"The Dallas Cowboys have not quit. After losing seven of their first eight games, the Cowboys will not be going to the playoffs. Their season is essentially over, but they are not playing like it.

Want proof? It was scattered all over the turf inside Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday - effort and execution and turnovers and big plays and poise, all of the things you need to win in the National Football League.

For the third time since offensive coordinator Jason Garrett replaced Wade Phillips as coach, the Cowboys won, beating the Indianapolis Colts, 38-35, in overtime. They are 3-1 post-Wade, and 4-8 overall with four games to go. The Cowboys will face the Eagles twice in the next four weeks, beginning Sunday in Dallas, and you had better believe they are not going to lie down and just let the Eagles roll over them.

Only a fool would pencil in two wins over the Cowboys for the 8-4 Birds. The Dallas players are playing for their interim coach, for themselves, for their jobs in 2011, and for one another. Given their record, that is a lot. They certainly could have quit, but they have not.

If they had, there is no way Dallas would have survived coughing up leads of 17-0 in the second quarter and 27-14 in the third Sunday. The Cowboys would have pouted at their misfortune after returning two interceptions of Peyton Manning for touchdowns and yet trailing, 28-27, after Colts wide receiver Taj Smith, who wasn't even with Indianapolis two weeks ago, returned a blocked Dallas punt for a touchdown and the Colts' first lead.

The Cowboys were resilient - and lucky - on their next possession. With a steady dose of running backs Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, Dallas drove to the Indianapolis 1-yard line. The Cowboys had three tries from the 1, but could not punch the ball in and settled for a field goal by David Buehler.

But an official flagged Indianapolis defensive tackle Eric Foster for unsportsmanlike conduct for climbing on the backs of two Cowboys and using them for leverage as he tried to block the kick. Given the nature of what goes on during field-goal attempts, it was an unusual call, and it gave the Cowboys the ball back at the 3-yard line.

On third down from the 2, Jon Kitna hit Jason Witten in the left front corner of the end zone for a touchdown and a 35-28 lead.

Manning threw to Reggie Wayne seven times on the Colts' next drive, and Indianapolis forced overtime when Javarris James rushed 2 yards up the middle for a touchdown."