Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott and the Case for League MVP

While there is no argument against the offensive line and rushing attack, Dak Prescott’s play belongs in the conversation for National Football League MVP.

Dak Prescott for MVP? If you need proof, look no further than the 2015 disaster. Without Tony Romo, the troika of Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, and Kellen Moore combined to go 1-11. The Dallas Cowboys were ill-equipped to handle life without their franchise quarterback. Prospects for a successful 2016 campaign dimmed further when Romo got hurt again in the preseason.

Fast forward to now. We are three months removed from the heartburn over replacing Romo. We knew the running game would be good, although it is difficult to have predicted it would be this good. Credit Cowboy brass for taking running back Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall. The offensive line would be good, but this group is playing at least as well as any line in team history. And that’s saying something when you consider the dynasty of the 90’s.

But boiled to its essence, the play at the quarterback position is straw that stirs the drink. Enter one Rayne Dakota Prescott. After wowing us all in the preaseason, Dak has done nothing but wildly exceed expectations in guiding the Cowboys to an NFL-best 10-1 record. Simply put, Dak Prescott’s rookie season has been nothing short of stupefying.

Now are there mitigating factors at play here? Of course. The aforementioned offensive line and world class running back do wonders to take pressure off a rookie quarterback. They combine to choke the life out of an opponent on a week-to-week basis. If there was ever a time for a Cowboys’ team to be built specifically for a rookie signal caller, this is it.

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What can’t be argued with, though, is the skill set Dak Prescott has honed since assuming the position.

There was the knock on him regarding not taking snaps under center during his collegiate years.

Both the player and the team were unaffected by this as far back as the spring. Considering the results thus far, they were right. There were murmurs about his ability to launch a deep ball. Ask the Steelers about that.

In fact, the only moment of the play that was in doubt was Dez Bryant’s bobble before he corralled the ball for the score.

The throw was on the money.

Speaking of on the money, go back and look at any aspect of Thanksgiving Day’s game against the Redskins. Time and again, against a very game Washington team, Dak Prescott made play after play. Whether it was the intermediate out to Cole Beasley, the bullet to Terrance Williams, or the on-the-run dart to Dez Bryant near the goal line, the kid is simply making clutch throws when they matter most.

Make no mistake, Dak Prescott is anything but a “bus driver”. As the season progresses, he masters another facet of the playbook. The coaching staff can rely on him more. He is not being asked to manage games. He is being relied upon to make plays with his arm, and it is coming up aces again and again. Color me impressed by the accuracy and zip on his ball, especially when he is on the run or under pressure.

Finally, there is the intangible aspect to Prescott’s presence. You heard it in Seattle with Russell Wilson at the beginning of his tenure, and you hear it now with Dak. The kid just has “It”. “It” is that unseen thing that draws players and coaches to their leader. By all accounts Prescott possesses this trait in abundance. Everyone sees it, yet the rookie is unfazed and humble through it all, further endearing himself to an astounded, “Look at our dumb luck!” fan base.

Next: Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys Toughest Foes

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There is a moment in DFW sports lore that captured Cowboys’ owner/general manger Jerry Jones drunkenly proclaiming Tony Romo a miracle. That much was true. As humorous as that sloppy video is, the more miraculous aspect is that the Dallas Cowboys have stumbled upon perhaps an even more improbable phenomenon. While other quarterbacks may possess better overall numbers, no one this side of Tom Brady has meant more to his team than Dak Prescott, and that is why he deserves consideration as the National Football League’s most valuable player.

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