IRVING, Texas -- How the Dallas Cowboys beat the St. Louis Rams on Sunday mattered almost as much as the fact they beat the Rams.
In a league where a win is a win is a win, the Cowboys don't have to apologize for how they got the win, but how they got the win can potentially live in their memory banks as the season goes on.
Jason Garrett promised one thing when he addressed fans at the team's kickoff luncheon in August: they would fight.
The Cowboys fought against the Rams. Down 21-0 with 6:06 left in the first half after a Janoris Jenkins' pick-six, they could have cashed it in.
They didn't. They inched their way back a possession at a time and eventually took a 10-point lead with 5:58 to play on a Bruce Carter pick-six.
They hung on for a three-point win.
In some respects the Cowboys are exactly where many thought they would he after three games. Lose to the San Francisco 49ers in the season opener, best the Tennessee Titans and Rams on the road.
Now it's about carrying over the good feelings -- if not the good play -- to this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints and future weeks.
"I think momentum is real," quarterback Tony Romo said. "I think that's the reality in sports -- within a game and after. But what you try to do honestly is just get rid of that and play every play as if you have to have it and at your best. At the same token, I don't know if you want to have that as your M.O., that you're only playing well when you have good momentum."
In Garrett's day to day, process to process approach, momentum is something earned each day. After the Cowboys lost the season opener to the 49ers, Garrett said the Cowboys have to evaluate the film unemotionally, learn from it and move on.
In their two wins against the Titans and Rams, he said the same thing.
"Again, execute and fight and continuing to fight, continuing to maintain your poise; focus on what you have to do, what your job is," Garrett said. "I thought those were good things we certainly can remember this in a positive way but we’re going to put this way pretty quickly and get on to the next challenge."
The Cowboys are 2-1 for the fourth straight season. They have not maintained momentum in Garrett's first three years, falling to 2-3 three times. Last season it was with losses to the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. Two years ago it was losses to the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens. In 2011, it was with defeats to the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.
Can they seize momentum in 2014?