Without a doubt, the Dallas Cowboys have shown a side of themselves that no one expected. After a commanding 44-22 victory over the Washington Commanders-a team that reached the NFC Championship last season-the Cowboys have secured second place in the NFC East.
The undisputed MVP for Dallas this season is Dak Prescott, who has faced significant criticism but is now proving his worth. The $60 million-per-year quarterback is silencing doubters and carrying Jerry Jones’ team. After seven weeks, Prescott ranks second in the NFL in passing yards with 1,881.
Although there is still a long way to go in the season, the current favorites for NFL MVP are Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield. However, if Prescott leads the Cowboys to the playoffs, he could become a strong contender by season’s end.
Defense shows improvement against the Commanders
Before the season started, the Cowboys lost their best defensive player, Micah Parsons, who recorded 52.5 sacks over four seasons. Due to contract disagreements, he was traded to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first-round draft picks, leaving a significant gap in Dallas’ defense.
Despite the loss, the Cowboys’ offense has performed well, and their defense-previously among the worst in the NFL-showed a much-improved performance against the Commanders, putting pressure on Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus confirmed adjustments were made to improve the defense:
“Every week is different. Last week we played more man-to-man because it was the right call,” Eberflus said, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. “It’s important that as we move forward, we have multiple options in our package: blitzes, man coverage blitzes, zone blitzes, and things like that. But the guys did a great job executing.”
It’s also worth noting that, despite Parsons’ departure, the Cowboys still have talented players like DaRon Bland, who holds the NFL record for most interception returns for touchdowns in a single season. Against the Commanders, Bland added another pick-six to his impressive career.
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