TEMPE, Ariz. -- A little more than halfway down the right side of page 1597 of Webster's New World College Dictionary is the word "valuable."

The second definition in its adjective form is this: "of great merit, use, or service; highly important, esteemed, etc."

To save the authors of the book time, they could've just placed a photo of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer alongside the word.

Let's forget the MVP conversation for a moment -- in which Palmer has become a constant topic -- and dissect the true definition of the word.

It's all but described what Palmer has meant to the Cardinals this season. But saying he's valuable is one thing. Showing it is another.

Winning: Palmer has won 24 of his last 28 games, which dates to Week 8 of the 2013 season. That can be marked as the turning point for the Cardinals under coach Bruce Arians. Prior to Week 8, Arizona started the season 3-4 before finishing 7-2. Palmer's 24-4 record and .857 winning percentage in his last 28 is the best in the NFL.

Over the last two years, Palmer has gone 18-2. He was 6-0 last season, while a nerve injury in his right throwing shoulder and a torn ACL left him on the bench. The Cardinals were 5-5 without him, in addition to an embarrassing loss in the playoffs to the Carolina Panthers.

As a starter in Arizona, Palmer is 27-8. He's one of three quarterbacks, joining Peyton Manning (28-7) and Kurt Warner (28-7) to win at least 27 of his first 35 starts with a team, according to Elias.

Offense: To fully understand Palmer's impact on the Cardinals' offense this season, a look at how different it was last season with and without Palmer is essential.

With a healthy Palmer under center this season, the Cardinals have the NFL's top-ranked offense. It's averaging a league-high 417.5 yards per game. Arizona also leads the NFL in net yards per pass attempt, first downs per game and yard margin per game. The Cardinals boast the second-highest scoring in the NFL with a total of 405 yards, which comes to an average of 31.2 per game. Last season, Arizona averaged 19.4 points per game -- and 15.5 in games without Palmer.

Impact: It's one thing to prove how valuable Palmer is by simply showing his numbers. But another way to grasp his importance to the Cardinals this year is to examine the stats of the players around him. Last season, Arizona didn't have a 1,000-yard receiver or rusher. This year, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has already caught 1,088 yards and John Brown is 105 away from his first 1,000-yard season. Michael Floyd sits at 652 yards with three games left. It'll be difficult for him to get to 1,000 but he's had four 100-yard games in his last five.

And before running back Chris Johnson got hurt, he had 814 rushing yards -- fourth most in the NFL at the time.

Good players make themselves look good. Great players make those around them better. With a healthy Palmer guiding the offense, Arizona's weapons are being maximized.