The Dallas Cowboys are sitting with a 9-3 record after 12 games as they end their most grueling stretch of the season.
Thursday night's win over the Seahawks was the Cowboys' third game in just 12 days.
An unfortunate consequence of being America's Team, this is not the first time the Cowboys have to play the Sunday, Thursday, Thursday sequence in November.
That stretch might have been the most grueling as far as fatigue goes, but the next stretch of games will be the most challenging in regards to strength of schedule.
An extra few days rest will do the Cowboys some good as their next games will be vs Philadelphia (10-2), at Buffalo (6-6), at Miami (9-3), and vs Detroit (9-3).
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I did have one question we need to answer.
Which Cowboys are playing at an MVP level?
There have been several great performances so far, but let's pretend we have to send in four Cowboys candidates for MVP.
There are four players to list and discuss. Two on each side of the ball.
Dak Prescott
Let's start with the obvious choice here. Quarterback.
On most teams, the quarterback is the obvious MVP of the team.
It makes sense. It's the most important position on the field, but I have a problem with how heavily the NFL MVP award is weighted toward quarterbacks.
I tried explaining myself on Twitter/X a few weeks ago, claiming that there is at least an argument that could be made for another player besides Dak Prescott.
It didn't go over well with people who didn't understand where I was coming from.
All they heard was “Dak Prescott is not even the MVP of his own team, much less the NFL.”
Be that as it may, since that day, Prescott has been playing out of his mind.
After a slow start to the season and working out the kinks of a new offense, everything has changed.
Prescott finds himself second in NFL MVP odds behind Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts.
In 12 games this season, Prescott has racked up 3,234 pass yards on 70.1% completions with 26 passing touchdowns and just six interceptions.
He leads or is in the top three ranking of quarterbacks across the league in several categories including QBR (75.5) and TD: INT percentage (6.3%).
If we stretch those numbers over the final six weeks of the regular season, he will finish with 4,851 passing yards, 39 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Prescott has separated himself from his teammates when it comes to MVP performance.
CeeDee Lamb
One of the biggest reasons Prescott has thrust himself into the NFL MVP conversation is the stellar play of WR CeeDee Lamb.
Since the loss at San Francisco, Mike McCarthy appears to have given in to Lamb's outcries for more looks on the football field.
Lamb's play since he felt the need to speak up for himself has elevated to a level where he has to be considered one of the top three wide receivers in the NFL.
First, let's look at Lamb's numbers from last year.
He finished the regular season with 107 receptions for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns.
With six games left to go, Lamb currently has 90 receptions for 1,182 yards and seven touchdowns.
Extrapolate those numbers over the rest of the games this season, and Lamb will finish with career-high marks across the board.
If he keeps up this pace, he will finish the regular season with 135 receptions for 1,773 yards and 11 touchdowns.
That line is certainly worthy of a few NFL MVP votes, isn't it?
Micah Parsons
There aren't many players in the league playing at a higher level than Micah Parsons through 12 weeks of the season.
He currently leads the NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds, but could he be considered a league MVP?
I certainly think so.
Parsons' numbers don't scream MVP, but if you're one of those people who think stats tell the whole story, no amount of convincing by me will change your mind.
Micah ranks 5th in the league with 11.5 sacks but ranks 1st with most pressures and QB hurries.
He also ranks 2nd in the NFL in double teams faced, and 1st in pressure rate generated while being double teamed.
If being triple teamed was a stat that was recorded, Parsons would likely lead the league in that stat as well.
Parsons' impact on the field can't be measured by only numbers, but unfortunately that's how MVP voting is weighted.
No defensive player has won NFL MVP since Lawrence Taylor in 1986.
Unless Micah breaks the single-season sack record, his chances at winning NFL MVP are slight.
DaRon Bland
Second year defensive back DaRon Bland is playing football at a level that we haven't seen from the position since Trevon Diggs.
Oh, wait. He plays for the Cowboys, too, doesn't he? *insert sly smile*
With his 4th quarter interception of Geno Smith Thursday night, Bland took over sole possession of the NFL interception lead at a whopping eight with six games to play.
If the law of averages applies here, Bland should snag another four interceptions in the remaining six games, giving him 12 for the season.
Throw in the fact that he already has the NFL single-season record for interceptions returned for touchdowns, and he can be inserted into the MVP conversation.
A defensive back has never won NFL MVP, so Bland's likeliest best shot at an accolade would be the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award that his own teammate is also vying for.
This is a hot take, but if it were up to me to decide who is the Cowboys' team MVP, I could make a very strong case for DaRon Bland.
What would the defense look like without him?
After Trevon Diggs was lost to injury, Bland traded his slot position for a job on the boundary, and has more than replaced the production we expected from Diggs.
We saw what happened last season when injuries created a void opposite Diggs, and how it cost the Cowboys a couple of games.
Bland's emergence as a shoe-in All-Pro should garner him at least a whisper in the NFL MVP voting, but a much louder voice for Defensive Player of the Year.
