IRVING, Texas - The sting from Sunday's loss to the Steelers hadn't subsided less than 12 hours after the Cowboys returned from snowy Pittsburgh. But the players quickly put the game in perspective Monday morning when they made the team's 20th annual holiday hospital visits to local children.

"The game didn't carry over," rookie cornerback Orlando Scandrick said. "I'm still hurting about it, but when I went to the hospital I kind of took that time for the kids and chose to focus on that, and didn't mope around and say I'm not going to go because I'm down."

The players, cheerleaders and team mascot Rowdy split up to make five trips on Monday: Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, Parkland Hospital Burn Unit, Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, Children's Medical Center Dallas and Medical City Children's Hospital.

"I was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), so it was really, really sick kids," said fullback Deon Anderson, who went to Children's Medical Center. "We brought gifts and had team photos, and the cheerleaders had their team photos that they signed and we took pictures and moved on to the next room. It gives them a sense of a hope. I wasn't even thinking about the game."

Each child received Cowboys gift items in a "game sock" and autographs from the players and cheerleaders.

Under the guidance of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' wife, Mrs. Gene Jones, the entire team has coordinated annual hospital visits during the holiday season for the past two decades.

"It makes you just appreciate your ability to be healthy and all the abilities I was given by God," said Scandrick, who went to Cook Children's Medical Center, "and that I could touch someone's life and just brighten up their day when they're down and when they know things aren't going well for them."