and be better as a result of it."
Yes, for the Cowboys' own sake, they should take greater consideration in the plays that weren't made than the effort that was. It's nice that the club is actually trying now, but Jones and Garrett had better not forget the utter give-up displayed by so many against Jacksonville and Green Bay. They definitely can't forget the stupid mistakes players made to get themselves beat during the first six games of the year.
See, last offseason the Cowboys accentuated the positives moreso than worried about the negatives. They were more excited about keeping the good vibes rolling from the four-game winning streak and the playoff victory than they were worried about shoring up the holes Minnesota exposed in the divisional playoff blowout.
The same can't happen this time, regardless of whether the Cowboys finish the season on a high.