ARLINGTON — Screams bellowed from inside the Cowboys’ locker room and into the hall beneath AT&T Stadium. A security guard in a black suit, standing in front of an open door, awkwardly looked at the dozens of reporters in ear shot and clumsily closed it to stifle the sound.

The shouting was muffled now.

Still, it continued and continued.

A former Super Bowl champion was making himself heard.

Defensive end Michael Bennett just joined the Cowboys last month, but his NFL experience and personality lend himself to moments such as the one Thursday. His message, teammates say, was well received. But the Cowboys need action after failing to force a turnover for a fourth straight game in a 26-15 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

At 6-6, Dallas sits in first place in the NFC East.

This says more about the NFC East than it does its division leader, which has botched every opportunity to distinguish itself before a December month in which the Philadelphia Eagles enjoy a cupcake schedule.

So, yeah, Bennett is pissed.

And he felt something needed to be said.

“Because it’s important that we understand that it’s a small window that we have,” Bennett said. “We’ve got all the great players. The only thing we’ve got to do is execute in adversity. The enemy against greatness is the unwillingness to change. We’ve got to be able to change some of the things that we’ve been doing to demand more from ourselves and become the people we want to be.

“Every opportunity is in front of us, but it’s just on us to capitalize. To win, you’ve got to sacrifice a lot. It’s going to hurt. It’s painful. You play through injury, but you do it because you have to. To win that championship, to win that [Vince] Lombardi [Trophy], there’s no feeling like that. And that takes a lot.”

Bennett, 34, is a three-time Pro Bowler who was part of Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl run during the 2013-14 season.

That team forced an NFL-high 39 turnovers. These Cowboys are a far cry. Their 16-quarter takeaway drought keeps their season total to 12 in 12 games. And nine of those turnovers came in three games within the division. Dallas has three games with one takeaway and six without a single one.

Buffalo was plus-two in this department Thursday.

It scored seven points off two consecutive turnovers Dallas committed in the second quarter. Star Lotulelei, a 315-pound nose tackle, intercepted a short pass that quarterback Dak Prescott intended for running back Tony Pollard. Off that, the Bills missed a 50-yard field goal. But two plays later, left guard Xavier Su’a-Filo ceded a strip-sack. This preceded a touchdown off a double-reverse pass.

The Cowboys have time to study their dearth in this area.

But Bennett’s speech was not about such particulars. It was about the attitude required to attain greatness.

“The champions are the people that get remembered,” Bennett said when asked about his speech. “They don’t remember who got the biggest contract. A whole bunch of great players got great contracts, but they don’t get remembered as champions. Champions are the ones who get the gold plates and the jackets and they understand what it takes to win. That’s just a certain mind-set. That’s just a certain ability to play tough in adverse moments.”

Adversity is here.

And words need to turn into action to squelch it.

Owner Jerry Jones emerged from the locker room with tears welled in his eyes. He explained the emotion as related to the emotion he witnessed inside the locker room. He did not disclose it was Bennett who was shouting, but teammates and Bennett confirmed that.

“He comes from a winning pedigree,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said of Bennett. “He knows what it takes. ... He’s talking to us for a reason. He sees it in us. He sees that we’re a great team that can do great things. We’ve got to execute.”

Cornerback C.J. Goodwin said Bennett speaking out “means the world to us. We hate to lose. Anyone in the locker room, we hate to lose. But it kind of galvanized us. We’re going to come together, and we’re going to figure this thing out. ... It’s turn-up time."

Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence’s locker is near Bennett’s.

Lawrence, a team captain, is comfortable speaking his mind. On this occasion, he listened.

“I felt like everything that needed to be said was … said,” Lawrence said. “It was really all about what we do now. Too much talking, it doesn’t go nowhere. People can start losing hope. But when you go out there and lay it all on the line for a teammate, then they’ll see it in broad day.”