3 players stand between the MVP award and Dak Prescott

It has been 33 seasons since the Dallas Cowboys have celebrated a player on its roster winning the NFL’s regular season MVP award.

Ironically, it had taken the franchise 33 seasons to win its first, and so far only, MVP. Emmitt Smith literally ran away with the award after the 1993 season.

Dak Prescott has made a strong push for the award this year.

However, he has three players standing in his way and all three are in a better position than him to win it after the season ends next month.

Here are the current top four in the MVP chase:

Matthew Stafford

Drake Maye

Myles Garrett

Dak Prescott

Here’s the case for, and against, all four.

Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott’s season numbers stand at 357-for-522 (68.4%) for 3,931 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

It’s a rock solid year. Statistically speaking.

But Sunday’s 34-26 loss to the Vikings perfectly encapsulates Dallas’ season so far.

Put up the numbers across the board, just not where it counts the most.

That’s in the win column.

On Sunday, the Cowboys only punted once. They turned the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter.

They had six drives that ended in field goal attempts, making four of the six.

The two touchdown drives were capped by rushing touchdowns.

Prescott went 23-for-38 for 294 yards against Minnesota. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass.

More importantly, he didn’t win the game either.

His numbers will not be good enough to overcome the albatross around his neck that is the Cowboys’ won-loss record.

Which is the biggest shame of all. With a team winning the division and already in double-digits in wins, those same numbers would all but assure him of the MVP award.

Matt Stafford

The 38-year-old Matthew Stafford has had an incredible season, his age notwithstanding. With three weeks remaining in the season, he is the front-runner to win MVP this year.

Stafford is currently 312-for-470 (66.4%) for 3,722 yards with 37 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Advantage Prescott in completion percentage and yardage. Advantage Stafford in touchdowns and interceptions.

The tie-breaker?

Stafford’s team is at 11-3 and currently hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Prescott’s team is 6-7-1 and on life support to make the playoffs.

Unfair as it is regarding an individual award, the MVP race can be affected by the team record of the player. That advantage is enough to put Stafford at the head of the class.

Right now, there really isn’t much of an argument to be made to keep Stafford from winning MVP.

Unless he collapses over the final three games — it’s his to lose.

Drake Maye

The Patriots second-year quarterback has been on a tear this year. Despite Sunday’s loss to Buffalo, he has New England in first place in the AFC East and battling Denver for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Drake Maye is 290-for-409 (70.9%) for 3,567 yards this season.

He’s thrown 23 touchdowns against just seven interceptions this year.

Those numbers, and the Patriots overall success, are certainly good enough to keep Maye in the MVP race. But there is one negative that will count against him.

The Patriots schedule has been the softest among all AFC teams this year at .372.

Their strength of victory is just .347.

Stafford and the Rams have faced a tougher schedule. Los Angeles’ strength of schedule is .536 and their strength of victory is .513.

The difference in those numbers could sway just enough votes away from Maye at the end of the season.

Myles Garrett

Garrett is one sack away from tying the NFL record, 22.5, for most in a single season. After he ties it, even a half-sack after that and he’s the new record holder.

If he gets the record, he should be a lock for the MVP.

Except for one thing, the same handicap Prescott is facing: his team’s poor record.

Garrett is having an incredible season in 2025. In a just world, especially if he breaks the record, he’d be the winner by a landslide.

In all likelihood though, he’s probably going to have to settle for Defensive Player of the Year.