Last weeks game against Dallas provided the complete series of snapshots of what outside linebacker Clay Matthews can do for this Green Bay defense.

On one snap, hes running down the seam in coverage against Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten. On another, hes shedding a block and exploding into the backfield to bury quarterback Jon Kitna for a sack. On another, hes bursting into the backfield to stone running back Marion Barber for a 3-yard loss on third-and-1. And on one more, hes snagging a deflected pass out of the air and racing untouched 62 yards for a touchdown.

All in a nights work for the second-year pro, apparently.

Hes doing exactly what we need him to do in this defense, said Kevin Greene, Matthews position coach and one of the best outside linebackers ever to play in the 3-4.

The outside backers in this defense have to be dominant players. They need to be game-changing kind of guys, and hes that kind of guy.

The question was asked after the seasons first two games, and it was clearly premature to ask it at the time. Is Matthews on his way to earning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, just like teammates Charles Woodson did last season?

Matthews had posted back-to-back three-sack games to open the year, but it was just as silly then to ask about breaking the single-season record for sacks of 22, as it was to ask about any year-end awards.

But after last week, its no longer too early nor silly. Matthews impact on the Packers defense, and on every game he plays, is undeniable. Offenses must scheme to try to stop him, yet hes still a factor every week. He became a marked man after those consecutive three-sack games, and yet in the six games hes played since (he missed one with a hamstring injury), he still has racked up 4 more sacks to lead the league with 10.

So can he win Defensive Player of the Year? Theres still plenty of football to be played, but heres a look at all the factors working in Matthews favor:

A complete player. The sack numbers jump out, of course, but Matthews is no slouch against the run either. He helped stack up Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick on a fourth-and-1 quarterback draw to win the season opener, and the tackle of Barber last week also showed how strong a run defender he is.

On third-and-1 from the Dallas 48-yard line in the second quarter, the Cowboys line up in a jumbo, short-yardage set with multiple tight ends and no wide receivers. Matthews is lined up on the left side of the defense, just inside Wittens left shoulder, and at the snap he fires unblocked through the gap between Witten and the interior blocker and drills Barber before he knows what hit him.

He almost took the handoff, defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. That was a big-time play.

It was also another example of what Greene referred to as Matthews improved study habits from his rookie season.

He does a good job of studying film, Greene said. He does a good job of feeling the offense, the set of the offensive line, whether theyre sitting back on their haunches when its going to be a pass, or is everything really tight with them forward on their hands, when its a run. Theres a lot of things out there you can read as a player to give you a pre-snap read of what the play possibly could be.

Then, you just trust your gut, trust your stomach, trust your instincts and play to it. Most times youre correct, and this time he was correct. Everything pointed to it being a fullback belly to Barber, and he went to make a play, and he did.

The numbers and in-season awards. Matthews 10 sacks are two more than any other player in the league right now (Miamis Cameron Wake has 😎, though all the other leaders will play their teams ninth games this week while the Packers finally have their bye. His 67 sack yards also lead the league.

The interception return for a touchdown against the Cowboys got Matthews on the board in a couple of other statistical categories, too, which only helps to prove all-around impact. Woodson last year showed up in every impact category, with nine interceptions, three touchdowns, four forced fumbles, one recovery and two sacks. One thing Matthews could use is more in the fumble categories. Surprisingly, for as ferocious as some of Matthews hits on quarterbacks can be, he has only forced one fumble so far.

Matthews also has already won an NFC Defensive Player of the Month award (for September) and two NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards (Weeks 2 and 9). Plus, he's been named to the midseason All-Pro teams of Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Weekly, and he's currently on SI.com national writer Peter King's top-five list for league MVP, so his contributions clearly are standing out. Woodson won the Player of the Month award three times last year, an unprecedented achievement for a defensive player.

Capers on his side. When he has a player whos a true difference-maker, Capers comes up with all kinds of ways to use him, and this year has been no different. After rushing almost exclusively from the right side last season, Matthews has lined up anywhere and everywhere along the defensive front this season, rushing off either edge or up the middle.

Capers has coached three previous Defensive Player of the Year award winners cornerback Rod Woodson with Pittsburgh in 1993, defensive end Jason Taylor with Miami in 2006, and Woodson last year so he knows how to maximize a dominant players impact.

That makes you look a lot smarter, Ill tell you that, Capers said of playing the Xs and Os game with those kinds of players. When youve got guys like (number) 52 (Matthews) and 21 (Woodson) that get mentioned, we know the kind of year 21 had last year doesnt come around very often, and 52 is having a great year this year. So the things you draw up have a tendency to work a lot better when you have guys like that out there doing them.

Team success (and occasional failure). For any of the leagues major awards, it helps to be on a winning team, and the Packers have won three straight and sit atop the NFC North at 6-3.

In addition, its been obvious the Packers arent the same defense when Matthews doesnt play. He left the Washington game in Week 5 late in the third quarter with hamstring trouble, and the Packers went on to blow a 13-3 lead in the final period and lose in overtime.

He missed the game the following week vs. Miami, and the Packers lost in overtime again, failing to register a single sack on Dolphins quarterback Chad Hennes 39 pass attempts. Thats the only game this season the Packers, who lead the league in sacks with 28, failed to get one.

So in the games Matthews has played from start to finish, the Packers are 6-1 with a pass rush among the leagues most consistent and dangerous.

***

So will all that be enough to win the leagues top defensive honor? As noted, the season is barely half over, so a lot can happen between now and the end of the year.

Also, there are a couple of things potentially working against Matthews. For one, his health.

His balky hamstring has given him trouble twice this season once in training camp and again in Week 5 and he barely practiced during the week leading into the Dallas game because of a shin injury. The lack of practice certainly didnt affect his performance that night, and hopefully the bye week will help Matthews heal up, but there are no guarantees in this department.

Theres also the Packers overall defensive ranking, which is just 14th right now in yards allowed. Last year when Woodson won the award, Green Bay ranked second. But by allowing just seven points in the past two games combined, the Packers have risen to No. 2 in the league in scoring defense, and they remain among the league leaders in turnovers.

One final issue is whether the Associated Press voters would hesitate in any way to award a different player from the same team two years in a row. History would indicate thats not a factor. In the 2003-04 seasons, Baltimores Ray Lewis and Ed Reed won in consecutive years, as did Buffalos Bryce Paup and Bruce Smith in 1995-96.

Its all fun, games and speculation when its just mid-November, but the serious discussions about the award will be starting soon enough. Like Woodson last year, Matthews has said many times that all he cares about is winning, and with how much he means to that equation, theres no reason to change course.

I just know hes being productive, and he needs to keep that going, Greene said. Were winning games and his productivity is right where it needs to be in this defense. We just need to keep doing what were doing, and all that other stuff is going to take care of itself.