A man who appreciates history and maybe a little symmetry, Jason Garrett became the 96th coach in the NFL's 96-year history to win 50 games when the Cowboys beat the Packers in October. With the best record in the NFC, he continued that climb up the victories chart Sunday (see ya later, Leeman Bennett) toward the next achievement -- one that he would never dare to acknowledge as significant in any way.

Is Garrett the leading candidate for NFL Coach of the Year? Are there any other legitimate choices?

Former Cowboys coordinator Mike Zimmer got kicked to the curb Monday night when Minnesota failed to compete with the Chicago Bears. It's only going to get worse for the offensively challenged Vikings (who, by the way, also gave up more than 400 yards to the Bears).

Week by week, we see other challengers drift away. Who is left?

I would say -- starting with another former Cowboys player -- Oakland's Jack Del Rio, Atlanta's Dan Quinn and, maybe, Houston's Bill O'Brien fill out the field. I'm assuming no one's rushing to hand Bill Belichick the honor for going 3-1 without a suspended Tom Brady.

The Raiders are a fun story, having won all of their road games and enjoying a nice future with Derek Carr at the helm. The Raiders are somehow 6-2 despite being only plus-12 in scoring. The last-place team in their division, the 3-5 San Diego Chargers, have a better plus-minus. Whether that's Raiders luck or coaching, Del Rio gets credit for it.

Likewise for Quinn, who was coordinator of Seattle's outstanding defense but hasn't managed to bring any of that to the Falcons, a team that's 5-3 despite having surrendered more points than every team except Cleveland.

I mention O'Brien only because his Texans lead their division despite having suffered some brutal losses in which Brock Osweiler has made NFL history with the shortness and inefficiency of his throws. This team will not have staying power.

Realistically, Garrett has lapped this field after having lost two quarterbacks in preseason and struck gold with the team's third. A year removed from being absolutely helpless without Tony Romo, Garrett's toughest job in 2016 is figuring out how to tell Romo that when he's healthy enough to wear a uniform, he will be holding a clipboard and watching the Dak Show like everyone else.

You can suggest that Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are just carrying Garrett along for the ride. I think that's simplistic. You also have to look at how a defense questioned by everyone is starting to perform.

On Sunday, Garrett will complete six full seasons as the Cowboys head coach. We didn't learn much from him in his early years, other than for a really smart guy, he really struggled with clock management.

Since being removed from play-calling duties and developing a symbiotic relationship with Scott Linehan, Garrett has enjoyed a 12-4 season and now this current one in which only Belichick's Patriots match the Cowboys with one defeat.

One of the most significant differences between the Eagles and Cowboys on Sunday night was the manner in which Philadelphia's Doug Pederson played it safe, coaching not to lose or get second-guessed. Garrett rolled the dice confidently throughout and, as a result, the Eagles never touched the ball in overtime. Now the Cowboys lead the NFC East by a full two games.

Here's what you learn when you examine the records of coaches with more than 50 wins. Garrett, at .537, already has moved into the "Give This Guy a TV Job" category. You recognize that from seeing Herm Edwards with his .422, Steve Mariucci and his .518 and even Jon Gruden, sitting barely ahead of Garrett, at .540.

None of this matters much to Garrett right now. After Sunday's win in Cleveland -- can we take that for granted or no? -- the Cowboys move into the second half of the season at 7-1. The path to not just winning the East but securing home games for the playoffs is laid out in front of this team. Others have not really traveled this route in the past, allowing a rookie quarterback and running back to successfully show the way.

But players believe in and listen to Garrett. While he serves the media a robotic mantra that encourages mostly eye-rolling, he reserves his passion for his team. Coming off his only losing season, Garrett has been at his best in 2016 and has the Cowboys in position to improve on their record by ... how much?

Seven wins? Eight? Even more?

After six years, Garrett's stacking one good practice after another is paying off. And about once every 25 years, this franchise claims an AP Coach of the Year Award.

Tom Landry in 1966. Jimmy Johnson in 1990.

Does 2016 fit nicely into that mix?