What a season it was for the Dallas Cowboys.

The team finished the season on a four-game winning streak to win the NFC East at 12-4 in the NFL standings. Other divisional teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Washington Redskins failed to make the postseason. With a 12-4 record, the Cowboys clinched the No. 3 seed and will play the Detroit Lions in the first round of the playoffs.

Tony Romo was fantastic this season. The 34-year-old quarterback threw for 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions with a fantastic 113.2 passer rating. Only twice (Redskins & 49ers) this entire season did Romo throw multiple interceptions in a single game. Romo also had great moments with his feet, extending plays and getting first downs on the ground.

After his December performance, Romo is getting more and more attention and popularity for the Most Valuable Player award.

Not so fast.

As good as Romo played this year (and it was very good), he is not the MVP of the 2014 NFL season.

The biggest reason Romo is not the MVP is because of running back DeMarco Murray, who was simply fantastic this season carrying the rock. Murray led the entire NFL with 392 carries, 1,845 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. Murray wasn't just great, he was all-time great. This year (in a contract year) Murray broke the Cowboys single season rushing franchise record, which was previously held by Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith.

When you're breaking records that are held by the all-time leading rusher, you know you're doing something right.

As Tim Cowlishaw of the "Dallas Morning News" writes, "Romo had a fine season, but it’s not MVP-worthy when stacked up against Murray’s remarkable 2014 campaign."

Last season Romo threw 31 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions, but the Cowboys finished 8-8. In 2011, Romo again threw 31 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions, and again, the Cowboys went 8-8. Why was this year different? Why didn't the Cowboys go 8-8 for the fourth consecutive season?

Two words: DeMarco Murray.

Never before in NFL history has a quarterback won the MVP when he had the league's leading rusher on his team.

That makes sense. How can you justify giving a quarterback the MVP award when he had the luxury of handing it off to the best running back in the league? The 1998 NFL season is a prime example. Even thought the Denver Broncos had one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time in John Elway, it was Terrell Davis who won the MVP award. That season Davis ran for 2,008 yards, leading the Broncos to first place in the division. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Cowboys fans are no stranger to great backs who lead the league in rushing yards. From 1991 to 1993, Emmitt Smith led the NFL in rushing yards all three seasons. No, quarterback Troy Aikman did not win regular season MVP even once in his Hall of Fame career. Smith, however, did win the award in 1993.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a former league MVP himself, is a player who is getting a lot of attention for MVP this season. Maybe not as deserving as Murray, but a better choice than Romo. Rodgers has very similar numbers to Romo, but Eddie Lacy had 1,139 yards, not 1,845. Romo had the benefit of a starting running back with 706 more yards. The case could even be made for Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. His leading rusher this season had just 412 yards.

In the end, there's no doubt Romo had a terrific season, but when you are handing the ball off to a running back who had nearly 500 more rushing yards than anybody else, it pretty much disqualifies you from winning the award. Again, no quarterback has ever won the MVP with the leading rusher on his team. In all honestly, the Cowboys' offensive line (yes, all of them) should get the MVP.

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter

FOR MORE SPORTS NEWS AND UPDATES, CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT LATIN POST.COM'S SPORTS PAGE