Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott leads the league in passing and has already thrown six touchdowns on the season. This production hasn't been empty calories, but every yard has been needed to keep a helpless defense off the field and the Cowboys in the mix each week.
While there was one bad start against the Chicago Bears, this can be waved off as an outlier due to the emotional loss of CeeDee Lamb early in the game. With this in mind, Prescott deserves far more respect in the MVP conversation.
Prescott hasn't been mentioned in the debate despite passing for over 1,000 yards and putting on an incredible Sunday Night Football performance without the benefit of his best playmaker. It felt like a statement game that should've at least garnered enough attention to put Prescott in the discussion. Instead, it was appreciated and quickly moved on from in favor of more "pressing" league narratives. This leads to the unavoidable fact that for Prescott to get his deserved credit, the Cowboys must win more games.
Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott Deserves a Spot in Early MVP Discussions
Prescott has a 91.2 Pro Football Focus grade that is the second-best among all qualified quarterbacks, trailing only Marcus Mariota. The Washington Commanders' backup has been brilliant in relief of an injured Jayden Daniels, more than earning this grade. However, the point here being the fact that among consistent starters, Prescott is at the top of the league in PFF ranking speaking to his impact.
If you prefer a more simplistic stat, consider the 1,119 passing yards Prescott has piled up in the first four games of the year. Everything you want to see from a veteran quarterback to put him in the middle of the MVP discussion, Prescott is putting on display. Bringing us to the real reason that Dak isn't getting the deserved attention, and that is because of the Dallas defense.
Fair or not, the MVP discussion is often centered around accomplished teams and their quarterback. If the Cowboys had two or three wins on the season, the quarterback would be a runaway early favorite. However, Dallas sits at 1-2-1 on the season and third within their own division. Still, Dak has piled up numbers against what appears to be a solid New York Giants defense and a previously great Green Bay Packers defense.
With this in mind, the needed resume is in place for Prescott to get his deserved spot in the discussion. All that must happen in the next two weeks of the season is for the Cowboys to take care of business against the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers. These are two very winnable games and will give the franchise the needed record to put their quarterback where he belongs at the top of the MVP discussion.
It isn't just about personal accomplishments for the reward, but the team record and being obviously relevant. Two things the Cowboys have a chance to accomplish in their next two games are giving Dak deserved recognition for his early-season dominance.