Is everyone recharged and ready? The Cardinals are as they got back on the practice field Monday and begin their seven-game sprint in the NFC West race Sunday in Seattle. Here is this week's mailbag. Questions have been edited for length and clarity. Don't forget to send a question for a future mailbag with at least a first name and last initial.

From Johnny M:

"If Kyler keeps playing like this, he should be getting a lot of MVP votes, right? Let's say for the sake of argument, he finishes with 4,000 passing yards, 700 rushing yards, 30 total touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, with 70 percent completion and a 76 QBR, and the Cardinals go 11-6 winning the division (Totally feasible considering their schedule). Who takes it from him?"

Let's start with a simple: yes, if he keeps playing like this, he should be in the MVP conversation, especially if they win 11 games and win the division. Now, if he reaches those stats, he's going to be playing really well, because he'd have to far surpass his pace. Kyler is only on pace for 3,500 passing yards, 27 TDs total and 630 rushing yards. So if he upgrades his stats, it'll make for some big games. In the end, if they go 11-6, I think that's all the Cardinals need. MVP, whatever.

From Michael S:

"Has anyone ever hurdled someone in three straight games before? Who holds the record for most hurdles in a season? Is Trey McBride the best tight end in the league this year? And finally, where can I get a youth-sized No. 85 jersey for my son? Thanks for the mailbag Darren and go Cards!"

A quick look says you'd have to get a youth jersey made for McBride. I don't know if McBride is the best tight end but he's close; I do think George Kittle has been pretty darn good -- although he's been banged up quite a bit. As I check pro football reference, I see that, indeed, no one would ever keep hurdle stats. Why would they? But it has been fun to watch, however long it lasts.

From Matt H:

"Howdy Darren! I probably speak for most fans when I say that this is the best I've feel about our team since Dec 5, 2021 (That's the day we won in Chicago but before the heartbreaking home loss to the Rams.) My questions today relate to games at State Farm Stadium and halftime adjustments. As someone who just watches games from TV, does it feel like to you that we have a newfound home-field advantage? Also, the results speak it seems like our team is coming out of halftime way more prepared than last season. Has that been a priority this year for the coaching staff?

Home-field advantage, I have found, is directly proportional to how good the team is. Period. Does it hurt when there are a lot of opposing fans in your home stadium? It's not ideal, but there were a ton of Bears fans in the building and all they saw was their team get run over by the Cardinals. If the Cards keep winning, the ratio will be where the organization wants it; in the playoff run of 2008, it was almost all Cardinals fans. That's what happens. As for halftime adjustments, I don't know if those happen as much as people think. I believe Jonathan Gannon simply has built the foundation to have his team ready, whether it be before the game or coming out at the half.

From Jose C:

"JG said he expects Jonah Williams to return after the bye. Even so, do we want to change the OL lineup? Kelvin Beachum has been playing great. Our OL as a whole has been playing great. Don't mess with it."

Gannon has said Williams will return at some point. He has never been specific when, although Williams does seem like he is trending sooner rather than later. As for Beachum and the if-it's-not-broke-don't-fix-it thought process, I understand what you are saying -- although Williams was playing really well for the one quarter and 22 plays in which we saw him in Buffalo. They will look at Williams and what he is doing, and judge it against Beachum in practice, and make a decision from there.

From Ron Redford:

"Hey Darren, I was just thinking about how good Montis picks have been. Paris is a franchise LT. Garrett is a franchise CB. Rabbit WILL BE a franchise safety. Marvin will be a franchise WR. Tip is a great blocking TE. Melton is a solid CB. Trey Benson, Xavier Thomas, Michael Wilson and Jon Gaines contribute. Is BJ Ojulari better than we think? Monti is clearly a great drafter. Maybe BJ Ojulari is secretly a really good player too?"

I mean, they didn't draft him because they thought he was bad. He flashed as a rookie. But "secretly a really good player" isn't a thing. He is or isn't, and it's impossible to know with the sample size right now. I know his work ethic is excellent and they had high hopes for him. But it's all about production in the regular season and that won't be measurable until 2025.

From Masa Oyama:

"Coach Gannon gives his coordinators credit for calling the plays but he seems to be on the headset a lot. If he doesn't call plays to whom is the head coach talking?"

Gannon, like any head coach, is constantly monitoring the conversations between his staff and chiming in when necessary. Even the coaches that call plays have that ability. There may be times Gannon wants to make sure the Cardinals go for it on fourth down, or go for a two-point conversion, or something like that. It makes sure the lines of communication are always open.

From Susan R:

"Kyler has six fumbles? When were these? How many did we lose, and were they all his fault or is this a handoff/strip sack/bad snap thing? This seems like a lot, especially since I don't remember them."

The six fumbles attributed to Kyler:

• Lost a fumble on a strip-sack by Bills pass rusher Greg Rousseau
• Fumbled as he went out of bounds on a 3-yard scramble in San Francisco
• Handoff to Trey Benson botched when Benson wasn't looking in Green Bay (Packers recovered)
• Had Calais Campbell knock the ball from his hands in Miami; remarkably the ball bounced right back to Murray and he was able to throw it away for an incompletion
• Botched handoff to Benson against Bears (Bears recovered)
• It was hard to see in real time, but Murray dropped the ball when he was smoked on the Quincy Williams blindside sack against the Jets. The ball fortunately ended up underneath Murray so he could recover it quickly.

From Zach Kahn:

"Hello Darren! This is Zach from Darin Gantt’s Ask the Old Guy Mailbag! Why are the Cardinals so good?"

Welcome Zach. With the Cardinals, it helps when your No. 1-overall drafted QB is playing that way, and Kyler Murray has been excellent. Jonathan Gannon had his team set up from jump when he arrived last year, and that was taking Monti Ossenfort's top draft pick -- tackle Paris Johnson Jr. -- and setting up the offense from there. James Conner is playing the best football of his career, the defense has played well as a group despite not having a lot of headliners, and the identity of this team is clear: be known for being physical, run first, pass the ball to Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr., and play smart (few turnovers and penalties).

I have heard good things about you from my pal Darin, who does what I do for the Panthers. He said you might be reaching out. Darin is a good guy, even if he spells his name wrong and attended the absolute wrong ASU (#ForksUp). In the end, though, us Darrens/Darins stick together.

From Matthew Stroh:

'Hey Darren, thank you for everything you do. I see a lot of videos about wow how surprising the Arizona Cardinals are. I do think personally Nick Rallis is going to prove to everybody he's one of the best defensive coordinators in the league down the road. What is your opinion of Rallis' job so far? Is the defense success of the Cardinals only because it's Jonathan Gannon? Thank you for your time thank you for putting up with fans like me."

Rallis has done an excellent job this season, especially when you look at the youth he had to weave into his unit and the players he counted on for key roles going down with injury (Jones, Nichols, Robinson, Ojulari). I think you need to credit Jonathan Gannon for putting together a team-wide framework that helps the defense in terms of attitude and accountability, but Rallis has made a major imprint as well. There are plenty of kudos to go around.

From Hank Schleedoorn:

"Hello Darren, Cardinal fan from Canada. Watching the games, I noticed Tip Reiman being the first one celebrating/congratulating with the TD-scoring player. Moving forward in the season, do you see him being more involved in the passing game? Or at the very least be mentioned for his blocking?"

If this is a request for some Tip Reiman love, I get it. The rookie tight end goes under the radar because he is doing a job with few statistics, and is playing next to a guy who could arguably be the best tight end in the league in Trey McBride. I don't know if Reiman is necessarily going to be more involved in pass targets -- even when McBride is hurting or covered, Elijah Higgins is probably TE2 when it comes to guys Kyler looks to throw to -- but he is going to remain important in the offense. He is a hella-blocker, which is why they wanted him. And yes, he deserves plaudits for that.

From Ron Fields:

"I've been wondering for years why most players have a mouthpiece but fail to actually use them. I saw one player with two hanging off his face mask and not using them! Is this a fashion statement or just guys not remembering to actually use it during action? I would think with the concussion concerns they would require all players to use one. Kyler's helmet should not fly off like it did, even with the violent hit he received. I notice most players helmets do not fit correctly. Have you heard anything regarding these issues?"

I'm going to start with the second thing first, about helmets not fitting correctly. You could not be further from the truth. The teams and equipment staffs painstakingly work with every single player to make sure the helmets fit right and are snug as they are supposed to be. I'd have to delve a lot deeper into the Murray hit, but the idea that there is an anomaly and a helmet comes off from time to time doesn't surprise me. As for mouthguards, these guys are professionals. I would guess a) some of them are fashion statements and b) you don't know if they have in a mouthpiece regardless (many players use a mouthguard that is stand-alone and does not hang from the facemask.)

From Elliot Hyde:

"Hi Darren, how much does the playbooks for each of the three phases evolve over the course of a season? By Week 11 is it essentially the same as where the team were in Week 1 plus or minus some plays or would we struggle to see similarities? For teams that have a path to the playoffs, do they start preparing new schemes to be less predictable? At what point does a coach empty everything out and 'throw the kitchen sink' at an opponent?"

Here is a key point about a playbook: A team installs a playbook in the offseason/training camp a few times as they prepare for the season. But each week, there is only a portion of that playbook that is used against any single opponent. That allows teams to keep plays in their back pocket for later in the season/playoffs, and also doesn't overwhelm players on a weekly basis. Of course, there are plays that can and are added during the season, depending on personnel or on something a coach or player might suggest. You don't want too much -- it's about doing the things you do really well. As for the "kitchen sink," that happens very rarely. You don't need to do that unless you are prohibitively worse than an opponent due to injuries or something like that. Think ASU last season when their quarterbacks were all hurt and they were using tight ends and running backs behind center way more than anyone should.

From Matthew C:

"Darren, I know you got a Pro Bowl question earlier this year, but now we've won four straight and voting begins (Nov. 25). If it was decided today, I have Kyler, Budda, Connor, and McBride as locks, and I think Garrett Williams, Paris Johnson Jr., and maybe even Kyzir White with a shot. I'm trying to think of the NFC competition and I can see a path for all these guys. Do you?"

Locks is a strong word when it comes to Pro Bowl. I don't think Williams, White and probably PJJ have the name recognition yet for such honors. I wouldn't be surprised to see those first four get in, although remember the fan vote -- which is all we will have a pulse on -- is about favorites more than success. I know this, if the Cardinals keep winning, that will give all those players a better chance.

From Kevin B:

"Have you been watching Kyler's vlogs? They're awesome. So it looks like on home games there is a Saturday night curfew, can you explain a little about that? Do all teams do that for home games? Do all players just go to a hotel together? Do they do any work at the hotel or is it just to sleep? Do you have a curfew?"

NFL teams have long stayed in hotels the night before home games. It keeps the cadence the same from game to game, and they have meetings the night before at the hotel, just like they would do on the road. Players can drive on their own and they have the ability to go home in the morning before the game if that's what they wanted to do. And yes, they have curfews. Whether I have a curfew, well, a) I am at my house before a home game and b) I do have a curfew, and it's set by my own body telling me to get the heck to sleep. My late nights are few and far between these days.

From Kent Fry:

"Hi Darren, I was at the Jets game and saw Kelvin Beachum announce a food drive contest between him and a major league baseball player. Could you share the link to donate? I couldn't find it when I tried searching. Hopefully he's in the lead!"

Absolutely. The baseball player Beachum has teamed up with is the retired Curtis Granderson, who is representing Chicago. Beachum, of course, is repping Arizona. From the release: "They challenge each other to ignite their communities for a noble cause. Support Arizona and help Kelvin feed as many families as possible. You can make a difference!" You can donate here.

From Robert Malicki:

"Hello, Darren. The wildest idea that bounced around in my head preseason was a .500 record at this point. The team has sure elbowed themselves into the playoff talk, haven't they? When it comes to re-upping Conner, do you see a future use of James Conner more in the passing game, a la Larry Centers, and Trey Benson as the main RB? Conner's career would be extended as well as showcasing his effectiveness in space. It would give the Cardinals an answer to McCaffrey for years to come?"

I think James Conner already has a notable role in the passing game. But generally, no, I don't see Conner moving into any role other than being the main back. There is still a gap between Conner and Benson in terms of effectiveness, and the Cardinals know what they have in JC. Things can change year to year, of course, but that's what I see right now.

From Michele T:

"It's fun being a fan right now! That's not always been the case so I'm relishing every moment of this season with high hopes for the future. I know Jonathan Gannon doesn't allow video of the postgame celebration but as a fan, I'd love to know who gets a game ball. There were many standout contributors in the Jets victory. Do you know and can you share who received game balls? Thanks. Appreciate all you and the crew do to keep us fans feeling like we're part of the action."

Unless it comes up organically (like Gannon bringing it up) we usually do not know who got game balls. Fairly certain judging by photos Kyler Murray got one after the Jets game, deservedly so. The way that game went, a lot of defensive players could've gotten one as well.

From Jesse Corral:

"Do you think the Cards might be interested in ASU running back Cam Skattebo for next year's draft?"

No idea. Not sure at this point the Cardinals will be in the market to draft a running back. James Conner's contract situation will impact that. I will say that from what I have seen and heard of Skattebo, he would be the kind of guy Jonathan Gannon would want on his roster. But this isn't Donovan McNabb living in Chandler -- there is no straight line for any ASU player to the Cardinals, regardless of proximity.

From Ben R:

"Is Kyler eligible for comeback player of the year? And how much of that award is your performance and how much of it is what you come back from? In other words, If he has better numbers and more wins than Kirk Cousins will be win it over him? Or will Kirk get more consideration since he tore his ACL in 2023 not 2022 and his entire recovery was this year, while Kyler got time last year to ramp up and recover?"

Is he eligible? Yes. For the same reason Cousins is. From a statement from the AP:

"The spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season."

The clarification was put out there because Joe Flacco won the award last year when all he came back from was poor play/lack of playing time in 2022. Obviously, Murray missed time last season, albeit at the front end of the season. Technically, Murray could have won it last year too. Bengals QB Joe Burrow might be in the mix too. Like MVP, these last seven weeks will mean a lot.