Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott Beating Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts as MVP Frontrunner?
The Dallas Cowboys (9-3) and Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) are poised for a heavyweight bout Sunday night inside AT&T Stadium with bragging rights and NFC East title hopes at stake.
But there's another crucial matchup taking place with significant implications - Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott vs. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
It's the game inside of the game ... and could be the turning point in the NFL Most Valuable Player race.
Following a strong showing from Prescott in Thursday night's victory over the Seattle Seahawks and a rocky performance by Hurts in Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys' gunslinger has pulled ahead - for now.
Prescott, at +300, is the betting favorite for league MVP, holding a narrow edge over Hurts, who sits at +350, per FanDuel Sportsbook. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has the same odds as Hurts, while Kansas City Chiefs signal caller Patrick Mahomes slots in fourth at +600.
Behind them come two more quarterbacks in the Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa and Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson at +800.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott leads Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the NFL MVP race.
Sports Illustrated
Prescott and Hurts posted comparable final numbers but to different degrees of team success in Week 13, as the former went 29 of 41 for 299 yards and three touchdowns while the latter completed 26 of 45 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown with another score on the ground.
For the season, Prescott (70.1 percent) has completed a better rate of passes than Hurts (66.5 percent), thrown for more yards (3,234 vs. 2,995), tossed more touchdowns (26 vs. 19) and been intercepted less (six times vs. Hurts' 10).
Prescott has attempted only eight more passes than Hurts; at least numerically, there was equal opportunity through the air, and Prescott has the better of Hurts in that category.
However, Hurts has been far more proficient as a runner, taking 121 carries for 430 yards and 12 touchdowns. Prescott, conversely, has only 41 attempts for 174 yards and two scores.
Factoring in both rushing and passing numbers, Hurts has 3,425 yards from scrimmage and 31 total touchdowns, giving him a narrow edge over Prescott's 3,408 yards and 28 touchdowns.
The Cowboys and Eagles are separated by one game in the NFC East. Their quarterbacks may be even closer to one another in the MVP race.
For now, Prescott's been given the edge by FanDuel - but the outcome of Sunday's 7:20 p.m. CST kickoff could have a strong say as decision day nears.
