The Dallas Cowboys have really come off to a slow start this year. If you could cut out some of their mistakes, they would be 5-0 instead of 3-2.

However, we cannot change the past, but we can learn from it.

What did Dallas learn from its past?

First off, they signed Allen Rossum, the 49ers punt and kick returner, to help improve plays on special teams. With Patrick Crayton muffing punts, and Terence Newman being injury-prone, the Cowboys needed a genuine return man to help in that third part of the game.

Helpful additions are only part of the equation. Dallas needs to be able to correct the flaws it makes with self-discipline.

I believe this team has really been the cause of their own failures. They are too talented to be beaten out of playoffs. These guys give games away, and it really is disgusting to watch.

This is one game they cannot give away, especially since their record is 3-2. They need to bump it up to 4-2 against a playoff team like the Atlanta Falcons to make the statement that they aren’t overrated, but actually a good team.

What are the keys needed to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Dallas this Sunday?

First off, this team has to  score touchdowns. Too many drives have happened where Dallas settled for a field goal instead of getting a touchdown. These results are due partly to a failed 3rd-down conversion here and there, but what is really muffling the Cowboys’ drives is penalties.

Penalties are like hiccups. They are annoying, unwanted, and mess up the flow of whatever one is doing. The flow in this case being momentum, which I’ve learned is almost half the game.

Dallas has to keep momentum going on every drive without revolvers going off around their feet.

The biggest thing for Dallas is that the run game has to happen this week. Last week, it took over a half to really get the run game going to where it kept a lot of pressure off Tony Romo and confused the defense.

It is much easier to throw passes when the defense doesn’t know if it is going to be a handoff or a pass. Atlanta is ranked 17th against the run, so the Cowboys are certainly capable of running the ball against this team.

For the run game to work, the line has to keep doing what it has been doing. Left guard, Kyle Kosier, who missed the majority of last season, has really helped the line assert its dominance on the line of scrimmage.

However, expect Dallas to feature all three running backs this Sunday, providing Felix Jones does play.

Marion Barber, who was nursing a quad injury in the game against Kansas City, was very sluggish, and when Tashard Choice took over, Dallas got the the help it needed to win the game in overtime.

Felix Jones has been out the past two games due to a knee strain, so the loss of him was equivalent to the Lakers without Kobe Bryant. I’ve spent hours yelling at Lady Luck about how she needs to keep him healthy.

He is the X-factor in the game. He brings that third dimension of offense to this team. He has speed unlike any other running back I’ve seen in the NFL, he has the explosiveness of a gunshot, and he has an eye for the hole that just stuns you.

His first NFL carry was for an 11 yard touchdown run against the Browns. We are talking about someone very special.

If those three running back can execute this Sunday, then I don’t see how Dallas can be beaten. They are, arguably, the best group in the NFL.

Once the running game is established, Dallas should be able to score via air travel.

The Cowboys really do have the edge against the Falcons in the pass game. Atlanta just put starting cornerback, Brian Williams, on injured reserve, so the Cowboys will have the second-string guy to handle.

Also, Dallas has really found a diamond in Miles Austin. Austin had 10 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Roy Williams may also be back for Dallas, and I don’t think starting cornerback Chris Houston or Brent Grimes can handle his physical strength in the end.

Tony Romo just needs pass protection from the offensive line, which will be challenging since John Abraham led defensive ends last year in sacks with 16. He already has three under his belt for this season.

However, Tony Romo has Flozell Adams protecting his left side, and Adams is having a Pro Bowl year. He shut down Justin Tuck, the leagues top defensive end in my opinion, and he kept Gaines Adams and Julius Peppers from planting Tony Romo in the ground too.

Overall, I think Adams will be ready to take on Abraham, and Tony Romo is very effective with his footwork.

The offense’s execution is the lesser of two difficulties. The Dallas Cowboys are going to have to stop the Atlanta Falcons on defense.

The Atlanta Falcons have their own “Triplets,” on offense themselves. You got Matt Ryan, a smart quarterback with a precise arm and doesn’t care about individual statistics.

Michael Turner, very solid running back, who does his job with modesty instead of flair. He’s going to get a thousand yards in a season, and he can break a big run at the right time.

Finally, there is Roddy White. An amazingly gifted, underrated receiver who is also coming off a 200 yard game of his own, and he’ll require constant watch throughout the entire game.

As if those three weren’t enough, the Falcons have a Hall of Fame tight end at their disposal in Tony Gonzalez. He’s motivated, he wants a ring, he’s very knowledgeable about the game, and a great safety net if Matt Ryan gets in trouble just like our Jason Witten.

Now, look at the Cowboys on defense. We have one of the best corners in the league with Terence Newman, who should be located on Roddy White for the entire game. White may also get Gerald Sensabaugh or Ken Hamlin in double coverage.

Their receiver Michael Jenkins should be assigned to our cornerback Mike Jenkins, so I’m eager to see how the two duke it out over the game.

If the receivers are shut down, Dallas is going to have to rely on the linebackers to tackle Tony Gonzalez.

Yet, I’m still concerned about the secondary. In the two minute defense, they have been absolutely dreadful, and Dallas needs them to shut down a team when the game is on the line.

Hamlin is not worth his paycheck lately. I really wish Dallas could borrow Ed Reed from the Ravens. Just for this season though.

I’m not worried about the defensive line of Dallas. They are a very good line with an absolute star at nose tackle named Jay Ratliff.

The linebacking corp, which is still great, has me worried. Our best linebacker and my favorite player, DeMarcus Ware, has a stress fracture in his left foot.

Ware led the league last year with 20 sacks, and it took him five games before he got a sack. He may say that the fracture hasn’t been affecting him, but I know he won’t make excuses for himself, which makes me admire him even more.

However, I will make excuses because I’m a writer. I can only imagine what he would be doing if he were healthy. This has probably been affecting his speed, and if I could show you how many sacks Ware has almost gotten, then everyone could understand when I say that he should have more than two sacks on the season.

Hopefully, the bye week has really improved Ware and with Anthony Spencer on the other side, Bradie James and Keith Brooking in the middle with plenty of help from reserves like Steve Octavien and Victor Hodge, this linebacking crew should triumph in this matchup.

This game is big because the Cowboys should be out to show that Atlanta made a horrible decision in letting Keith Brooking go. Keith Brooking has become a member of the Dallas family so fast, it is almost as if he has been here all his life.

Brooking leads the team in tackles with 37 and a sack to go along with it. He’s such a motivational player, and I hope he stays for quite a while here.

On special teams, Dallas just has to keep doing what they have been doing. The addition of Joe DeCamillis as the special teams coach has been an amazing success. These new players with this new coach are just so dependable now.

I used to be on the edge of my seat, worried that those returners would torch the special teams, but now I don’t even bother watching it because I know he’s going to get flattened by our Cowboys.

Can Dallas win this game? Absolutely. Will I make a prediction? No.

I don’t want to jinx it.

All those who cannot watch the game, make sure to tape it because it is going to be good.

Oh, and one more thing.

GO COWBOYS!