I said before the start of training camp that I didn't see the Eagles being in the mix of Super Bowl favorites.

Less than a week before the start of the 2008 season, I still don't.

I don't see them advancing to Super Bowl XLIII unless NFC teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints fail to play up to their potential.

And "if" you're talking about bringing Philadelphia its first NFL championship since 1960, add the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers to that list.

If the best argument for a team lies in other teams messing up, it's hard to view it as a Super Bowl favorite, and that's how I see the Eagles.

Still, as I have been reminded over and over by Eagles faithful, the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants are the reason why seasons are actually played through to their conclusions.

It's another reminder that nothing is impossible in sports, so while I don't think the Eagles are a Super Bowl team, I acknowledge that it could happen.

I see the Birds winning 10 games and making the playoffs as a wild card.

That would put them in the sweepstakes governed by the mantra of "Any Given Sunday," and before the first kickoff of the first regular-season game, that's all the possibility you can ask for.

As they have been for most of the past decade, the Eagles' fortunes are tied to quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Over the first 6 years of his career, McNabb quarterbacked the Eagles to a 56-23 record. In the last three injured-plagued seasons, McNabb has not only missed 15 games but is just 17-16 in the games he has played.

He has not appeared in the playoffs since the Super Bowl in 2005.

McNabb has looked physically and mentally confident during the preseason. He has displayed mobility that I didn't believe he would fully recover.

The biggest "if" is McNabb staying healthy and returning to Pro Bowl form.

That is quickly followed by "if" the now financially satisfied Brian Westbrook can repeat his season for the ages (2,104 yards from scrimmage, 12 touchdowns).

The Eagles' refusal to address the pleas of McNabb, Westbrook and offensive tackle Jon Runyan to add more weapons was magnified when 1,000-yard receiver Kevin Curtis went down with a sports hernia.

Even if Curtis were healthy, the idea that rookie receiver DeSean Jackson, reserve running back Lorenzo Booker and a hopefully healthy tight end L.J. Smith represent significant upgrades is a stretch.

But "if" those guys can do what is hoped, and "if" fourth-year receiver Reggie Brown finally has a breakthrough campaign, and "if" 30-something tackles Runyan and Tra Thomas can stay healthy, the offense could improve its scoring, which ranked 17th last season.

The Eagles spent a ton of money on marquee free agent Asante Samuel. There is no question that with Samuel, Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, even if he is unhappy, the Birds' cornerbacks are as good as any team's.

Now come the "ifs."

"If" veteran free safety Brian Dawkins has one last hurrah in him at 34, and if after five seasons former rookie free agent Quintin Mikell has truly become a starting-caliber strong safety, the secondary should be fine.

The defensive line appears to be solid "if" end Trent Cole has another Pro Bowl season, someone else emerges on the left side and young tackles Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson live up to their first-round potential to form the core of a rotation.

"If" you're going to roll the dice on potential at linebacker, big, fast and intelligent are the right places to start. The Eagles have that in Omar Gaither, Chris Gocong and Stewart Bradley. "If" they can put it together, this will be the best linebacking corps of the Andy Reid era.

The preseason success of Jackson as a punt returner and fellow rookie Quintin Demps as the kick returner appears to have taken care of the biggest "ifs" on special teams, but the Eagles also need aging kicker David Akers (34 in December) to make 40-yard field goals again and second-year punter Sav Rocca to improve his 34.5-yard net average.

That's far too many "ifs" to call this a legitimate Super Bowl team. *

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