Joe DeCamillis has the Cowboys ranked near the top of several special teams categories.

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IRVING, Texas - Here we are, in the early stages of November, yet all week long we're going to hear and read about Dec. 28 of last year.  

And rightfully so, it was the day the Cowboys' season not only ended, but it happened in a way that even the most diehard of fans couldn't stomach.  

So as the Cowboys get ready to take a return trip to Philadelphia, it's hard not to wonder if this team is any better, or even better-equipped to take on an Eagles squad that downright humiliated them in what instantly became a one-game playoff. 

But this Cowboys' team is much better, and for several reasons. And maybe we didn't know it at the time, but this team got significantly better, nearly two weeks after the Eagles loss.  

Forget Dec. 28. Think Jan. 9, 2009. That's when the Cowboys got extremely better. That's when they made the first step in turning an Achilles' heel into one of the team's strengths.  

On Jan. 9, the Cowboys hired Joe DeCamillis to replace the already-fired Bruce Read with the hopes of giving the special teams units an extreme facelift.  

There was no press conference. In fact, we couldn't even talk to DeCamillis or any other assistant on the staff for a couple of months.  

But whether it was big news at the time or not, right then and there the Cowboys of 2009 became a better football team. 

And some seven games into the regular season, it's pretty easy to see the special teams are the most improved area on the team. 

It's about that time of year when we usually do our mid-season awards and grades for categories such as Team MVP, Best Win, Biggest Surprise and so forth.  

While the spot of "Biggest Off-Season Acquisition" might be a tough call for others, it won't be for me. Joe DeCamillis is a slam dunk. A rim-rattling, backboard-breaking, glass-shattering two-handed jam that can be heard throughout the entire halls of Valley Ranch. 

With Joe D., yes, he can always be heard.  

Right away, you could tell his coaching style and approach were intense. I wouldn't call it old-school, because there are coaches who have been around forever who have an opposite approach. I think we all know that Wade Phillips is a certain way. And to an extent, Jason Garrett has a calmer demeanor to his approach. 

With DeCamillis, it's an in-your-face, call-you-out, scream-and-shout approach. But the best part is, it's effective.  

The players bust their tail for him. Does that mean they didn't before for Bruce Read? That's hard to say and you'll never get a straight answer on that. But the fact is, basically the same core of players is getting the job done better this year than they have in the past.  

The Cowboys hired DeCamillis to come in here and turn things around on special teams and he's done that - 180 degrees. 

That's why I think he's the most valuable addition the Cowboys made this season.  

Quick, name three new players that have contributed the most this season.  

It's a pretty easy one actually. Keith Brooking, Gerald Sensabaugh and David Buehler all come to mind.  

Well, DeCamillis played a huge part in bringing in all three of them.  

Having coached in Atlanta for 10 years, he's developed quite a player-coach relationship with Brooking. You're talking about two guys that approach their job the same way - all out. So naturally they're going to hit it off. So with DeCamillis already in Dallas when the Falcons decided to cut Brooking (as Ace Ventura would say . . . Good Call!), he had a few discussions with the veteran linebacker about joining the Cowboys. 

Now DeCamillis doesn't take the credit for Brooking's decision, but it likely was a factor.  

But he does admit having a huge role in Sensabaugh signing with the Cowboys. The two were both in Jacksonville the last two years and if DeCamillis was a selfish person, he'd wish he could have Sensabaugh on every special teams unit there is. He calls the safety a "stud" on special teams, but that doesn't mean he wants to keep him there.  

He's all about these guys making the most of an opportunity and for Sensabaugh, who still plays some on special teams, he's definitely excelling with this chance to start at strong safety.