NFL Playoff Picture: How Disappointing Eagles Could Reach Postseason

The dream isn’t dead just yet in Philadelphia.

While the vast majority of the season has been a nightmare for the Eagles and the best they can do at this point is 8-8.

That may be enough to steal the NFC East.

If the Eagles are able to win out and finish with a .500 record, they need the Giants to lose one of their last two games and the Cowboys to lose their last two. The good news is that Philly plays the Cowboys, giving themselves a bit more control over their own destiny. That means as long as the Giants lose to the Jets and beat the Cowboys, Philly has pulled off a miracle.

While early season loses to the Bills and Cardinals really hurt right now, the main reason the Eagles don’t have more wins is the ongoing injury issues with Michael Vick.

Vince Young went 1-2 in his absence, but one must wonder if a Vick-led offense could have beaten the Seahawks. Then there was the Falcons game in which he was knocked out early in the second half.

Statistically the Eagles have the look of a team heading to the playoffs. They sport the third-ranked rushing attack thanks in large part to the electrifying LeSean McCoy.

Entering Sunday, McCoy was second in the NFL in rushing yards with 1,172 while reaching the end zone 14 times. He has given the Eagles balance and taken the pressure off Vick. The Eagles are fifth in the NFL in total yardage entering Sunday with 5,190 yards from scrimmage.

Vick isn’t playing at the same level as a year ago, but his 2,401 yards, 12 TDs and 12 INTs in addition to 544 rushing yards are nothing to sneeze at. The problems with DeSean Jackson can’t be blamed on Vick.

If a Tebow-esque miracle is indeed pulled off and the Eagles sneak in as the four seed in the NFC playoffs with a home game in the Wild Card round, I think it’s safe to say nobody wants to play them.

After being the talk of the league during training camp, the “dream team” has been an afterthought for the vast majority of the last two months; the book has not completely been shut on the 2011 Eagles season.

Beware.