One month into the 2024 NFL campaign and it’s time to hand quarter-season awards for the Dallas Cowboys. This year might be tough seeing how the team has struggled in so many areas, but we’ll find those diamonds in the rough even if they are a little scuffed up. Here we go with quarter-season awards for your 2-2 Dallas Cowboys.
MVP – QB Dak Prescott
Almost by default, Prescott is named team MVP after the first quarter of the season. This could’ve also been a joint venture between Dak and CeeDee Lamb but since the quarterback touches the ball every down, he’ll usually get the nod. Prescott has had a decent first four games but isn't yet in midseason form.
It’s hard to be great when you only have one dependable weapon in Lamb and Jake Ferguson shows up occasionally as well. Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert have joined the party sporadically but not enough to make a huge difference.
Through the first four games last season Dallas was sitting pretty at 3-1 despite an embarrassing loss on the road to the Arizona Cardinals. Other than that game, the Cowboys hadn’t scored less than 30 points in the other three, which were wins.
So far this season, Dak and the boys have scored 30 or more just once in that Week 1 beatdown of the Cleveland Browns. Since then, this offense has only been able to muster up 20 points one time and that even resulted in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens, 28-25.
Despite the lukewarm start for Prescott and this offense, he’s still put up decent numbers. Six touchdowns to just two interceptions although he’s fumbled three times luckily Dallas has recovered them all. Passing for 268 yards per game is good but the biggest stat for Prescott thus far is one that isn’t entirely his fault. He’s been sacked 10 times already in four games. If the Cowboys can’t clean that up it will be a long year for their $60 million, MVP.
DPOY – LB Eric Kendricks
Possibly the most pleasant surprise or most needed, however, you’d like to slice it, has been one of the newest editions to this defense. Eric Kendricks has been the standout defensively for Dallas to this point and it isn’t even close. Yes, ahead of guys like Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and even Trevon Diggs, Kendricks has shown why he was one of the best sneaky pickups in the NFL during the offseason.
Kendricks leads the team in tackles with 10.5 per game. Solo, assisted and combined for a total of 42. He’s been all over the field and even has two sacks which is second on the team only to Lawrence who has three but with him out now (foot) for at least a month, Kendricks’ load became a little bit heavier. If a high ankle sprain keeps Parsons out for any considerable amount of time Kendricks might not see any rest.
There haven’t been many bright spots for the Cowboys this season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. With Kendricks being familiar with Mike Zimmers' defensive scheme, it really isn’t that much of a surprise how fast he’s adapted to playing in Big D.
ROY – LB DeMarvion Overshown (technicality)
Another pleasant and much-welcomed surprise has been DeMarvion Overshown. Although Overshown was drafted in 2023 out of the University of Texas, he didn’t play one snap last year after suffering a season-ending injury during the preseason. So, he makes this list and has shown to be the team's premiere “rookie” through four games. He’s second on the team in total tackles with 29, one sack and a pass defended on his resume.
This is why the Cowboys drafted Overshown in the third round and while it may have happened a year later than expected, he’s already paying dividends for a defense that needs as many sparks as possible. With Lawrence and Parsons (D Law for out for sure) potentially sidelined for a while, Overshown, like Kendricks will be expected to pick up some of that slack. Our favorite cliché here is “next man up,” but with Overshown already showing he’s capable of doing just that, it should be business as usual for the former Longhorn.
Most Improved – RB Rico Dowdle
You may not realize this, but Rico Dowdle has been in the fold with Dallas since 2020. Now in year five, we’re already seeing a much-improved Dowdle get more opportunities game by game early on this season. Dowdle is already more than 1/3 of the way to his season total in yards last season (361) through four games this season, with 134 in four games.
Dowdle’s rushing yards have increased in each game this season. If the Cowboys weren’t so hellbent on falling behind so early in some of these games, Dowdle might get even more attempts. He’s only had double-digit carries in one game and that came last week in the win over the New York Giants. However, on a team where more has gone wrong than right it seems, Dowdle’s growth should be a ray of sunshine for Dallas.