The 2023 CHILL Awards: The best and worst of Dallas Cowboys in 2023
Editor’s note: Introducing the 2023 CHILL Awards: The best, worst and the odd of the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 season. With so many postseason awards shows and honor rolls dedicated to the NFL season, no writer is better suited to handing out his own CHILL awards than the Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill, who has covered the Cowboys since 1997 and still waiting for the franchise to return to the Super Bowl.
It’s hard to judge the Dallas Cowboys season without downgrading them heavily for the unconscionable performance in the season-ending loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Consider a student acing a class all semester and then badly failing a final exam.
Those things simply don’t compute.
But that’s what it is with the 2023 Cowboys, who tarnished a 12-5 regular season that featured an MVP-caliber campaign from quarterback Dak Prescott by falling behind 27-0 in the second quarter en route to a 48-32 blowout loss in the wild-card game.
So in the now viral words of Prescott, here we go: The 2023 Cowboys CHILL Awards
Team MVP
Dak Prescott was the straw the stirred the drink for the Cowboys.
Prescott became the first Cowboys quarterback to outright lead the NFL in touchdown passes. He became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era, and just the second in league history — joining Hall of Famer Bob Waterfield in 1945-1946 — to go from leading the league in interceptions to throwing the most touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
Most Outstanding Performer
Receiver CeeDee Lamb had a season for the ages.
Lamb finished the regular season leading all NFL wide receivers in targets (181), receptions (135), yards after catch (680), scrimmage yards (1,862), overall touchdowns (14), 20-plus yard receptions (29) and ranked second in receiving yards (1,749).
He was the first player in Cowboys history to lead the league in receptions and set team records for targets, receptions and yards.
Defensive MVP
Don’t let the stats fool you. Micah Parsons remains the team’s best individual talent and the defense’s most impactful player.
He recorded a career-high 14 sacks and led the league with 104 quarterback pressures. Both numbers would have been higher if not for constant double and triples teams and that unfathomable fact that he went the last 11 games without drawing a holding call.
Biggest surprise
Ordinarily, DaRon Bland would have won defensive mvp or most impressive performance. He not only led the NFL with nine interceptions, he also had an NFL record five pick-6s.
But he wasn’t the team’s best defender or best cover corner by seasons end in what only his second NFL season and first as an outside cornerback.
Comeback Player of Year
This was tough as it could have easily gone to right tackle Terence Steele, who played every snap one season after tearing his ACL and slot cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who came back from a near-career ending foot injury in 2022 to become a stabilizing force in the secondary.
But left tackle Tyron Smith stood out, playing 13 of 17 games after missing 32 games the previous three seasons and seemingly playing his way out of the league.
When Smith was on the field, he was outstanding. He earned second Team All-Pro honors after allowing just 18 pressures and one sack.
Best newcomer
The NFL doesn’t technically classify kicker Brandon Aubrey as a rookie because he played in the USFL and he had a stint in pro soccer.
But no first-year kicker in NFL history a better season than Aubrey, who led the NFL with 36 field goals and set an league record with 35 straight kicks to start a career without a miss.
He led the NFL with 157 points and become first kicker since 2007 to lead the league in points in his first season.
Biggest disappointment
This is a no-brainer because of the expectations placed on nose tackle Mazi Smith when he was picked in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
The Cowboys run defense again proved to be the unit’s weak link and Smith provided no help. He recorded just three starts. He played in just 28.4 percent of the defensive snaps. He recorded just 15 tackles and was on the field for just four plays in the season-ending playoff loss to the Packers, who rushed for 143 yards in the game.
Turning point
CeeDee Lamb sulking on the sidelines of a 42-10 loss to the 49ers. Lamb wanted more targets in a sputtered Cowboys offense that ranked 17th in the league and 20th in passing.
Coach Mike McCarthy then turned Prescott loose and he and Lamb went on a record run to the end the season as the Cowboys finishing first in scoring fifth overall and third in passing. Prescott led the league in touchdown passes and Lamb led the league in receptions.
Setback that hurt the most
The loss of linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to a neck injury in October put the defense in a schematic flux. They never recovered from. Converted safety Markquese Bell moved into the starting lineup at linebacker. His lack of size and the lack of experience from Damone Clark proved to be the team’s Achilles heal against the run. Add in defensive coordinator Dan Quinn scheme and his insistence on playing five or six defensive backs against heavy run looks, the Cowboys simply got run over.
Unsung Hero
Athletic trainer/rehab specialist Britt Brown oversaw the off season recoveries of Pollard, Steele and Lewis and he oversaw the management that allowed Smith to have a comeback season.
His work is invaluable to getting the players on the field for game day.
Quote of the Year
“Pour honey on me. I always say that. If you see me and a bear in a fight, pour honey on me, so you can poke it.”
—Dak Prescott
This story was originally published January 26, 2024 at 1:04 PM.
