*Game 9 – Minnesota: *
The Cowboys learned if Tony Romo throws one of his infamous late picks, it doesn't signal the end as long as he can get one last chance at brilliance. Romo provided just that against the Vikings after throwing an interception while trailing by three with fewer than five minutes remaining in the game. After a stop by the defense, Romo took the Cowboys 90 yards in nine plays – all passes – in just 2:09, scoring with 42 seconds remaining to capture the victory. The Cowboys also learned that the versatility of Dwayne Harris, who hauled in the touchdown pass, can't be measured. Harris also averaged 30 yards on his two kick returns. Lastly, everyone learned that as much as balance might be preached in Dallas, it wouldn't typically be practiced by this group. Despite leading most of the game and never trailing by more than four points, DeMarco Murray finished the game with just four carries, despite averaging 7.8 yards per rush. -- Rowan Kavner
Game 10– at New Orleans:
It's impossible for the Cowboys to have learned anything positive from this game. The most noticeable thing we realized in New Orleans was just how (Big) Easy it was for this defense to get manhandled. The 49-17 beat-down to Drew Brees and the Saints was the first blowout the Cowboys suffered. Before that, five of the nine games played were decided by five points or less and all of them within two touchdowns. We learned that not having Jason Hatcher in the middle turns this bad defense into awful. The Saints just ran right through the Cowboys, even turning the tide of Saints RB Mark Ingram, who was booed early in the game, but ended up with 145 rushing yards in garbage time. We also realized that Dez Bryant can get taken out of a game. He had just two targets, with only one reception. The Cowboys came back the next game and targeted him 16 times against the Giants. – Nick Eatman
Game 11 – at New York Giants
The Cowboys were coming off the bye after being smashed by the New Orleans Saints two weeks earlier. In his weekly media briefing before the Giants game, Jason Garrett said there were going to be some changes in the operations in which the offensive plays went from the coaching box to Tony Romo on the field. Wade Wilson was going to move from the field to the booth next to Bill Callahan and Wes Phillips would now be on the field. Garrett was once again going to be the voice in Tony Romo's ear, much like he was since he became the offensive coordinator. With Garrett once again taking over this responsibility, I had my thoughts that he was once again taking over the role of play caller and if you look at that final 4:45 of the Giants game and the score tied, it sure did have the appearance that Garrett was back at the controls. With his defense on the ropes, Garrett was brilliant mixing his personnel groups, keeping the Giants off balance, using the run and pass. It was an aggressive approach that had plenty of clutch calls and plays that drove Dan Bailey into field goal range for the game winner. -- Bryan Broaddus
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Game 12 – Oakland:
This season's Thanksgiving game provided a revelation that was unfortunately rendered a moot point. After 12 weeks with little to no opportunity, the Cowboys gave Lance Dunbar a chance in front of a national audience. The diminutive back has long garnered interest and excitement with his speed and shiftiness, and he finally delivered on the hype with 94 total yards on 13 touches against the Raiders. It was easily the best game of his NFL career, as he's managed just 64 touches over 20 games – an average of just 3.2 per game. It looked like the undrafted free agent had finally provided proof he could contribute in a meaningful way. That excitement was quickly tempered, however, as Dunbar suffered a knee injury that would end his season a month early. After showing a brief bit of promise, the injury raises more questions about whether he can return to that form once he's healthy. – David Helman
