ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys are on the verge of the teams longest winning streak in any form -- better than the carry-over run in 1968-69 after already topping the playoff-included surge from the proud franchises first Super Bowl-winning season in 1971.Theres something else a 12th straight win would do when the Cowboys return from an extended break with a visit to the New York Giants on Dec. 11. It would give Dallas (11-1) a firm hold on the No. 1 seed in the NFC.Now thats progress toward where the Cowboys hope theyre headed. Dallas could clinch a playoff spot as early as Sunday with a Tampa Bay loss or tie or a Washington loss.The plan is way bigger than being 11-1, Bryant said after Thursdays 17-15 victory over Minnesota. Its a pretty cool situation but theres more ball left. This success thing is kind of tricky. You cant get too high. Thats the beginning of falling off. Thats something that we are not going to do.The win over the Vikings was the roughest of a run that started after a season-opening loss to the Giants. Dallas had season lows in points, yards and first downs along with penalties that contributed to just one third-down conversion in nine tries.The Cowboys needed their punt coverage unit to provide probably the biggest play of the game, when Kyle Wilber forced and recovered Adam Thielens fumble in the fourth quarter. Bryant scored the go-ahead touchdown on an 8-yard catch on the next play.And Dallas won despite giving Minnesota a chance to tie when rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and center Travis Frederick botched a snap to force a punt.A play earlier, Prescott thought he scrambled for a critical first down with a brilliant slide along the sideline that kept the clock moving. The spot was overturned on review.Theres no question you can get challenged differently over the course of a 16-game season, coach Jason Garrett said Friday. And if you do have an ability to win different ways, its certainly going to make you more difficult to beat.While Prescott was limited to 139 yards passing on just 18 attempts, fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott was slowed before a 30-yard run in the fourth quarter helped push him to 86 yards and set up Dallas final points on a field goal.The pattern for Elliott has been consistent in recent weeks -- a slow start before a late surge that gets his rushing total close to 100 yards.And now he gets ready for a rematch with the only team that contained him the entire game. Elliott had season lows of 51 yards and a 2.6-yard-per-carry average in a 20-19 loss to the Giants in his regular-season debut.Weve certainly changed as a team, theyve changed as a team, different guys have played, theres a lot of different factors that go into it, Garrett said. But theres no question well use that game extensively to prepare for this one. Were just starting that process right now.The Cowboys won 11 straight over two regular seasons in 1968-69 and two years later won the last 10 games, including the playoffs, for the Super Bowl title.The last time Dallas was 12-1 was 2007 with Tony Romo at quarterback, when the Cowboys rested regulars late in the regular season, finished 13-3 and lost to the Giants in their first playoff game.Dallas could be looking at a similar scenario this season, with Romo as the backup to Prescott after the rookie took the job and kept it following Romos preseason back injury.Owner and general manager Jerry Jones isnt interested in top seed talk.Lets dont go there, Jones said on his radio show Friday. Weve got some teams that are looking better. And then of course we know playing Philadelphia played us to the wire. And this Giant game has the makings of a playoff game itself. So, lets dont count it.Jones star receiver isnt counting anything.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuylerDallas Mavericks Jerseys .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. Steve Nash Mavericks Jersey . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. http://www.officialmavericksfanstore.com/kids-jose-juan-barea-mavericks-jersey/ . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. Dirk Nowitzki Jersey . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Custom Dallas Mavericks Jerseys . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid.LOS ANGELES -- After eight seasons and two Stanley Cup titles as the Los Angeles Kings captain, Dustin Brown thought he deserved better.Brown doesnt agree with the Kings decision to strip him of their captaincy this summer, and he aired his differences with team management Thursday in a phone interview.I felt like Ive done a very good job leading this team, he said. The last couple of years have been really disappointing for all involved, and we all have a lot of work to do to get back where we want to be.But I just remember when I was named captain, where we were at as a team. It was not a pretty picture. So what Ive been able to accomplish with the help of a lot of my teammates has been pretty great, and I felt Im still able to do that.Anze Kopitar was appointed the Kings captain two weeks ago after a series of meetings among Brown, coach Darryl Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi. Brown said the decision was made several weeks before that, but the team waited to announce it until well after news of the plan leaked to reporters.Ultimately, I understand the decision and I respect the decision, Brown said. Part of my problem was how it was handled. It just put me in an awkward spot.Brown also said he believes the Kings have tried to trade him. When asked to describe his current relationship with Kings management, he replied: Im not going to say its rosy.His declining offensive production and his $47 million contract through the 2021-22 season make him practically unmovable, but Brown isnt interested in leaving, anyway.Brown hasnt scored 30 points in any of the Kings past four seasons. The U.S. Olympian is no longer widely considered one of the NHLs top power forwards, and Lombardi said he hopes Brown will rediscover his game with the burden of leadership lifted.Brown didnt want to be rid of that burden, however.It was a tough pill to swallow, Brown said. There are a lot of emotions that go through it. But at the end of tthe day, it was really out of my control because this is a management decision, not the players voting on it or anything like that.dddddddddddd. To be quite honest, it wouldve been a lot harder had it been my teammates doing this.Brown acknowledged he has had differences with Sutter, who became the Kings coach in late 2011, more than three years after Brown became captain. Brown said their recent clear-the-air meetings probably should have happened a year ago.Sutter and Brown led the Kings to two titles and 10 playoff series victories from 2012-14, but Los Angeles missed the playoffs entirely in 2015. The Kings led the Pacific Division for most of the past season, but were eliminated by San Jose in five first-round playoff games.Los Angeles struggles in the past two seasons -- and Browns shortcomings on the ice -- ultimately led to the change.I enjoyed the responsibility, but whether I have a `C on my chest or not, Im going to put pressure on myself to be better, because Im not OK with just being OK, Brown said.If you are, then youre out of this league pretty quickly. I think this is maybe them trying to get me to a place where Im not worried about the young guys, or all the stuff you kind of have to worry about a little bit more when youre the captain, and now I can just focus on my game a little bit more.Brown still threw his support behind Kopitar, his teammate and close friend for the past decade. Kopitar has led the Kings in scoring for nine consecutive seasons, and he won the Selke Trophy last week as the NHLs top defensive forward.I think Kopi is going to be a great captain, Brown said. Ive been with him since he came into this league, and hell be fine in this situation. I have all the faith in the world in Kopi in being the guy now, but from my perspective, I wasnt happy with this decision. ' ' '