Eagles' outlook is bright, but not clear

This we know -- the Eagles will not have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Other than that, who knows?

With two games remaining in the most improbable of seasons, the Eagles still could miss the playoffs, although that is looking less likely than ever -- or they could get a first-round bye.

The latter is a long shot, since New Orleans (9-5) has one more win than the Eagles and the first tie-breaker with a head-to-head win. Still, in the NFC, where Tampa Bay can take Chicago into overtime at Chicago, anything is possible.

Yesterday, the Eagles kicked another nail out of their coffin with a 36-22 win over the Giants at the Meadowlands, setting up a battle for first place in the NFC East Christmas Day against Dallas at Texas Stadium.