The Cowboys 41-35 shootout win over the Seahawks on Thursday night at AT&T Stadium may not have been how Mike McCarthy would have like to have drawn it up, but he'll take it.
"Just an excellent team win. ... I told the team after the game, we need games like this," McCarthy said. "This is what December football looks like. ... To get to where we want to go, you have to win these type of games."
After winning by at least 20 points in seven of their nine wins this season, Dallas will likely have to get used to playing in much closer games down the stretch with the gauntlet that awaits them, starting with a Sunday Night Football showdown against the Eagles next week, followed by games against the Bills, Dolphins and Lions before the finale against Washington.
A game like Thursday's come-from-behind win in the fourth quarter can give Dallas the confidence they need when going up against stronger opponents over the next four weeks.
After struggling all night to get off of the field, the Cowboys defense stone-walled the Seahawks offense on three consecutive third-down conversion attempts and two fourth-down conversion attempts in the fourth quarter.
Those stops allowed quarterback Dak Prescott to go to work, just as he had done all night long, and lead the team to victory.
"Once the fourth quarter came, our guys got it done." McCarthy said. "We were picking each other up. The fourth quarter really tells the story."
The story ended with the Cowboys picking up their 14th straight home win.