Brooking grabbed a copy of the game film but had trouble finding a place to watch it. The first three or four rooms he went into were being used by teammates watching their own copies. Then he went to work out and there were about 20 guys in the gym.
That's when it hit him. Nearly everyone showed up to work even though they didn't have to be there.
"I was actually impressed," Brooking said. "I was walking around here smiling about the amount of guys who were here."
As he retold this story, Brooking, in his 12th NFL season but first in Dallas, interrupted himself and said, "Why is everybody asking me about this?"
Well, Keith, a good turnout on a "Victory Monday" might not be a big deal on many clubs. But for the Cowboys, it is an encouraging sign. Rather than patting themselves on the back following their best performance of the season - a reaction coach Wade Phillips sort of endorsed by giving them this treat right after their bye week - the fact that the majority of players came in anyway sends the message they're committed to winning.
No matter how much guys talk about accountability and dedication, this showed it. That bodes well for the Cowboys' chances of avoiding a letdown against the scuffling Seattle Seahawks (2-4) today when they'll try stretching their modest winning streak to three in a row.
