The Dallas Cowboys may be down, but they’re playing like they’re not done yet. Thanksgiving was good for them as they defeated the New York Giants for the second straight year and increased their record to 5-7. Believe it or not, despite all the injuries and poor performance throughout the season, the Cowboys are just two games out of a wild card spot in the playoffs, something most people wouldn’t have thought possible a few weeks ago.

Dallas gets 10 days off before facing the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Carolina Panthers will follow. So the Cowboys still have two more games left that are very winnable and could make for interesting things in the NFC playoffs. For now, though, let’s continue to bask in the glory of the Cowboys’ victory and look at three things we learned about them in the process.

Micah Parsons has returned with a vengeance

When Micah Parsons went down with a high ankle sprain, the Cowboys defense, already struggling, would take a step back until he returned to action. All good things wait and Parsons has been ecstatic in the four games he has returned. The three-time All-Pro has recorded 5.5 sacks and 21 pressures in that span. Against the Giants specifically, Parsons had 1.5 sacks and six pressures on 36 pass rush snaps. The threat of Parsons rushing the passer can really change the nature of a game and help a Cowboys offense that needs all the breaks it can with Cooper Rush at quarterback. With other guys getting healthy, the Cowboys’ defense could be a problem for opposing offenses if Parsons takes over and plays like this at the end of the season.

Mazi Smith continues to put together good games

Don’t look now, but Mazi Smith is figuring things out. Consistency has been a bugbear for Smith throughout his short career, but over the last three weeks his play has gradually improved. He had PFF grades of 55.9, 69.6 and 79.9 during that time. Smith posted a run defense grade of 77.6 against the Giants, which is huge because one knock against Smith was his inability at times to break blocks and allow running plays are successful. Even though rushing the passer isn’t his bread and butter, Smith starts pushing players back into the pocket and forcing quarterbacks out of their spot, which is exactly what you want in the middle. Smith’s good play changes the entire Dallas defense for the better.

Rico Dowdle is a true starting running back

Not only did the Cowboys get the win over the Giants on Thanksgiving, but Rico Dowdle also became the first Cowboys running back to eclipse the century mark in 26 games with his 112-yard performance on 22 carries. It was also the first 100-yard game of his career. Dowdle is now at 600 yards rushing this season, averaging 4.5 yards per rush. He has rushed for more than four yards per carry in all but two games this season, and in three games he has averaged more than five yards per attempt. Simply put, when Dowdle gets his chances, he makes the most of them. He may not be a star like Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley, but Dowdle gives the Cowboys a legitimate rushing attack that can be effective when all the pieces work together, especially considering the team’s lack of creativity in its scheme.