Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took home the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award on Saturday, while Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Prescott was a bit of a surprise winner over teammate Ezekiel Elliott, who led the NFL with 1,631 rushing yards. However, the quarterback was every bit as impressive with 3,667 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He also added six touchdowns on the ground while leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 record.
Prescott finished with 28 of the 50 votes, while Elliott earned 21, per Marc Sessler of NFL.com.
Bosa was an easier choice for the voters on the defensive side, per Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com:
Gregg Rosenthal @greggrosenthalDROY Voting Bosa: 37 Ramsey: 10 Deion Jones: 3
After getting a late start to the season, he finished with 10.5 sacks in just 12 games while putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks all year.
Prescott made history with his award, per NFL Research:
NFL Research @NFLResearchDak Prescott is the first QB in NFL history to win Offensive Rookie of the Year after being drafted outside of the Top 2 rounds
The fourth-round pick was the eighth quarterback taken in the 2016 class, but a back injury to Tony Romo forced Prescott onto the field. This ended up being a gift for Dallas, which went on to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The signal-caller showcased his selflessness after winning the award, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News:
Brandon George @DMN_GeorgeEzekiel Elliott went on stage with Dak Prescott as he accepted ROY award. Dak asked if anyone has a knife so "we can cut this in half."
Cowboys offensive lineman Ronald Leary showed his support for both players:
Ronald Leary @BigLeary65The 2 best rookies on one team @EzekielElliott @dak ...couldn't go wrong w/ either one. Congrats 4. #rookieoftheyear
Edward Egros of Fox 4 gave his argument for Prescott over Elliott:
Edward Egros @EdwardEgrosFox4.@dak is the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Logic is simple: last year, rushing game was still good, 4-12. Dak comes in this year, 13-3.
There was good sportsmanship on the defensive side of the ball, as Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey congratulated Bosa:
Jalen Ramsey @jalenramseyThought my big bro @Jaboowins was going to give me a lil mojo up there lol... congrats though @jbbigbear
Of course, this is yet another chance to mock the Cleveland Browns, per Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski:
Brent Sobleski @brentsobleskiIn two of the last three drafts, the Browns passed on Khalil Mack (DPOY) and Joey Bosa (DROY) to trade down and acquire more picks.
Bosa was considered close to a sure thing as the No. 3 overall pick and lived up to expectations with an outstanding first year in the NFL. With a full offseason of training, he could be even scarier next season in Los Angeles.