IRVING, Texas - Henry Melton cant compare this years Dallas defence to the NFL-worst unit that visited Chicago last season because he was still with the Bears.The Cowboys defensive tackle just knows that right now, his new group doesnt look like the surprising bunch that boosted Dallas during a 6-1 start.The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles each scored on their first three possessions the past two games, although the Cowboys made enough stops against the Giants to rally for a 31-28 win. The defence kept Dallas in the Philadelphia game into the second half, but the offence couldnt overcome a quick two-touchdown deficit.Once we get going and flowing as a defensive unit, were tough to get past, said Melton, who leads the Cowboys with five sacks. But collectively ... obviously the whole game is, Ive got to play better and weve got to play better.Dallas (8-4) visits Chicago (5-7) on Thursday night, with the memory of last years dismal showing on the minds of the Cowboys who experienced that bitterly cold night.It wasnt the only bad game Dallas had defensively, which is why expectations couldnt have been much lower going into this season without the three best players in pass rusher DeMarcus Ware (released), tackle Jason Hatcher (free agent) and linebacker Sean Lee (knee injury).A strong start in 2014 was punctuated by a Week 6 win at Super Bowl champion Seattle, which had just nine first downs and 206 yards.The slide began two weeks later against Washington, when Colt McCoy essentially went from third-string quarterback to a starter making big plays in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Redskins 20-17 upset. The latest blow was a season-high 464 yards for the Eagles, including LeSean McCoys 159 yards rushing in a 33-10 Thanksgiving victory.Were still confident, defensive end Jeremy Mincey said. Sometimes its good to get ... a good old fashioned butt-kicking to get you going again. Its back to the drawing board.Mincey said he was still mad about letting the Eagles get outside early in the game on a play that he thought could have changed the momentum. McCoys two longest runs were to the outside, including a 38-yard score that put away the game in the third quarter.I can show you consecutive plays where we executed really well and the same guy did not do what he was supposed to do in the same situation and they really hurt us, coach Jason Garrett said. Whether its in the beginning of the game, the middle of the game or at the end of the game, you just have to do those things.Linebacker Rolando McClain was slowed against the Eagles by a right knee injury thats been bothering him for weeks, and cornerback Brandon Carr hasnt had a pass breakup since Seattle, seven games ago.Dallas sack totals have improved since the 6-1 start, but so have the completions percentages for opposing quarterbacks. And while the Cowboys are converting fewer third downs on offence, three of the past four opponents have a success rate of more than 50 per cent.Weve had some real good looks on third down and we didnt cash them, defensive co-ordinator Rod Marinelli said. But some of the third downs are too short right now. That starts with good run defence on first down. Tackling has to be sharp.Marinelli was Dallas defensive line coach in last years 45-28 loss to the Bears, who had 490 yards and 33 first downs a month after the Cowboys gave up an NFL-record 40 first downs at New Orleans.Chicago starter Jay Cutler had a sprained ankle, and backup Josh McCown set career highs with four touchdown passes and a passer rating of 141.9, the highest of the season against Dallas. The Cowboys didnt trash the video, though.I think it can be helpful, Garrett said. We always go through games like that. The systems are basically the same, and it applies. You want to go through it and see what they did.And the Cowboys are trying to get back to what they did defensively earlier this season.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuylerPavel Bure Jersey . His Chicago Blackhawks teammates werent shocked when he found it. 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DALLAS -- Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks cant seem to turn comfortable leads into easy wins, even with their playoff fate on the line against teams going nowhere. They avoided what would have been a damaging letdown against Sacramento on Saturday night. Nowitzki scored 19 points, including eight in the fourth quarter when the Mavericks wiped out a five-point deficit after leading by 17 in the first half and held on to beat the Kings 103-100. "Its unfortunate its been part of our DNA, and I just feel like were going to snap out of it," said coach Rick Carlisle, whose team has lost six games after leading by at least 16 points this season. "And I know we have to. So Im a very positive thinker on this." The Mavericks beat Sacramento at home for the 20th straight time in the regular season, the longest against any opponent in franchise history. Dallas (44-30) is in a virtual tie with Memphis (43-29) for eighth place in the Western Conference, a half-game behind Phoenix. The Mavericks have eight games left and finish the regular season at the Grizzlies. Rudy Gay scored 30 for the Kings. Monta Ellis had 17 points and six assists and Sam Dalembert added 15 as Dallas avoided a second loss to a West also-ran on a franchise-record eight-game homestand that ends Tuesday night against Golden State, the fourth likely playoff-bound opponent in five games. "Weve got to push it," Dalembert said. "We have to go out every night and fight, try to get anything we can get and see if we can get that second chance." The Kings were up 89-84 after a jumper from Jason Thompson when Jose Calderon started a 10-0 run with a 3-pointer and Nowitzki hit a pair of free throws for a tie. Shawn Marion made two more free throws to put Dallas back in front, then knocked down a 3-pointer from the right corner for a 94-89 lead. Marion finished with 14 points. Sacramento had a chance to tie in the final seconds after Ellis missed two free throws, but Travis Outlaws 3-pointer was short just before the buzzer. "We played a lot harder, a lot more physical, in the second half," Sacramento coach Michael Malone said. "But we dont want to be having to get down by 17 to doo it.dddddddddddd" Gay, who had 35 points in another close loss at the Mavericks in January, led Sacramentos push for its first regular-season win in Dallas since Feb. 27, 2003. The Kings won a playoff game in Dallas in 2004 when they eliminated the Mavericks in five games in the first round. Gay tipped in his own miss for the Kings first lead at 81-80 with 7:26 remaining in the game and muscled in a bucket after Ray McCallum missed a layup. Gay also had seven rebounds. With Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas missing his third straight game with a right thigh contusion, McCallum became the first NBA player this season to go the full 48 minutes. He has played six straight quarters over two nights after going the entire second half of a loss at Oklahoma City. McCallum, who had 16 points and eight assists, was briefly the only guard available when fellow rookie Ben McLemore left with what he said was a mild knee injury in the third quarter before returning in the fourth. "I felt fine the whole entire game," said McCallum, who has averaged 45 minutes per game in his three career starts with Thomas sidelined. "I knew with Isaiah being out, I would play more. I took a challenge to keep the team in the game and run the offence." McLemore had ice on both knees and his left shoulder after the game, but said he was fine. Nowitzki led the Mavericks with seven rebounds and tied Calderon for the team lead with seven assists. Reggie Evans had a season-high 18 rebounds for Sacramento, and DeMarcus Cousins finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists despite sitting most of the third quarter with four fouls. NOTES: Kings coach Michael Malone said Thomas might play Monday at New Orleans. ... Kings F Jason Thompson got a technical for complaining about a foul called against him on a three-point play by Marion. It contributed to a seven-point spurt in just 26 seconds that gave Dallas a 50-33 lead late in the first half. ... Ellis has been willing to take charges all season, never better illustrated that early in the third quarter when the 6-foot-11, 270-pound Cousins dribbled the length of the floor before plowing through the 6-3, 185-pound Ellis under the basket. 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