Cowboys are true contenders

ARLINGTON, Texas — Now that the Dallas Cowboys have run the table in November, now that his team has come through the gantlet intact, Jason Garrett can let his guard down.

The coach who talks about stacking one good day on top of another, the one who forces himself and his team to live in the moment, acknowledges the obvious.

The Cowboys' 20-19 comeback victory over Miami on Thursday concluded a stretch that altered the complexion of the season. With a four-game winning streak for the first time in two years — and three wins in 12 days — the Cowboys enter the final month of the regular season as legitimate playoff contenders.


The Cowboys  know when they return in nine days to play Arizona, they will own at least a share of the NFC East lead. Since the New York Giants travel to New Orleans to face the Saints on Monday night, odds are the Cowboys will have sole possession of first place.

The 28th Thanksgiving victory in franchise history wasn't a thing of beauty. The Dolphins had more yards and committed fewer turnovers than the Cowboys. A team that has won only three games all season — albeit the previous three games — carried a two-point lead into the final three minutes.

A Cowboys team that was forced into overtime on the road four days earlier to beat Washington was running on fumes. But as cornerback Terence Newman said, "it's better to win ugly that lose gracefully."

Dez Bryant got it going. His 20-yard punt return gave the Cowboys the ball on their own 36-yard line with 2:59 remaining.

Tony Romo's pass to Laurent Robinson, who scored the team's two touchdowns, was incomplete. Romo then completed consecutive passes to tight end Jason Witten for 23 and 6 yards.

That's when the Cowboys turned the game over to DeMarco Murray.

"I've played quarterback in this league," Garrett said. "The most important thing for a quarterback is to be able to run the football. But if you don't run the ball well, the hardest thing for a quarterback is third-and-10.

"When you have balance, it's a good thing for everybody."

Murray picked up 6 yards to give the Cowboys a first down on the Miami 29-yard line at the two-minute warning. This is where the Cowboys have struggled in recent seasons.

Not now. The rookie running back came back with a 9-yard run. Then 3 yards. Then 4 yards. Then 5.

You get the idea.

Given how Miami quarterback Matt Moore victimized the Cowboys secondary deep in the second half of Thursday's game, this was essential. Murray allowed the Cowboys to consume the clock, keep the ball away from the Dolphins and turn the outcome over to Bailey's reliable right foot.

"To me, this is probably more meaningful and says more about him than the 150-yard games he's had in previous weeks," Witten said of Murray. "It takes a tough running back to understand what he needs to do there. Eat the clock, stay in bounds, get the hard yards, know where the weakness of the defense is.

"They had nine guys in the box, and he made some big runs when there wasn't a whole lot there. That's a sign of a really good back."

Bailey took the field with three seconds left for a 28-yard field goal.

Was there every any doubt? The rookie hasn't missed since Week 2.

"He's great," Newman said. "The guy has saved our butts two weeks in a row.

"The poise that he has is unbelievable."

The same can be said for Murray, who picked up 27 yards on the final drive and finished with 22 carries for 87 yards.

"This is a stretch where we needed to get going," Romo said. "We had some tough losses earlier in the year.

"At some point, you've got to get on a roll and stack wins together."

The Cowboys have done just that.

Now they have a few days to breathe.

David Moore

McClatchy News Services