October Report: Up and down month for Cowboys, but it ends on a high note.

After breezing through September, October proved to be just a little more of a challenge. However, despite taking their first loss of the season, the Cowboys rebounded to finish the month still on top in the NFC East and tied with the Packers for the best record in the NFC.

So, let’s take a look back at the month that was, and take a look ahead to see how the final two months of the regular season shape up.

October results: Week 5 - won 25-24 at Buffalo, Week 6 - lost 48-27 to New England, Week 7 - beat Minnesota 24-14, Week 8 - bye

Rapid review: After ending September 4-0, Dallas extended their unbeaten streak to five games with an unforgettable come-from-behind win in a Monday nighter at Buffalo, where Nick Folk drilled a 53-yard field goal on th final play (twice) to cap a wild 24 seconds, in which Dallas overcame a 24-16 deficit with a touchdown, an onside kick recovery, and Folk’s clutch kick. But, that’s where the streak would end, as the Patriots came into Texas Stadium and walked away with an emphatic victory. There might have been a hangover from that loss going into the Minnesota game, and if so, it showed in the first half, when two turnovers had them down 14-7. But, by the end of the third, the Cowboys had the lead, and went into their bye week on a positive note.

The Good: Minus the first 50-odd minutes against Buffalo, Tony Romo has continued to play well, and is well on his way to another Pro Bowl. And, more than that, his start helped earn him a fat new contract, which means this is still very much just the beginning for him in Dallas.

The pass rush has gotten better week by week, especially with the return of Greg Ellis. Ellis has overcome all of the uncertainty about his future and is back to terrorizing QBs like we expect him to (4.5 sacks in four games).

He, DeMarcus Ware (5.5 sacks in the last five games), and about everyone else in the front seven harassed the heck out of poor Tarvaris Jackson (6 of 19, 72 yards, three sacks), and even though Tom Brady was able to have a huge game, they got to him a lot better than most teams have been able to.

The Bad: The run wasn’t as much of a presence as it could have been, partly due to the Cowboys being behind well into each game they played this month.

There’s still been the issue with slow starts. Dallas was behind at halftime in each game they played, and while they were able to come back against the Bills and Vikings, it hurt their chances to hang with the Patriots for 60 minutes.

Looking Ahead: November and Beyond

Dallas has played only one division foe thus far, which means that five of their final nine games will be against division opponents. So, if they want to win their first NFC East title in nearly a decade, it’s going to be done the hard way.

The next three weeks will do a lot to decide not only if the Cowboys are really contenders, but if they go into the final five weeks with a comfortable lead in the division, or if they’re going to be fighting all the way to the end.

First up is a game on Sunday night at Philadelphia, which is never a fun place to play. The Eagles are down, but as enigmatic as they have been, nothing can be taken for granted. Next up will be a visit to the Meadowlands to face the Giants, whose defense has had a complete turnaround since giving up 80 points during an 0-2 start, spearheading a six-game win streak that has tightened things at the top of the division. Thankfully, the Cowboys get to play the final game of the NFC East stretch at home, against Washington.

Following those three contests, Dallas will finish out November with two Thursday games, the first being the annual Thanksgiving game (vs. the Jets), and then a Thursday night visit from the resurgent Brett Favre and the Packers, which will be very pivotal in the hunt for home-field advantage, along with the Giants game.

Romo has the chance to really beef up his numbers and make all of his receivers happy, as only one of the five November opponents (and for that matter, one of the final nine) - the Giants - are in the top 11 in the league in pass defense. And, while New York’s pass defense has improved since the first two games, the only team they’ve faced since Dallas and Green Bay with a decent passing offense was the Eagles.

The defense is going to be tested, but the return of Anthony Henry is going to be a big boost, and so will the insertion of Tank Johnson into the rotation starting Sunday. This guy has a lot to prove, and no doubt is ready to get back on the field after having his livelihood taken away from him. If he’s got himself in the right mindset, and is conditioned both physically and mentally (and all indications are that he is), he could be a huge, huge addition for the rest of the year and beyond.

Getting at least a 4-1 record in November would be big, considering Dallas has to go on the road for three of their last four games, and have the Eagles coming into town in Week 16.

The Giants appear to be the closest challenger for the division title, and as good as they have been over the last several weeks, Dallas can’t afford to lose any games that they shouldn’t.

Not only are the head-to-head matchups important, but so are the ones with common opponents. New York lost to Green Bay, but beat the Jets and Dolphins, and have roadies at Detroit, Chicago, and Buffalo, with home games against Minnesota and New England left. Dallas won at Miami, Chicago, and Buffalo, and beat Minnesota at home, with the only blemish coming against the Pats. So, winning those remaining games against the Packers, Jets, and Lions is almost as important as knocking off the Eagles, Redskins, and of course, the Giants.

The first two months have been a lot of fun to watch, and the Cowboys have the potential to do something special this season. And, as long as they keep their heads in the right place, and bring their best week in, week out, the next few months will hopefully be as exciting.

The pieces are in place. Now it’s just time to close the deal.