It's still unclear if the Dallas Cowboys should be taken seriously in the NFC. But, warts and all, they're still in the mix.
The Cowboys knocked off a stubborn Philadelphia Eagles team Sunday night, improving to 6-6 with a 38-33 win. Dallas now is seventh in the conference, trailing the 7-5 Seattle Seahawks by one game in the standings. The Seahawks have the head-to-head tiebreaker by virtue of their Week 2 win in Seattle.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway for the Cowboys is Dez Bryant, who appears to be taking his game to another level in his third season. The former first-round draft pick finished with five receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns and now has 26 catches for 388 yards and five touchdowns in the past three weeks. That's star production.
Bryant's first touchdown grab also allowed Tony Romo to make history. The 18-yard connection was the 166th touchdown pass of Romo's career, moving him past Troy Aikman for first on the Cowboys' all-time list.
This wasn't an easy win. The Eagles actually jumped out to a 14-3 lead, with Nick Foles playing the best football of his young career. Bryce Brown also impressed with 169 more yards on the ground, but his third lost fumble in two starts led to a back-breaking defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Damaris Johnson's 98-yard punt return for a score made things interesting late, but the ever-reliable Jason Witten pulled down the Eagles' onside-kick attempt to seal it for the Cowboys. Crisis averted in Jerrahworld ... for now.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
