PHILADELPHIA — Counted out after losing Donovan McNabb for the season, the Philadelphia Eagles are making a strong playoff push behind Jeff Garcia.

With three games remaining on their schedule, the Eagles (7-6) are tied with the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons for the final two wild-card spots in the NFC. They’re only one game behind the East-leading Dallas Cowboys (8-5).

If the Eagles somehow win out, they would capture their fifth division title in six years. Two victories would guarantee a postseason berth, and even one win might be enough in a mediocre conference that sent two 8-8 teams to the playoffs just two years ago.

But it won’t be easy for Philly, which defeated Washington 21-19 on Sunday. Next up is a road game against the Giants, followed by a trip to Dallas on Christmas. The Falcons visit on New Year’s Eve.

“You get to December and if you’re still in the hunt, that’s a good thing,” coach Andy Reid said Monday. “We’re right in the middle of it. Our players realize it and they did something, at least for young guys that I thought was important, they came off a tough Monday night game and came out on top against Washington. I thought that was one of the positive things that came out of it.

“It’s important, however, that the urgency level continues to go up this week. We go to New York and it will be loud and a great atmosphere for a football game. You’ve got to be in the right frame of mind and have yourself right to do that.”

When McNabb tore a knee ligament Nov. 19, it seemed the team’s playoff hopes went down with him. But Garcia has played well, throwing eight touchdown passes and no interceptions while leading the Eagles to a 2-1 record in three starts.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection in his first five NFL seasons, which he spent running the San Francisco 49ers’ West Coast offense, Garcia went on to play one season each for the  struggling Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions.

The 36-year-old Garcia has been a perfect fit for Philly’s version of the West Coast offense. He gets rid of the ball quickly (only three sacks in 31⁄2 games) and doesn’t make poor decisions (no picks). Though he isn’t known for having a strong arm, Garcia has completed passes of 30, 40, 51 and 60 yards in the last two games.

“He’s a battler and he gets guys around him to rally during tough times,” said Reid, whose decision to start Garcia ahead of A.J. Feeley was unpopular among fans and other critics.

The biggest problem for the Eagles is their soft defense. Ladell Betts, filling in for an injured Clinton Portis, had a career-best 171 yards rushing, and the Redskins became the fourth team in six games to gain more than 200 yards on the ground against a once-dominant defense that has struggled mightily.

For the second straight game, though, the defense made big plays in crucial spots to preserve a win. Lito Sheppard intercepted Jake Delhomme’s pass in the end zone to seal a 27-24 victory over Carolina last Monday night. Brian Dawkins had a sack on third down to force Washington to settle for a field goal instead of a go-ahead TD after driving to the Eagles 3. Garcia then led the offense on a nearly five-minute drive that ended the game.

“To be able to finish the game with us on the field helped the defense out a bit,” Garcia said. “It was a good job of execution when we really needed it.”