NFL 2016: Regular season grades for every team

By John Buhler | Jan 3, 2017

Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) walks off the field after a NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Cardinals defeated the Rams 44-6. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

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Dec 26, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) during the game against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

To say the 2016 Dallas Cowboys had a remarkable regular season would be a gross understatement. After going a miserable 4-12 in 2015 during season in which franchise quarterback Tony Romo broke his clavicle twice, Dallas responded in 2016 by getting the No. 1 seed in the 2016 NFC playoffs.

Oh yeah, let’s not forget that Romo got hurt again. This time he broke a bone in his back in the Cowboys’ third preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. Enter rookie quarterback Dak Prescott out of Mississippi, combined with a generational offensive line, and the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson in Ezekiel Elliott and it’s no surprise that the Cowboys are likely to get to their first Super Bowl in 20 years.

In Week 2, Dallas seized momentum with Prescott and Elliott behind this offensive line and never looked back. Momentum is a real thing. Dallas has it like nobody else in football. The Cowboys’ chemistry is off the charts and they have the players to win Super Bowl 51.

Time will tell how dominant this Cowboys team was. Is this a potential Super Bowl champion or just a really strong regular season team like the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, the 2007 New England Patriots, or the 2013 Denver Broncos. Regardless, Dallas’ 2016 regular season was almost perfect.

Grade: A+

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