort in the offseason to make a decision regarding his future.

One of the main reasons for this is Dadrion Taylor-Demerson’s play. Every time “Rabbit” is on the field, he makes his presence known. He tackles everyone in his line of sight, much like Baker, and has a nose for the football. He plays deep safety, perhaps better than anyone on the team – it’s a shock he hasn’t had an interception yet (he almost had one in the end zone on Sunday ).

The transition from him to Jalen Thompson was seamless on Sunday and was a big reason they held Rodgers and company to just 151 passing yards.

And let’s not forget the cornerbacks. Max Melton, Starling Thomas and Garrett Williams all made huge plays on Sunday. Even the much-maligned Sean Murphy-Bunting was solid and a long spell with the other three kept everything in front of them. There were no deep passes or coverage breakdowns this week. No spectacular catch from Garrett Wilson or takeover play from Devontae Adams.

We can’t say enough about all these backend players. The additions in free agency and the draft are clearly paying off.

A somewhat minor takeaway from this game is that it appears Browning was a solid move for this team, especially for a sixth-round pick. Will he be the 10+ sack player they need on this team to be a truly dominant defense? That remains to be seen.

But even in limited snaps, he made his presence felt, pressuring Aaron Rodgers on multiple occasions and showing off an impressive spin move.

Right now, the sum of the pass rush is greater than its parts. Heading into an offseason full of money, the Cardinals can, and probably will, add a defensive lineman to the top three (…wait, what’s that? They have a first-round player who hasn’t played yet? You don’t say… .) and to the passer group.

But if the last two games haven’t shown anything else, it’s that the defense has taken a huge step forward from last year.

It’s everything most Cardinals fans would have asked for, and Browning will be a key part of that down the stretch of the season.