The Dallas Cowboys are currently leading the NFC East division with a 7-1 winning record through their first eight games of the 16 game season. Yes, that means that we are officially at the midway point of the 2016 season.
It’s funny how time flies when your team is winning. It is the complete opposite of what we all experienced last year during the miserable 2015 season.
So far, the 2016 season for the Dallas Cowboys has been an enjoyable roller coaster ride that has fortunately had more ups than downs. Let’s just all be hopeful that they can carry this impressive performance all the way through the second half of the season as well.
Since the Cowboys are officially halfway through their season, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you who I believe should receive mid-season awards.
Please feel free to agree or disagree with any or all of my choices.
Offensive MVP
It would be easy to say that Dak Prescott or Ezekiel Elliott has been the offensive MVP so far for the Dallas Cowboys, but their transition into the NFL has gone smoothly in large part due to the Cowboys offensive line.
It may be cheating a little bit, but I’m going to make this a group award and name the entire O-line for the Cowboys as MVPs.
The Cowboys have invested heavily in the offensive line and it is paying off big time. They are opening up running lanes for Elliott, as well as keeping Prescott upright with their pass protection.
Honestly, I don’t know what more you can ask of them.
Defensive MVP
Defensively the Dallas Cowboys have performed better than anyone could have possibly predicted through the first half of 2016 season. They have yet to allow a 100 yard rusher or a 100 yard receiver.
That’s pretty impressive considering that they only have one Pro Bowl player on the defensive side of the ball. That would be none other than linebacker Sean Lee, my defensive MVP.
To date, Lee has 77 tackles and is on pace to finish the year with 150+ tackles. If that is the case, you can bet he will earn his second trip to the Pro Bowl. Of course, that all depends on if he can stay healthy the entire season.
I thought it was worth mentioning that Morris Claiborne was a strong consideration. He has been playing like one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. The time of his injury is truly unfortunate.
Biggest Surprise
There been quite a few surprises halfway through the 2016 season, but I don’t think anyone could have guessed Cole Beasley would be the leading wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys.
Beasley may be one of the smallest receivers in the entire NFL, but he is making a big-time impact on the field for the Cowboys offense.
Beasley’s best year in the NFL was in 2015 when he caught 52 passes for 536 yards and five touchdowns. Through eight games this year he has already caught 43 passes for 499 yards and four touchdowns.
If he can keep this up, he will be close to doubling his 2015 production and will finish the year as one of the best wide receivers in the entire NFL.
Biggest Disappointment
Being a huge Tony Romo fan, the most disappointing thing for me this season was seeing him get injured once again in the third preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Don’t get me wrong, Dak Prescott has been phenomenal the first part of the 2016 season, but Romo is still the better QB of the two.
I’m not going to sit here and speculate about what the coaching staff should do once Romo is back to 100%, but I do believe that he makes this offense better.
I would love to see what he could do with this dominant running game to help him out. He had his best season in the NFL in 2014 when they followed the same type of blueprint.
Unfortunately, it will remain a mystery for now though.
Rookie of the Year
Honestly, how can I go wrong choosing either Dak Prescott or Ezekiel Elliott?
Both players have been among the best at their respective positions in the entire NFL, and that is good news for the future of the Dallas Cowboys.
I decided to give the mid-season Rookie of the Year award to Ezekiel Elliott though.
Although Prescott has been playing above anyone’s expectations, Elliott gets the nod because not only is he leading the league in rushing yards, but is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record.
Elliott has been everything the Cowboys had hoped for when they drafted him #4 overall and is a HUGE reason why they have only lost one game through the first half of the 2016 season.
Who would win your Mid-Season Awards for the Dallas Cowboys?
Please feel free to use the comment section below to share with all of us your thoughts and opinions on this topic.
I’m with you on basically every award. Offensively, as great as Dak and Zeke have been, they would not be clicking the way they are without the offensive line plays this well. On defense I think it comes down to Claiborne and Sean Lee.
Kevin, I knew you would agree with me about the offensive line, especially since you’re an offensive lineman yourself LOL. And defensively, Claiborne and Sean Lee are a huge reason why the Cowboys have yet to have an individual player have a 100 yard rushing or receiving game against them.
I agree with you that the offensive line has been the Most Valuable this season. To me, the Most Valuable defensive player is Byron Jones. He may not show up a ton in the stat sheet, but his ability to play deep center field and not get beat has allowed the corners and the other safety (Church, Wilcox, or Heath) to play more aggressively. As a deep security blanket, you can’t beat that guy. Hasn’t had an interception yet, but he’s made so many huge pass breakups.
John, I like Byron Jones as well. He is definitely undervalued for what he does for the Cowboys defense. I think Sean Lee and Morris Claiborne however have both had Pro Bowl caliber seasons through the first eight games of the year. That’s why they were my top two candidates for defensive MVP.
Last year the Cowboys had the 4th-best RB in the NFL and couldn’t win a game with the Weeden/Cassel/Moore poo-poo platter at QB.
This year, they’re 7-1 without Romo. Zeke is good, but Dak is the real difference-maker in terms of Wins/Losses. He’s my MVP.
Jess, I don’t disagree. The difference to me is that the Cowboys are a run first-team and Elliott has been producing at a high level facing eight and even nine man boxes. Neither player would be able to be as productive as they have been if not for the dominating play of the offensive line. I think the OL is the MVP, with Elliott and Prescott finishing second and third respectively.