The Dallas Cowboys underwent a regime change three weeks ago when former head coach Wade Phillips was fired and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett took over the troubled 1-8 team.

Cowboys players were accused of many things in the weeks leading up to and following Phillips' firing.  Players looked as though they were giving up, taking advantage of their former soft head coach and not putting forth a 100 percent effort. 

None traces of those unattractive characteristics could be found in the heartbreaking 30-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving Day. 

Dallas was overwhelmed by a 17-0 hole in the first quarter after the Saints marched 80 yards downfield and scored a touchdown in less than two minutes. Then, center Andre Gurode prematurely snapped the ball resulting in a Cowboys punt that the Saints converted into another touchdown. 

"We talk a lot about adversity," Garrett said.  "Adversity is going to happen to you individually, it's going to happen to your football team." 

For the first few minutes of the game, it looked like Cowboys that took the field in the first eight weeks under Wade Phillips that was undisciplined, unfocused and looking to pack it in. 

But the Cowboys team of the last few weeks has taken on the attitude of its' new head coach Garrett and rose to the occasion instead of shying away from it as they did in the 45-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers. 

"Offense picked up the defense, defense picked up the offense, special teams got involved and we kept fighting," Garrett said. 

The Cowboys front line was dominant in the second quarter, constantly pressuring Brees and keeping the Saints out of the end zone, allowing just a field goal. 

The Cowboys offense did its job in the third quarter, outscoring New Orleans 14-3 after Miles Austin burst upfield for a 60-yard touchdown off a reverse that brought the Cowboys to within a touchdown. 

Just a few plays later, Michael Irvin's "4th and Long," reality show winner, Jesse Holley, stripped Reggie Bush on a punt return deep into Cowboys territory, which running back Marion Barber turned into a touchdown for Dallas. 

With the game being neck-in-neck and Drew Brees jogging onto the field, it just seemed like the Saints quarterback was due for a touchdown.  But safety Gerald Sensabaugh capitalized off a tipped pass to Saints' tight end Jimmy Graham

Once the Cowboys began marching downfield, it seemed the Garretts third consecutive win.

After a few successful running plays for first downs, the Saints defensive line stood strong, forcing Kitna to pass.  Wideout Roy Williams caught a slant route from Kitna and streaked 47-yards up the field, but just as Williams approached the end zone, Saints cornerback Malcolm Jenkins stripped the ball and recovered what surely would have been the nail in the coffin for New Orleans. 

"It's one of those things you preach and you drill all the time," Garrett said.  "Don't turn a great play into a disastrous play because that's how the defender can get back into the play.  In that situation, the most important thing is the ball." 

WIlliams took full responsibility for the costly turnover after the game. 

"I lost the ball game," Williams said.  "Let my teammates down.  That was a 'W' if I get tackled or just long-jump my way into the end zone, we win." 

Brees took over with three minutes remaining in the game and torched the Cowboys secondary time and time again.  Brees favored Terence Newman's side as the quarterback couldn't seemed to be stopped from making huge plays on the right half of the field.  

The Cowboys secondary was unable to stop the Saints after two huge plays on Newman and a touchdown over the middle on cornerback Mike Jenkins. 

"Honestly, it's a blur," Newman said after getting burned an a 55-yard pass from Brees to Robert Meachem.  "I just remember tackling him." 

If Newman had to choose, Thursday's game against the Saints would be a sure favorite to forget as the safety was constantly caught out of position and always seemed a step behind. 

Kitna had just 1:55 to march at least 40 yards down the field to get within a reasonable field goal distance but came up a little shorter than expected after back-to-back miscommunications with wideout Dez Bryant. 

Kicker David Buehler was wildly inconsistent throughout the first half of the season but was perfect from the field against the Saints leading up to the final kick.  Kitna left Buehler with a 59-yard attempt which Buehler pulled just left that left the Saints proudly marching into the locker room. 

It was an odd scene in the locker room following the Saints loss as several players tried to take sole responsibility for the teams loss.  

"We all know that it's a bottom-line business for everybody and ultimately, you've got to get the bottom line right," Garrett said.  "We talk about fight and battling and playing the right way, and we're going to continue to to do that and hopefully the results will come our way." 

Kitna finished the game with 313 passing yards on 30-of-42 passing.  Although Kitna played well, the quarterback seemed to take the Saints loss very hard. 

"You can't explain this," Kitna said.  "This is an emotional game, an emotional league and this game, if you let it, will rip your heart out." 

While the Cowboys certainly aren't into moral victories, it was a good sign to see every player scratching and clawing their way back into the game. 

"Everyone fought offensively," defensive tackle Jay Ratliff said.  "Defensively, everybody just played their hearts out.  The way we played and the emotion we had today, I'm not going to hold my head down about that, not at all." 

It will become very evident in the next few weeks whether Garrett is the guy for next seasons head coaching position.  The Cowboys face the always dangerous Indianapolis Colts led by Peyton Manning on Dec. 5 and Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles in the following week. 

The Cowboys front office should have a good idea if Garrett is the future of the organization, as good performances against the Colts and Eagles after the Cowboys have been all but eliminated from the playoff hunt will earn him major brownie points.  As long as Garrett has the Cowboys playing with the same fire and intensity as Thursday night's game against the Saints, Garrett's future should be secure.