Commanders Rival QB Dak Prescott 'Top-Notch MVP Candidate'

Predicting dark horse MVP candidates for the upcoming season, one NFL.com writer thinks Washington Commanders rival quarterback Dak Prescott could lead the Dallas Cowboys back to Super Bowl contention.

The Washington Commanders closed out the 2022 NFL Season with a win against the hated Dallas Cowboys.

It was a coming-out party of sorts for Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, and the only tape anyone has of real NFL competition for the second-year player.

While it's Howell who will ultimately determine how high or how low Washington finishes in the NFC East Division race this year, there are apparently two MVP-contending quarterbacks he'll have to compete against in the process.

Because NFL.com predicts Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as a dark horse MVP candidate in 2023, joining Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on the list of top players in the league.

"(Coach) Mike McCarthy knows what an MVP quarterback looks like," NFL.com says. "And with the Cowboys' head man taking the play-calling reins, I think Prescott is in line for his finest season yet."

One of the key reasons the league site believes Prescott could be in line for a career year is that coach McCarthy will be the brain behind the player to prevent him from matching his 15-interception performance from last season, along with new receiver Brandin Cooks.

"With McCarthy at the controls and better options out wide, Dak won't come anywhere close to last season's league-high 15 interceptions," says NFL.com. "I think he sizzles all year long. Supported by a ferocious, Micah Parson-led defense, Prescott should have the 2023 Cowboys squarely in the Super Bowl conversation. And if you're the reason why "America's Team" is a top-notch title contender, well, you're a top-notch MVP candidate."

Starting the conversation as a 'dark horse' list to finishing Prescott's analysis by referring to the eighth-year quarterback as a "top-notch MVP candidate" is quite the elevation in just a couple of paragraphs. 

Perhaps NFL.com is on to something, or maybe it's more of the obsession the league has shown over the years with having the Cowboys in the spotlight. 

Either way, the Commanders are doing everything in their power to help Prescott reach - and possibly exceed - his career-high 15 interceptions from last year, adding ball-hawking cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and versatile defensive back Quan Martin to their own secondary this offseason.

If Washington has its way, those predicting a regression in Dallas will be more accurate than this latest projection, and the team gets its first shot at locking that in Week 12, on Thanksgiving Day.

Find David Harrison on the Locked On Commanders podcast or text him directly at (202) 760-2188.

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