Their defense has stifled opposing offenses led by the likes of Tom Brady and Michael Vick, to the tune of the second best points per game (13.3) average in the league.

Kevin Kolb, their once-beleaguered quarterback, is showing signs of the player they traded for and signed to a five-year, 21 million dollar extension back in July 2011.

And most importantly heading into Week 4, they sit alone a top the NFC West -- a division that is clearly on the rise in 2012.

Still, ESPN senior football analyst John Clayton isn't completely sold the Cardinals are the team to beat out west.

"In the NFC West, the eye test still says it's San Francisco," Clayton said Arizona Sports 620's Doug & Wolf. "Even though they lost at Minnesota and played poorly. The record obviously goes with Arizona."

While Clayton wasn't quite ready anoint the Cardinals as one of the NFC's elite teams just yet, he didn't shy away from making a bold prediction about their upcoming slate of games.

"Just when I look at the schedule in the next four weeks, how out of line is it to say that the Cardinals could be 7-0 or 6-1?" said Clayton. "I think it's very viable. The defense keeps them in every game.

"But I think the significant change overall is how good the defenses are in the division. They are all sensational."

The Cardinals play host this weekend to the 1-2 Miami Dolphins, and then travel to St. Louis to face the Rams on Thursday night.

If the Cardinals are to prove their mettle in the division, they'll have to wait until Week 8 to do so, when they welcome the reigning NFC West champion 49ers to town for a Monday Night Football showdown on Oct. 29.