Thanks to an absolutely commanding 42-7 victory on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, the Dallas Cowboys (11-3) are postseason bound for the first time since 2009.
With an NFL playoff spot and division title locked up, and the team seemingly peaking at just the right time, some are starting to wonder if quarterback Tony Romo - who set the Cowboys record for all-time passing yards in franchise history on Sunday, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Troy Aikman - has the necessary credentials to win the league's annual MVP award.
Sure, the Cowboys have found much of their offensive success behind DeMarco Murray and the running game, thanks in large part to an offensive line built more for power and less for pass-protection. But Romo, despite serious concerns over two different back injuries, has been statistically phenomenal this season.
"He certainly is in my book," owner and general manager Jerry Jones said of whether or not Romo deserved the MVP, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. "He is for me.
"Yes, he is, because [DeMarco] Murray has certainly carried his share, but Tony's quarterbacking this year was indispensable. We couldn't have had the team, and we have a team that probably right now is in the top four or five teams in the league. That's pretty good qualification of the vote."
Peter King of Sports Illustrated has Romo, who completed 18 of 20 passes for 218 yards and four touchdowns against the Colts on Sunday and who now leads the league in completion percentage (70.3), yards per attempt (8.49) and passer rating (114.4), second in his MVP watch list.
"He's come from off the charts with three straight command performances. After shredding Indy on Sunday, Romo forced his way into the conversation," writes King. "He's always been criticized for coming up small in the biggest games, but look at his December so far: 3-0, 79 percent completions, 10 touchdowns, no interceptions. Until Sunday, I thought he and DeMarco Murray canceled each other out. And Murray obviously has been terrific this year, a huge difference-maker in so many games, particularly early in the year. Later, Romo's been such a horse. He deserves legitimate consideration for his first MVP."
On the season, Romo's thrown for 3,406 yards, 32 touchdowns and only eight interceptions.
"Hell yeah, he is. He's the MVP," said receiver Dez Bryant. "Look at the performance. He's giving 'em hell in December. Icing on the cake. Give it to him. He's doing a hell of a job."
Even more important, it's nearly Christmas, and Romo's got a Cowboys team that hasn't played meaningful December football in several years, headed for the playoffs with visions of the Super Bowl dancing in their heads.
