After last week's awful, uninspiring 10-3 loss to the Redskins, it seemed the Eagles were knocked from the playoff chase. Too many outcomes had to fall in line on the season's last day for the Eagles to get back into the playoffs: losses by Tampa and Chicago or Minnesota, then a win over the Cowboys.

But around 4 p.m. Sunday, the holiday miracle began to take shape:

Raiders 31, Tampa 24

Houston 31, Chicago 24

So when the Eagles took the field against the hated Cowboys, they knew a win would get them in the playoffs. And win they did.

EAGLES 44, COWBOYS 6

Don't know if it was the emotion on which the Eagles played, or the lack of intensity from the Cowboys, but after a 3-3 first quarter, the Cowboys imploded, turning the ball over 5 straight times which led to 27 Eagles points. But who cares, we beat the stinkin' Cowboys to get into the playoffs. I watched the game at a little holiday gathering at my house. My dad and uncle and cousin from York and I were all going crazy as each Cowboys' fumble led to an Eagle defender running in for a score.

So now the Eagles will visit Minnesota to play the Vikings in a game at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

GO EAGLES!!!

One of the first blogs I did back in January was on the Philadelphia 76ers. I lamented how awful they had become, and didn't care if I missed a game on TV.

Well, someone within the organization must have read it. Since that time, the Sixers have been one of the hottest teams in the league.

On Feb. 4, the team was 18-30 with little hope of making the post-season. Over the past 9 weeks, the Sixers have posted a 22-8 record and surged into the playoffs. With 4 games left, they currently hold the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended today, they would play the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs.

Once again, the team is exciting to watch. The team has played a more up-tempo style since the beginning of the year, and the younger players seem to improve each game. Point guard Andre Miller and small forward Andre Iguodala, shown above in an Associated Press photo dunking in a recent win over the Detroit Pistons, have provided the leadership the younger players needed.

So maybe the future for this team isn't as bad as it looked 2 months ago. No, they won't win the NBA championship, and they likely won't win their playoff series.

But if they can just keep the current roster intact and add an inside offensive presence, the Sixers will again be among the elite in the NBA's Eastern Conference.