Cardinals receiving little national attention despite hot start to the season

The Cardinals are 4-0.

That is a pretty general statement, but if you read it out loud, it still sounds pretty astonishing, doesn't it? For the first time since 1974, when the team was still based in St. Louis, the Cardinals have started their season with a well-above winning record. It is impressive.

So why is it that nobody is talking about them? Sure, Cardinals fans around the state and around the country are excited about how the team is doing, but nobody else seems to be. Turn on ESPN, NFL Network or what have you and they are too busy talking about the 2-2 New York Jets and Tim Tebow.

Then you have the other two 4-0 teams. Granted, the Houston Texans are off to the hottest start in their franchise history, but what makes the Cardinals less deserving of attention than them? Do people really think that this is just a mirage, a crash-and-burn scenario waiting to happen? Former NFL scout Bill Williamson might.

Williamson, who now works for ESPN, wrote this from his Twitter feed on Monday:

10 good teams after 4 weeks: #Texans #Falcons #Bears #Packers #Giants #Eagles #Patriots #49ers #Ravens... #Cardinals (maybe)

— Matt Williamson (@WilliamsonNFL) October 2, 2012

Really? Two teams that the Cardinals beat (Patriots and Eagles) are listed ahead of Arizona on that list? How does that make any sense?

And maybe the Cardinals do fall on their faces as the season progresses. It's not outside the realm of reason. Just look at the Tennessee Titans or the Denver Broncos. In 2010, the Titans started 5-2 and they ended up losing eight of their last nine games. The Broncos started 6-0 in 2009 only to miss the playoffs that very same season.

For now, there is no reason to believe the Cardinals end up like one of those teams. They field a solid defense, they have a dominant receiving corps and they have a quarterback that can make plays down the stretch of a game.

But go ahead, let everyone continue to ignore the Cards. They are used to playing in the underdog role. And, truthfully, I am not sure they would rather have it any other way.