Say what you want about Dak Prescott, but he has been terrific over the first couple of weeks of the season.

With a contract extension hanging in the balance, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback has come out and thrown for 674 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception while completing 82.3 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 142.9 over the first two games of the year, both Cowboys wins.

Obviously, those numbers are not sustainable and are largely the product of a small sample size, but it would be absolutely ridiculous to ignore just how well Prescott has been playing, especially considering he had been given the dreaded “game manager” label over his first three seasons in the NFL.

But is Prescott prepared to contend for an MVP award this year?

The answer is yes.

Let's look at the facts: Dallas is really good. The Cowboys clearly look like the class of the NFC East, as the Philadelphia Eagles have issues and the New York Giants and Washington Redskins were never going to contend.

There is a decent chance the Cowboys end up locking down a first-round bye in the playoffs, particularly with Drew Brees now being sidelined in New Orleans.

So, let's say Dallas wins 12 games and ends up finishing with one of the top two seeds in the conference. If Prescott continues to play at an elite level, how can you not have him in the MVP conversation?

Again, I'm not saying he will maintain his current level of production, because he won't. No one can. But if he throws for 4,000 yards with over 30 touchdowns and takes good care of the football, he will easily be an MVP candidate, specifically if the Cowboys keep winning.

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And realistically, I don't see any reason why Dallas won't continue its winning ways.

The Cowboys will battle the Miami Dolphins this weekend, and next week, they get a break, as they will catch the Saints without Brees. They also still have games remaining with the Giants and Redskins, and the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills look like wins.

There are some difficult games left on Dallas' schedule, but the Cowboys look like a top-five team in the league, so they could just as easily win most of those contests.

What you need to win an MVP award is good numbers, good character, and a good record. Prescott should be able to check off all of those boxes this season.