Not the Same Old Cowboys

This year feels different in Dallas as they have found a winning formula on both sides of the ball. On defense, they are tied for second in takeaways with 21 on the year. Led by rising star DaRon Bland who leads the league with 8 interceptions and a league-high 5 pick sixes, the Cowboys defense is allowing just 17.9 points per game.

On offense it’s all about Dak Prescott and he is thriving with head coach Mike McCarthy now calling the plays. Many including myself questioned why the Cowboys would let Kellen Moore walk this past offseason. It’s safe to say that gamble paid off as Prescott looks much more comfortable this year.

Last season Prescott led the league in interceptions with 15 in just 12 games. This year he only has 6 in 13 games and more importantly, he’s cut down on the number of bad throws. In 2022 his percentage of poor throws was 17.3% and this year it’s down to just 11%. McCarthy has emphasized to not force the deep shots if they’re not there and instead check down to the higher percentage throw.

The Road Ahead

The next two weeks will go a long way in not only deciding the MVP race but also the top seed in the NFC. Dallas has back-to-back road games at @Buffalo and @Miami on deck. If they want to show the world they are for real they will need to win at least one of these games and look competitive in both. The biggest knock on the previous Cowboys teams was their inability to win road playoff games. Now is their chance to show they are a legit contender as the next 2 games will have playoff-like atmospheres.

NFL MVP Odds

As you can see above, Prescott currently leads the odds for NFL MVP with Brock Purdy not far behind. It certainly seems like a two-man race but don’t discount Tua Tagovailoa yet. If Tua and the Dolphins can continue their winning ways and take down the Cowboys in Miami things could get really interesting.

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