Cardinals Are NFL's Most Exciting Team Under Full-Tilt Head Coach Bruce Arians

Winning isn't good enough for Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians. 

If the Cardinals establish a lead this year, Arians won't let his team milk it. Instead, the Cardinals will step on their opponent's throat and finish them with the ruthlessness of a Mortal Kombat move. 

The 62 year-old head coach doesn't appear content being 3-0 overall, or to merely beat teams. Apparently, he wants destroy them.

Through three weeks of play, the Cardinals have won their games by a combined score of 126-49. The 77-point differential is by far the league's widest margin. The next closest team is the New England Patriots with a 49-point differential. The Cardinals, in essence, are four touchdowns better than any other team right now. 

As such, Arizona can make its case as the NFL's best team. If it's not the best team, Arians' squad is the most complete, as NFL Network's Rich Eisen claimed: 

Last week, the head coach sent a message after the Cardinals' 48-23 victory over the Chicago Bears, per AZCardinals.com's Darren Urban: .

Complacency didn't creep into the Cardinals locker room. Instead, Arians' message was received loud and clear. At every level, the Cardinals were a better team this week compared to last. 

When the San Francisco 49ers came to town Sunday, Jim Tomsula's team ran right into a red freight train. The Cardinals crushed the 49ers 47-7. 

Arizona dominated at every level. The Cardinals offense accumulated 446 total yards. The team also had a 13-minute advantage in time of possession. Arizona managed 28 first downs compared to San Francisco's 10. And the Cardinals defense created four turnovers and a safety. 

To place this performance into proper perspective, the NFL records books needed to be cracked open and referenced. 

Over the last two weeks, the Cardinals scored 40 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1969. The team's 47 points were the most Arizona ever scored against San Francisco. Plus, the defense scored touchdowns on two interceptions and added a safety in the same game for the first time since the 1949 season. 

Sunday's performance can't be described as anything other than pure and utter dominance by the Cardinals. The team simply wasn't going to let its proverbial foot off the gas. 

While leading 40-7 with 6:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, Arians made his team go for it on 4th-and-1 from the 49ers' 12-yard line. 

SB Nation provided visual evidence of the fourth-down decision: 

After converting the fourth-down attempt, quarterback Carson Palmer took one incomplete shot at the end zone before he connected with veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald for an eight-yard touchdown on a screen pass. 

As such, Arians begrudgingly gave his team a little more credit this week than last, per Urban: 

What makes the Cardinals the NFL's most exciting team is the fact they're built to win consistently in today's NFL. 

Everything is geared toward the offense, and three things are needed to succeed at a high level. 

The first is franchise-level quarterback play. Carson Palmer currently looks like a QB who continues to get better with age. He doesn't appear anything like a signal-caller coming off a season-ending knee surgery. 

Palmer has completed 63.6 percent of his passes this season, which would the third-best performance of his career if he continues his current pace. He's also thrown for more than 300 yards in two of the first three games. And he sits at nine touchdowns compared to two interceptions. 

The quarterback is also set up for success, because the Cardinals own dynamic skill-position players. 

Chris Johnson looked revitalized during Sunday's performance. CJ2K ran the ball 22 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie David Johnson, meanwhile, isn't just a threat on special teams and in the passing game. The Northern Iowa product runs with authority, more so than any other back on the roster. 

And the Cardinals wide receiver corps is quite talented. 

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

John Brown is one of the league's premier deep threats. Michael Floyd returned to the field against the 49ers to give the team a big, physical target. And Fitzgerald looks like his old self with 17 receptions for 246 yards and five touchdowns over the last two games. 

With a big-armed quarterback and dynamic skill-position players, the Cardinals often create chunk plays.

NFL defenses wants their opponents to take their time slowly working their way down the field. The theory is the offense will eventually make a mistake before it scores. Teams that can gain yards in a hurry are far more difficult to cover, because they stretch the defense vertically and horizontally.

The Cardinals are one of those teams. 

On the other side of the ball, Arizona hasn't skipped a beat since losing defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to the New York Jets' head coaching job. 

Only two teams, the Jets and Carolina Panthers, surrender fewer points per game. The Cardinals currently rank third after three games by giving up 16.3 points per contest. 

While the defense will give up yards against better offenses, the strength lies in its talented secondary. The team's No Fly Zone is one of the league's best defensive back groups. 

Patrick Peterson might not be the league's best cornerback, but he's not far behind the likes of Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman. Tyrann Mathieu continues to play like the Honey Badger of old. Deone Bucannon is a physical presence at strong safety. And Jerraud Powers is an underrated and versatile cover corner. 

The defense may be built from back to front, but it's not any less dangerous when it comes to making plays. 

Here's the scary part of the equation: The Cardinals will only get better as the season continues, and the team knows it. Fitzgerald admitted as much to AZCardinals.com's Kyle Odegard: 

Three key positions should continue to improve throughout the season. 

The first is offensive line. The team signed former All-Pro left guard Mike Iupati during free agency, but he's yet to see the field due to a knee injury. Iupati is one of the game's best interior run-blockers, and he'll pave the way for the team's stable of running backs once he's back in the lineup, which could be as early as next Sunday. 

Bobby Massie returned to his familiar right tackle spot against the 49ers. It was his first game this season, and he should solidify the strong side. 

These massive blockers will eventually pave the way for Andre Ellington. The team's starting running back continues to deal with a knee injury he suffered during the season opener. Once the explosive runner returns to the backfield, the Cardinals will have a full complement of backs and one of the more talented stables in the league. 

On defense, the Cardinals were forced to adjust after nose tackle Corey Peters' season-ending injury during the preseason.  

Rookie Rodney Gunter from Delaware State started against the 49ers and performed well. With the combination of Gunter and fellow rookie Xavier Williams, the Cardinals should only improve along their defensive interior as the duo gets more comfortable throughout the season. 

With these upgrades plus the talent already on the roster, the Cardinals can maintain a high level of play throughout 2015. 

A year ago, the Cardinals were one of the NFL's best teams, but the wheels fell off after Palmer injured his knee. 

The quarterback is healthy again, and the entire Cardinals team continues to be pushed by its head coach, who won't settle for merely being good. 

Arizona isn't going to let up this season, nor should it. Arians will push his team to its limits because he understands his current group is one of the NFL's best squads. A playoff appearance isn't the ultimate goal.

The Cardinals are looking to take the next step as a team, and Arians can lead them there.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.