DALLAS — The bye week has come and gone for the Dallas Cowboys, who are now preparing for the second half of their schedule. It was a much-needed break for a team that had a few too many bumps and bruises before getting their week time.
While the Cowboys sat and watched Week 9, there was some shuffling going on in the NFC. Inside their division, things have been getting closer in recent weeks. The Washington Commanders were riding a three game winning streak heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, and the Philadelphia Eagles appeared to have an easy win lined up against the Houston Texans.
The Eagles ended up having a tougher time than expected but still won comfortably to stay undefeated, while the Commanders blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead to fall to 4-5 on the season. The New York Giants also had a bye week and remained at 6-2 but are behind the Cowboys in the standings due to Dallas winning the head-to-head battle in Week 3.
As it stands now, the Eagles have a two-game lead on the Cowboys and Giants, while the Commanders fell further behind. The Cowboys will have to see a few breaks go their way to catch the Eagles, but the second half of their season should show whether or not they can become a threat in the NFC come playoff time.
Before taking on the challenges that lie ahead, let’s see who has performed the best for the Cowboys from the first half:
Best Offensive player: Tony Pollard
The best player for the Cowboys on offense thus far isn’t listed as a “starter” but has provided the greatest impact. Pollard averages less than 12 touches per game, yet he leads the team in touchdowns with five and comes through with explosive plays on a weekly basis.
Pollard has at least one 25-plus-yard gain in five games, and is averaging 6.2 yards per carry – best among qualified running backs this season. He doesn’t get a lot of attempts, but Pollard makes the most of his opportunities.
There isn’t another offensive player on the Cowboys who’s been better than Pollard through eight games.
Best defensive player: Micah Parsons
There isn’t much debate about who is the best defender on the Cowboys. It’s Parsons, the sophomore linebacker who can do it all. Calling Parsons a linebacker, his listed position, doesn’t do him justice, and labeling him as a pass rusher doesn’t account for how much Dan Quinn asks from his prodigy. Parsons can line up anywhere and affect the game.
Parsons leads the Cowboys in sacks (8), tackles for loss (8), has two forced fumbles and he scored the first touchdown of his career on a fumble recovery. The second-year player out of Penn State also had the defensive play of the year so far for the Cowboys when he ran down a rampaging tight end against the Detroit Lions and stopped him short of the goal line to prevent a touchdown. The next play was a fumble on the one-yard line that stopped a go-ahead score and the Cowboys went on to win the game.
That’s the impact of Parsons and why he’s one of the best defensive players in the NFL, and the defensive MVP for the Cowboys.
Most Improved Player: Dorance Armstrong
The Cowboys put their faith in Armstrong when they didn’t match the free agent offer for defensive end Randy Gregory to stay. Instead, the team used some of that money earmarked for Gregory and spent it on Armstrong, whom they thought was an ascending player.
Receiving a two-year contract worth $13 million, Armstrong’s deal was labeled as a tad rich at the time, but the 25-year-old defensive end has held up his end of the bargain. Armstrong is second on the team in sacks with five, and he has excelled on special teams by blocking a field goal and a punt to add to his value.
The Cowboys felt Armstrong could be a solid rotational player on defense and be a core part of their special teams. He’s been all those things and more through eight games.
Biggest surprise of the season: Going 4-1 without Prescott
The Cowboys winning games without their starting quarterback was a foreign concept under former head coach Jason Garrett. That has not been the case with current head man Mike McCarthy, who has gotten the most out of his roster, and his backup quarterback, to help win four of the five games that Dak Prescott missed.
McCarthy and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore deserve credit for guiding the Cowboys to wins when no one thought it would be possible to keep the team afloat. The defense has certainly done their part, but Rush has led the Cowboys on some big drives to win games.
Moore and McCarthy played it close to perfect without Prescott and it was surprising to see Dallas stay in contention despite not having their leader under center.
Play of the Year: Pollard’s 57-yard touchdown run
In Week 5 against the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams; the Cowboys were on the road and playing with backup quarterback Cooper Rush. This was supposed to be the week where Dallas was exposed, and Rush was expected to take his first career loss.
The Rams had just scored on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp to take the lead after falling behind early. All the momentum was with the champs, how would the Cowboys respond?
Dallas answered with a three-play scoring drive that was capped by Pollard’s 57-yard scoring run. Pollard exploded through the hole and zig zagged his way to the end zone. It took the air out of the Rams and showed that the Cowboys wouldn’t wilt when pushed this season.
MVP: Micah Parsons
It’s hard to tell the story of the Cowboys this season without Parsons. He changes everything for this team and is among the best players in the league at any position. A Defensive Player of the Year in the making, there’s no reason to overthink this one, Micah Parsons is the best player and the MVP for the Cowboys.
Do you agree that Micah Parsons is the MVP of the Cowboys so far in 2022? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
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