Today's question: The Arizona Cardinals have won 34 games in the last three years and reached the NFC Championship Game last season. How has coach Bruce Arians changed the perception of the Cardinals?

Nick Wagoner, Los Angeles Rams reporter: Clearly, Arians has turned the Cardinals into a perennial NFC power and the type of team people pick to go to -- and win -- Super Bowls. That’s a far cry from the mostly aimless team he took over in 2013. Think of it this way: Before Arians’ arrival, the Cardinals had three winning seasons in the previous 28 years. He has had a winning record in each of his three years with the team. But with Arians, it’s not just about the success Arizona has had but the style with which it has happened. Arians’ gruff, honest demeanor has given the Cardinals an air of: “This is who we are, if you don’t like us, beat us.” He’s rankled the Rams and their fans with some of his comments, but he doesn’t treat them any differently than other opponents. And so long as he and the Cardinals are still producing results on the field, there’s not much that can be said to slow them down. All of that established, it’s fair to say Arizona needs to take the next step and reach the Super Bowl sooner rather than later, if for no other reason than quarterback Carson Palmer isn’t getting any younger.

Paul Gutierrez, San Francisco 49ers reporter: Surely Colin Kaepernick is still having nightmares of what the Arizona Cardinals did to him in the desert last season -- four interceptions, two pick-sixes, a 14-0 deficit after two offensive series, a pair of sacks, a passer rating of 16.7, all en route to a 47-7 blowout loss. “Their passing game has just simplified so much,” said Cardinals free safety Tyrann Mathieu, who had two picks, including a 33-yard pick-six that gave Arizona a 14-0 lead less than six minutes into the game. “It was easy for us to anticipate routes, get some good breaks on the ball.” Indeed, after the second pick-six, the gun-shy Niners ran the ball on 13 consecutive plays. The score was 28-0 before Kaepernick attempted another pass. So you ask, how has Bruce Arians changed the perception of the Cardinals? Truly, they’ve become the Bullies of Glendale to the Niners of Santa Clara. The Cardinals have won three of the last four meetings with the 49ers by an average score of 30-11. By comparison, the Seahawks, who have absolutely owned the Niners, have gone 4-0 against the 49ers the past two years, winning by an average score of 21-7. Who’s the bully now?

Sheil Kapadia, Seattle Seahawks reporter: He has given them an identity. Just last season, before the Seahawks played the Cardinals, defensive end Michael Bennett talked about how Arians was one of the few coaches in the league he would like to play for. That seems to be a feeling shared by many around the NFL. The Cardinals have developed into one of the most aggressive teams in the league on both sides of the ball, whether that means shots downfield on offense, blitzing on defense or taking risks with personnel moves. They’ve done a tremendous job of adding talent to the roster that fits what Arians wants to do. Safety Earl Thomas said recently that he considers the Cardinals to be the Seahawks’ biggest rival. It’d be a surprise if those two teams weren’t competing for the division again this year.