IRVING, Texas – Defensive end Marcus Spears knows the Falcons are talented, but he's not about to hand them a victory before traveling to Atlanta.
The Falcons are the least penalized team in the league and among the league's best in turnover margin, and while Spears acknowledged those statistics led to their undefeated record, he said the Cowboys can win the game if they cut down on mistakes.
"They're a really good football team," Spears said. "But at the end of the day, we need to give ourselves a shot to win. I think we can beat any team in this league if we play the way we're capable of playing. That only manifests on the day of the game."
Head coach Jason Garrett was asked earlier in the week if he looks at the Falcons as the prototypical offense he aspires to be. He said he'd like to share the same success by minimizing the poor plays and moving the ball the way it has, but the teams' offensive styles are different and incomparable, despite both squads ranking toward the top of the league in passing offense and toward the bottom in rushing offense.
Spears said the same goes for the rest of the team. He said the Cowboys, who own the No. 4 defense in the league, just need to build off what they've done well, rather than attempt to copy the conference leaders.
That approach worked for the Cowboys in 2006, when they beat a 9-0 Colts team at home, and on the road in 2009, when the Cowboys stopped the Saints' dream of a perfect season at 13-0.
"You don't try to emulate teams," Spears said. "You try to be who you are and have your own identity. Obviously, we're doing some things wrong, but we're doing a lot of things right, also. You don't look at the film and say, 'I want to be like the Atlanta Falcons,' because you can't be. It's different guys, different coaches, totally different scheme, so you just try to be the best at what you do."
