NFL Power Rankings: Philadelphia Eagles and 3 Teams That Will Keep Up the Fight

You know that feeling when your stomach is sinking and then you suddenly realize all you really needed was a good workout of the abs?

Well, that's kind of how several rising teams previously cast out of the playoff picture are feeling right about now.

The Philadelphia Eagles, who won in Week 6 before their bye, are one of these teams. Remember, It's not over until the Michael Vick sings.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)

The Eagles are still on the outside looking in after a 1-4 start, but their Week 6 victory over the Washington Redskins was a step in the right direction.

We should have expected the Eagles to struggle out of the gate with such a vast turnover in the offseason. We certainly weren't expecting them to go 1-4, but it takes time for teams to gel.

Vick was still turnover prone against the Redskins, but he seemed to be at least a little more in control. On top of that, the Eagles' secondary stepped up big time for the first time this season.

Call me crazy, but I think the Eagles are beginning to jell as a team.

Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)

After losing their first three games and being the laughingstock of the NFL, the Chiefs have now won three straight and just beat their AFC West rivals, the Oakland Raiders, 28-0.

The loss of star running back Jamaal Charles is going to hurt all season, but quarterback Matt Cassel is beginning to connect more with No. 2 receiver Steve Breaston and fifth-year running back Jackie Battle has actually not been bad in relief.

This Chiefs' success is still limited after Charles' injury, but don't forget this was a 10-win team last season, and they appear to be on a roll right now.

Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

Nobody has had a more up-and-down season than the Dallas Cowboys, who fittingly have a 3-3 record.

Their inconsistency is oftentimes a reflection of quarterback Tony Romo, and it's still unknown whether they can even succeed in the playoffs if they get there.

But after two straight losses to the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots, the Cowboys rebounded against the St. Louis Rams in Week 7, coming away with a 34-7 victory.

Romo was simply decent and this was against a bad football team, but perhaps the most exciting thing about the Cowboys' win in Week 7 was the emergence of rookie running back DeMarco Murray.

Murray didn't just look good against the Rams; he looked flat-out dominant. Murray rushed for 253 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, breaking the Cowboys' single-game rushing record and single-game rookie rushing record.

And it wasn't just because the Rams' rush defense has struggled at times this season. Murray looked like a star in the making by the way he ran.

Murray could be the X-factor for the Cowboys in the end, and I truly believe he's about to become their next star running back.