ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals are coming off their fourth straight victory, after one of their most complete games of the season saw them dominate Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets for a home win 31-6.

Now leading the NFC West with a 6-4 record, the Cardinals look like the team their potential foreshadowed, with the easiest part of their schedule ahead. But they’ll have to wait a week before facing the Seattle Seahawks in another crucial division game.

The strange thing is that there isn’t much for the Cardinals to fix. They just seem to hit their stride and fire on all cylinders, even defensively. A Week 11 bye, for once, brings disappointment rather than relief from fans.

Still, Arizona has work to do if it wants to maintain its lead in the division. A week off is no time for complacency.

Here are the Cardinals’ top priorities for the offweek.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon expressed his lack of confidence in the concept of momentum. While that may or may not be a position worth defending, the truth is that the Cardinals have shown incredible focus and execution in the last four wins, including against Chicago and New York.

As intangible as it is, Arizona must maintain that intensity, focus and willingness to execute at a high, error-free level. Over the past four weeks, they have committed just four defensive penalties for 38 yards, while not allowing a touchdown in three straight home games.

Clearly, discipline, along with the development of young, raw defensive players, has been crucial to maximizing a still-thin defensive unit. This must continue if the Cardinals want to avoid giving away games to their weaker opponents in the coming weeks.

A bye week can serve as a respite from the grind of an NFL season, and players have absolutely earned that reprieve with their recent play, but a break in the middle of a hot streak can often lead to laziness and a rusty execution next week. 12.

With everything we’ve learned about Gannon and his coordinators, it doesn’t seem particularly likely that the Cardinals will fall victim to complacency, but it will be up to them and the veteran leadership of this Arizona team to ensure that the level concentration is as high as possible. It is, and the young players are as hungry and disciplined as they’ve become.

The Cardinals have been plagued by injuries so far in 2024. It’s just part of the game. While players like Will Hernandez, Dennis Gardeck, Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones could all be out for the season, the leave of Week 11 provides additional cushion for a trio of key contributors to get back into game mode, with a chance to make their return against Seattle.

More particularly, rookie DL Darius Robinsonwhose training window is open, could finally see his season debut after the bye. Robinson suffered a calf injury and was placed on IR before the season, but is expected to play at some point this season.

The rookie has only practiced once since his window opened, but with the extra week, he could see a boost of a few snaps in the game against the Seahawks.

Pair the potential debut of a high-profile first-round pick with the impact that recent acquisition Baron Browning already appears to be providing, and Arizona’s pass rush could look much improved after the bye, after nine sacks already impressive in their last three matches. .

RT Jonah Williams is another candidate for a comeback. Now, Kelvin Beachum has filled his role admirably, posting a 73.0 pass-blocking grade in his 520 snaps, but a return to (near) full strength for the Cardinals offensive line can only be a positive down the stretch. .

The statuses of Williams and Robinson are uncertain for Week 12, but John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 has it covered. say it was “more likely” to see them both return against the Seahawks on November 24.

Security Jalen Thompsonwho was knocked out in the game against the Jets due to an ankle injury, is also expected to return to form.

Rookie Dadrion Taylor-Demerson looked excellent in relief of Thompson, but bringing back a top veteran safety will be a boost for Arizona’s secondary anyway, and the Cardinals will have the luxury solid play from Taylor-Demerson to help facilitate Thompson’s return. without risking re-injury.

Granted, it’s not a guarantee that we’ll see all three players suit up in Seattle. But the extra week provides some wiggle room, and the extra practice time could allow Arizona to strengthen some of its thinner units, despite the overall strong performance of their stopgap solutions.

The Cardinals may be hot and facing an easier slate of games after the break, but the games will only become more crucial to their NFC West run. Beating a third straight division opponent (in a tough road environment, no less) is of the utmost importance as they look to cushion their division lead.

But they’ll need to stay the course during the bye week, with reinforcements on the horizon.