Arizona Cardinals the NFL's only unbeaten team after Week 4
The Arizona Cardinals were the only one of five hitherto unbeaten teams to maintain their unblemished record in Week 4 of the NFL season.
The Las Vegas Raiders' defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers means the Arizona Cardinals are now the only unbeaten team left in the 2021 NFL season.
There were five unbeaten franchises heading into Week 4 of the regular season, though one '0' was bound to go when the Cardinals travelled to the Los Angeles Rams, who had beaten reigning champions Tampa Bay in their previous outing.
Cardinals see off Rams, who were also unbeaten
However, Aaron Donald and the rest of the Rams defense could not slow down Arizona, who emphatically triumphed 37-20 on the road to take charge of the NFC West.
Broncos, Panthers and Raiders all lose
As for the others, the Denver Broncos went down at home to the Baltimore Ravens, while the Carolina Panthers lost in Dallas to the Cowboys.
With the Raiders unable to rally in the second half to overcome the Chargers, the Cardinals stand alone at 4-0 – and that is not their only impressive achievement.
They are the outright leaders in terms of winning percentage (1.000), but also total offense (440.5 yards) and scoring offense (35.0 points per game) as well. No team has topped all three categories through four weeks of a campaign since the Cleveland Browns in 1953.
However, head coach Kliff Kingsbury was clearly not getting too carried away by his team's start, as he made clear in the post-match media conference. Asked what he planned to do to celebrate beating the Rams, he replied: "Not so much. I'll watch Ted Lasso tonight and go to bed."
Murray integral to Cardinals' undefeated start
The play of Kyler Murray has been a key factor in the unbeaten run, the quarterback throwing for 1,273 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also ran for three scores, while his 76.1 completion percentage is the best in the NFL.
Murray's performances have not only led to Arizona winning four straight, but also pushed him to the front of the MVP race, albeit it is still only the early stages of the season.
The Cardinals are bidding to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015. They started the previous year with a 5-2 record, only to fall away after their bye week, losing six of their final nine games.
49ers clash up next for Arizona
They face another stern test in Week 5, as they host divisional rivals the San Francisco 49ers (2-2).