Cowboys are unexpectedly in the mix for an awesome NFL award thanks to unforeseen candidate
Had you asked NFL fans which player could earn the Dallas Cowboys an award at the yearly NFL Honors held before the Super Bowl, chances are you would've gotten a few names. Dak Prescott finished as the runner-up for MVP last year, so he would've been mentioned. Micah Parsons for Defensive Player of the Year is […]
Had you asked NFL fans which player could earn the Dallas Cowboys an award at the yearly NFL Honors held before the Super Bowl, chances are you would've gotten a few names.
Dak Prescott finished as the runner-up for MVP last year, so he would've been mentioned. Micah Parsons for Defensive Player of the Year is always a noteworthy candidate and CeeDee Lamb for Offensive Player of the Year could've been a strong contender as well.
Naturally, with the way the Cowboys season is going at 4-7 and one foot out of the playoffs, all those seem to be out of the picture.
But that doesn't mean all hope is lost as the Cowboys are suddenly in the mix of a pretty awesome award given out at the NFL Honors thanks to KaVontae Turpin's epic 99-yard kickoff return touchdown vs. the Washington Commanders: The NFL Moment of the Year.
Turpin's touchdown has to be a strong candidate for the prize presented by Next Gen Stats not because of the yardage alone but because of the nasty spin move he pulled out followed by a show of blazing speed and the fact that the seemed to be broken from the start as he failed to field the football.
The play has been all the rage among NFL fans following Week 12 and for good reason. Additionally, Turpin clocked in at 21.35 miles per hour during the play, the third-highest speed on any kick return of the season, according to Next Gen Stats.
Obviously, there will be other strong contenders for the award, such as Josh Allen's game-clinching scramble against the Kansas City Chiefs or Jayden Daniels' Hail Mary touchdown pass, and as we head into December, moments from games with more at stake will have an edge over Turpin's return.
Even still, I fully expect this play to be a finalist at next year's NFL Honors show.
Should Turpin win it, the Cowboys would secure the award in consecutive years, as Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb took it home last year due to their wild 92-yard touchdown against the Detroit Lions.
Some other past NFL Moment of the Year winners:
- 2022: Justin Jefferson's one-handed catch on fourth and 18.
- 2021: Justin Tucker's game-winning66-yard field goal, longest in NFL history.
- 2020: Kyler Murray's Hail Mary pass to win it against the Buffalo Bills.
- 2019: Dolphins' fake field goal against Seattle Seahawks.
