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PHILADELPHIA, Nov 07, 2009 (The Dallas Morning News - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- Despite what you might have heard elsewhere, there's a positive vibe in the Cowboys' locker room these days.

We all know that's a good thing, just like we all know last season ended with a soulless performance in Philadelphia, where the Cowboys play on Sunday in search of redemption and sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

Last season, however, was lost way before the Cowboys' gutless performance at Lincoln Financial Field. It was lost in a sea of personal agendas and a toxic locker room mix.

Do not blame all of that on T.O.

He deserves some blame, but lay the blame entirely on the petulant receiver and it absolves everyone else. Constant complaining from Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones, who couldn't stay out of trouble despite 24-hour security, had as much of a negative effect on the locker room as No. 81.

The vibe is different this year because the team's core learned from the sins of the past and decided in the off-season that it didn't want history to repeat.

"We just care about winning. That's all," Andre Gurode said. "I can't tell you why it's different, but it is."

On Thursday, you could feel the Cowboys' chemistry.

You could sense it as Marcus Spears, Jon Kitna, Ken Hamlin and Marion Barber sat down for lunch and their daily game of spades, while a few teammates provided pithy commentary.

You could feel it as Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher, the self-dubbed fashion police, did faux interviews with various media members they thought deserved fashion citations.

Across the locker room, Martellus Bennett was showing cell phone pictures of the Sponge Bob Squarepants costume he wore to Bradie James' Halloween party.

Patrick Crayton came as funk superstar Rick James, while Deon Anderson came as a warlock. Jason Witten and his wife arrived as contestants on Nickelodeon's Double Dare.

Nearly every player attended.

Last year, some players were upset because Witten and Tony Romo didn't attend T.O.'s birthday celebration. These petty issues arise only when a team lacks cohesion.

"So many guys have learned from the past," Witten said. "There's a feeling of embracing this opportunity we have and not letting it slip away.

"Through the good and the bad, let's stick together, withstand the adversity and try to win football games. We haven't always done that."

Maybe that's why there's a level of accountability that didn't exist last season.

When the defense turned in an average performance against a bad Tampa offense, James and Hamlin said the Cowboys must play better to reach their goals. And when Romo threw three interceptions and turned in an awful performance against New York, he said it.

When Roy Williams had an awful game against Kansas City _ he dropped two passes, misjudged another and was penalized for pass interference _ he admitted to a terrible performance.

Williams and Romo refuse to be baited into a media firestorm by publicly taking shots at each other for their inability to get in sync. Romo has completed just 12 of 37 passes to Williams, a percentage far below the team's other principal receivers.

And don't forget Crayton, who was unceremoniously benched two games ago to make room for Miles Austin.

Crayton didn't like the coaches' decision or their failure to inform him of the demotion. Instead of going into a funk, he's returned two punts for touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass in the last two games.

Chemistry is one of the great enigmas in sports.

No one can explain why some teams bond and become greater than the sum of their parts. And no one can explain without equivocation whether the winning creates the chemistry or vice versa.

Chemistry doesn't guarantee winning. All it does is increase the odds that a team will have success because each player ultimately cares more about his teammate and that person's success than his own.

Finally, these Cowboys understand that. It will help them against Philadelphia.

___

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Jean-Jacques Taylor

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