Mike Vick is expected to play against the Dolphins Sunday.

Many Eagles players are still hanging on to the slimmest of hope that they can still sneak into the playoffs if they win out and move to the top of the NFC on tiebreakers over the Dallas Cowboys and New York Football Giants.

Some may call for an immediate drug test to see what these guys are on.

Others may look to Donovan McNabb’s 2008 season where the Eagles had to have a remarkable chain of events occur to get into the playoffs with a 9-6-1 record.

They did and the Eagles went deep into the playoffs and were one defensive stop from going to the Super Bowl.

Can that happen again?

“We still do have a chance,” tight end Brent Celek said at his locker yesterday. “Guys are playing like that (there is a chance)…I don’t see anyone on this team giving up anyway.”

One positive in the Eagles favor for Sunday’s match up against the equally 4-8 Miami Dolphins is the return of quarterback Mike Vick. Since the Birds are not in the hunt for the franchise players in this spring’s draft, until the Eagles are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, if Vick can play, he will.

“It was great having him back (at practice),” center Jason Kelce said. “Anytime you have your starting quarterback in there…there is a certain comfort level. Mike is just one of those players that anytime you have him out there you feel good about it.”

Kelce chimed in on the subject that it is not over until it is officially over. After all, none of the other teams in the NFC East seem to want to wrap up the guaranteed spot on the postseason.

“The other teams in the division are certainly throwing us some help,” Kelce said. “We should take full advantage of it. That is what we should do.”

Vick didn’t say he was necessarily hanging on to the myriad of scenarios that must occur to get into the playoffs. He just wants to finish the season on a strong note.

“It’s always important for me to play well each and every week,” said Vick. “Things have not gone my way or our way this year. It is important to just go out there and finish strong. There is nothing else to say, really.”

No there is not.