Prior to the start of the NFL season, Cowboys fans had little to be optimistic about. Tony Romo had re-injured his back, forcing rookie 4th round pick Dak Prescott into the starting line up. Dez Bryant hadn’t been himself. The defense was in shambles with the loss of Greg Hardy, lengthy suspensions to both DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, and the fact that it was already coming off a historically bad year. Yet at the start of week 11, the Cowboys sit pretty atop the NFC, having a 1.5 game lead over the 2nd seeded Seattle Seahawks. So how did the Cowboys end up with an 8-1 record?

The most obvious answer is great play from Dak Prescott. Coming out of Mississippi State, many considered Prescott to be the heir to Tony Romo in a few years. But no one could have anticipated Romo going down in the third week of the preseason against the Seahawks. So Prescott took the reigns of the team, and has vastly exceeded expectations, with an impressive 7/1 TD/INT ratio and nearly 2,500 yards. His play has definitely prevented the Cowboys from free falling to the bottom of the NFC East, but he is only a single cog in the machine that is the 2016 Dallas Cowboys.

The real MVP of this team has been the offensive line. The Dallas Cowboys feature arguably one of the best offensive lines of all time, allowing the offense to operate with ease. Tyron Smith replicates the athleticism of Larry Allen, while Zack Martin and La’El Collins are some of the best young guards in the game.  Travis Frederick has exceeded expectations, being considered a reach when he was drafted out of the first round. Doug Free and Ronald Leary have continued to impress, as always. This group not only is the pinnacle of athleticism, but also demonstrates just how important chemistry. The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is a once in a generation spectacle, and it is a blessing to be able to see the epitome of trench warfare. The efforts of the offensive line typically go unnoticed, mostly giving credit to the quarterback or running backs.

Ezekiel “Zeke” Elliot has taken the NFL by storm, being the biggest surprise coming out of the Cowboys backfield. Darren McFadden was coming off an above average year, and Alfred Morris left Washington for Jerry World. So when Stephen Jones selected Ezekiel Elliot over Jalen Ramsey in the 2016 NFL Draft, critics were quick to say “classic Jerry.” Elliot has proven everybody wrong though, currently leading the NFL in both rushing yards and all purpose yards. McFadden has spent the year on injured reserve, and Morris has mostly been a change of pace for Elliot, allowing the offense to work through him. Elliot has put up an extremely impressive 5.1 yards per carry, but where he really shines is receiving out of the backfield. Elliot is averaging an amazing 13.9 yards per reception.

Prescott and Elliot are only two heads of the three headed monster that is the Dallas Cowboys offense. The receiving corp. has elevated its play this year, adding another layer to the offensive side of the ball. Jason Witten is the same safety blanket he always has been, somehow continuing to break open every 3rd down. Dez Bryant is doing an admirable job stretching the field and resuming his role as the home run hitter on the team, while Cole Beasley does a great job picking up yards after the catch. Terrence Williams keeps this squad from arguably being the best, having an obviously down year. His failure to run out of bounds against the New York Giants potentially gave the Cowboys their only loss of the season. Williams aside, the Dallas Cowboys wide receivers and tight ends ensure that the offense is operating on all cylinders.

The offense has been flashy this year, and is definitely one of the most fun to watch. What most people do not notice, is that defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has done a terrific job turning the defense around. While the Cowboys aren’t having a record breaking year by any means, the defense has been above average to say the least. Morris Claiborne has finally lived up to being the 5th overall pick, while Orlando Scandrick is still an underrated but great corner back. Byron Jones shows no mercy to tight ends across the league. Barry Church keeps the secondary on lock, with support from J.J. Wilcox. The front seven does a good enough job generating pressure to stop opposing offenses from running rampant. Sean Lee is almost his normal self, which is a good thing for the Cowboys. This defense harbors plenty of young players and already looks solid, allowing the Cowboys to be competitive on both sides of the ball. This group may not be scary yet, but you can count on them being great in the coming years.

Dan Bailey is still the best kicker in the NFL. Chris Jones is still an above average punter.  Lucky Whitehead still loves taking it to the house. Special Teams was never the problem with the Cowboys, but this year they’ve definitely been part of the solution.

The Cowboys have a new age of triplets. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin have been replaced by Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliot, and Dez Bryant, allowing the offense to flourish. Jason Garrett does his best to not be a liability, and overall hasn’t made many mind boggling decisions this season. The defense remains competitive, to say the least. And most importantly, Jerry Jones isn’t making personnel decisions. The 2016 Cowboys barely resemble the mess from last year, but it isn’t difficult to see why they’re the best team in the NFL.