With a Healthy Carson Palmer, Are the Cardinals the NFC's Scariest Team?

With so much parity through two weeks in the NFL, the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals have a chance to be the top team in the NFC.

The Cardinals dominated the Chicago Bears in Week 2 with a 48-23 victory, showcasing big-time performances from a number of key players. Quarterback Carson Palmer had four touchdowns, including three to ageless receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Rookie David Johnson returned a kickoff 108 yards for one of his two scores on the day.

Bleacher Report Insights noted the rarity of such a performance:

"

48 points scored by @AZCardinals at Chicago today, their most in a regular-season game on the road since Week 2 of 1965. #ARIvsCHI

— B/R Insights (@BR_Insights) September 20, 2015"

While it certainly helped that Bears starting quarterback Jay Cutler was injured early in the game, the win was a coming-out party for what could be one of the best offenses in the NFL. Amazingly, head coach Bruce Arians is still expecting more, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:

This level of excitement in the offense is a bit of a surprise based on what we saw last season. Sure, the Cardinals reached the playoffs with an 11-5 record, but it was the defense that led the way through most of the year. The offense only ended 2014 ranked 24th in the NFL in both total yards and points scored.

Of course, a big reason for the offensive struggles was the injury to Carson Palmer. The veteran quarterback tore his ACL after just six games in 2014, leaving the franchise to survive with Drew Stanton and eventually Ryan Lindley. 

Now that Palmer is healthy, it's clear just how much of a difference he makes. In two games, the team has totaled 79 points and moved the ball with impressive fluidity. The 35-year-old quarterback has excelled individually as well, racking up seven touchdowns with just one interception in the early going. While he didn't need many yards on Sunday, he remained efficient while completing 70.8 percent of his attempts.

Most importantly, Arizona is now 8-0 in games Palmer has started over the past two years.

The quarterback's presence has also awoken the receivers on the roster. Fitzgerald had his first career three-touchdown game against the Bears, including some ridiculous catches like this one:

Both John Brown and Jaron Brown have been effective with Palmer on the field over the past two years, and Michael Floyd still has the talent to make a difference when he is healthy. Add in running backs Andre Ellington, David Johnson and even Chris Johnson (72 yards on 20 carries Sunday), and there are weapons all over the field.

Still, the biggest difference for Arizona in 2015 is the offensive line. This unit was one of the worst in football two years ago and wasn't much better in 2014, rated No. 24 in the NFL by Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus. This year's version appears to be on its way toward a much better result.

Through two games, the offensive line is yet to allow a sack, and the extra time has allowed Palmer to find his targets down the field. The squad also averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry in Week 2 (not counting kneel-downs at the end of the game), despite not having a healthy starting running back in Ellington.

Jody Oehler of Fox Sports Radio noted the line's impact on the team:

Even more encouraging is the fact this group could get even better down the line with the additions of Mike Iupati and first-round pick D.J. Humphries. As long as left tackle Jared Veldheer and company play as well as they have to this point, the Cardinals offense will remain among the best in the NFL.

Adding this to a defense that has been inconsistent but still features top playmakers such as Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, this squad will be tough to beat this season.

The NFC is expected to be challenging at the top, but most of the elite competition has serious question marks at this point of the year.

The Seattle Seahawks have major issues on their offensive line and are still without Pro Bowl safety Kam Chancellor as he continues his holdout. The Green Bay Packers have to overcome key injuries to Jordy Nelson and now Bryan Bulaga. An extended injury to Dez Bryant will hurt the Dallas Cowboys offensively as they still try to adjust to life without DeMarco Murray. The Philadelphia Eagles have talent but are completely unproven.

With that said, the Cardinals are still going to be challenged throughout the year.

Week	Opponent	Date	Time (ET)/Result
1	New Orleans Saints	Sept. 13	W, 31-19
2	at Chicago Bears	Sept. 20	W, 48-23
3	San Francisco 49ers	Sept. 27	4:05 p.m.
4	St. Louis Rams	Oct. 4	4:25 p.m.
5	at Detroit Lions	Oct. 11	4:05 p.m.
6	at Pittsburgh Steelers	Oct. 18	1 p.m.
7	Baltimore Ravens	Oct. 26	8:30 p.m.
8	at Cleveland Browns	Nov. 1	1 p.m.
9	BYE
10	at Seattle Seahawks	Nov. 15	8:30 p.m.
11	Cincinnati Bengals	Nov. 22	4:05 p.m.
12	at San Francisco 49ers	Nov. 29	4:05 p.m.
13	at St. Louis Rams	Dec. 6	1 p.m.
14	Minnesota Vikings	Dec. 10	8:25 p.m.
15	at Philadelphia Eagles	Dec. 20	1 p.m.
16	Green Bay Packers	Dec. 27	4:25 p.m.
17	Seattle Seahawks	Jan. 3	4:25 p.m.

The schedule doesn't do the team any favors with matchups against the entire AFC North, but the real story is the way the season ends. Arizona will face three of the best teams in the NFC in the final three weeks of the year, giving the franchise a chance to truly prove itself as it possibly heads into the playoffs.

Obviously, the Packers and the Seahawks have much more experience when it comes to meaningful games in December and January. Quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers both have Super Bowl titles on their resumes and fully expect to have another deep run this time around. Still, you can be certain neither team will want to face the Cardinals.

With a mix of veterans and youth to go with a well-rounded roster, there is no reason to expect any sort of decline for this team. Instead of fighting for a spot in the postseason during the final few weeks, it could be battling for the No. 1 seed.

There are no certainties in the NFL, but Arizona appears to be a legitimate contender. As long as Palmer remains healthy and the offensive line holds up, this could be the team to beat in the NFC.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for more year-round sports analysis.