Cowboys have a chance to make NFL Honors history
We have seen dominant teams sweep postseason awards before. For the 2003 Baltimore Ravens, Jamal Lewis won Offensive Player of the year while teammate Ray Lewis won Defensive Player of the year. In 1994 Steve Young won NFL MVP, while Deion Sanders won Defensive Player of the Year. However, there has never been a team […]
We have seen dominant teams sweep postseason awards before.
For the 2003 Baltimore Ravens, Jamal Lewis won Offensive Player of the year while teammate Ray Lewis won Defensive Player of the year.
In 1994 Steve Young won NFL MVP, while Deion Sanders won Defensive Player of the Year.
However, there has never been a team to win the NFL "triple crown" of MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. The Dallas Cowboys have a chance to do just that this year.
MVP Candidate: Dak Prescott
For the MVP award, in betting odds, Dak Prescott sits in second place, only behind Lamar Jackson.
Prescott had the best season of his career, fixed his turnover narrative, all while leading the Cowboys to a first-place finish in the NFC East.
The case for Dak winning MVP over Lamar is a relatively simple one.
Dak Prescott has thrown for nearly 1,000 more yards than Lamar. Dak leads the NFL in passing touchdowns. Dak is second in adjusted EPA/play with 0.164 while Lamar is in eighth place with 0.119. In fact there is no advanced statistic Lamar is ahead of Dak in, other than air yards.
Although Jackson is an overwhelming favorite to win the award, the cold hard stats can't let you rule Dak out just yet.
OPOY Candidate: CeeDee Lamb
For the next award, Offensive Player of the Year there is tougher competition. The betting favorite is Christian McCaffrey. It was Tyreek Hill earlier as he was in route to a 2,000-yard season, but with that dwindling away, such have his voting odds.
The case for CeeDee Lamb is again a fairly straightforward one, he has emerged as a true WR1.
Capped by his 98 receiving yards, 2 touchdown showing against the Washington Commanders, Lamb made his push for the award. Now it's on the voters.
DPOY Candidate: CB DaRon Bland
For Defensive Player of the Year, the answer is a less obvious one in DaRon Bland, who isn't even the leading candidate in terms of odds on his own team.
Micah Parsons is currently second on the odds list, and while Micah has quietly put together his best season to date in terms of sacks, very few players have had the impact DaRon Bland has had.
DaRon Bland has had nine interceptions on the year and has had an NFL record five of them returned for touchdowns.
Whether it is Micah Parsons or DaRon Bland the Cowboys have two legitimate candidates for Defensive Player of the Year, while they have a legitimate chance of winning all three awards.
One thing is certain; if DaRon Bland can't win the award with the year he had, you can be sure no defensive back will ever win the award again as it will be apparent, the award has been bookmarked for pass rushers.
Although they have a legit shot at NFL history, it's worth noting they could also very well be left empty-handed, as none of them are favored to win their respective awards as of right now. Worst case scenario, having three of the top candidates for the award really shows how talented this team is.
Keep in mind, whatever happens in January will be irrelevant for these awards as votes come in at the conclusion of the regular season.
Cowboys: What their likeliest Super Bowl path looks like
The tournament has started.
