IRVING, Texas -- Don't write off the Dallas Cowboys' chances quite yet.

	Cowboys tight end David LaFleur celebrates his first-quarter TD catch.

One week after losing their second consecutive game and learning they would be forced to play without the trio that defined their success throughout this decade, the Cowboys thrust themselves back into the playoff hunt with a convincing 27-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

"It's been a roller coaster," Dallas tight end Eric Bjornson said. "One week, they talk about us missing the playoffs, and the next week, they say we're going to win the division outright. We've been all over the map."

Even without the services of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, who all missed Sunday's game with injuries, the Cowboys exorcised their fourth-quarter demons and staved off a late Green Bay rally to move into a three-way tie atop the NFC East.

Dallas had lost four of its last five games and had reached a new low point after seeing a 17-point lead vanish in last Monday's 27-17 loss to Minnesota. But by bouncing back to beat the Packers with the help of strong performances from backups Jason Garrett and Robert Chancey, the Cowboys showed their championship hopes aren't over yet.

"It was an emotional game," Dallas coach Chan Gailey said. "It was good for our team to rise back up from where we were on Monday night."

The Cowboys, who join the divisional rival Redskins and Giants in first place at 5-4, are in the middle of their toughest stretch of the season. Having just played four consecutive games against teams with realistic playoff chances, Dallas now looks forward to a huge home matchup against Miami sandwiched between road games at Arizona and New England.

And although the team has failed to develop any kind of consistency so far this season, cornerback Kevin Smith said Sunday's victory could be the spark Dallas needed for a strong finish.

"I hope this will do it," Smith said. "It does put us right back in the thick of things. We just need to keep fighting like we did today and get some guys back on the field."

The injury-riddled Cowboys expect to get some relief soon, but the status of all their injured superstars is still uncertain.

Aikman, who missed Sunday's game after suffering a concussion, could return as early as next week against the Cardinals. Emmitt Smith, who broke his right hand against the Vikings, is less likely to return to action this week, but the team hopes he'll be ready to play Thanksgiving against the Dolphins. Irvin, meanwhile, could miss the rest of the season with a spine injury he suffered in the fourth game of the year.

But even if the Cowboys aren't playing at full-strength, Bjornson said he's certain they'll still be a factor down the stretch.

"I think people know we're a team to be reckoned with," Bjornson said. "If we keep at it and play our game, it's going to be tough to beat us."