That sound you just heard was the Denver Broncos’ season flushing down the toilet.

Following their embarrassing 30-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills at home on Sunday, the Broncos are now one loss away from losing their grip on the AFC West and sending the San Diego Chargers to the playoffs.

All the Broncos had to do was beat a struggling Bills team at home and they would win the AFC West. All they had to do was beat a quarterback in Trent Edwards that hadn’t played in three weeks and score more points on a team that was ready to get the season over weeks ago. And yet the Broncos couldn’t do it.

I guess a win for the Chargers next week would be justice served. The Ed Hochuli game sent San Diego into a massive tailspin and gave Denver momentum for what should have been a season in which they won the AFC West. But a win for the Chargers would be sweet revenge and with the way things have gone this year in the NFL, would anyone be surprised if San Diego beat Denver and went to the playoffs with an 8-8 record? It would be pathetic but so what? Maybe if Hochuli gets the call right in the first meeting between these two teams, the Chargers wouldn’t have collapsed.

The Chargers have all the momentum now, will be playing at home and have a bad taste in their mouths from their loss to Denver in Week 2. Personally, I think San Diego is a lock to win next week.

If you can’t appreciate the 2008 Atlanta Falcons season, than you probably won’t appreciate most sports stories.

Following a year in which they went 4-12, lost the face of their franchise to federal prison for dog fighting and their head coach to the University of Arkansas in the middle of the night, the Falcons are heading back to the playoffs for the first time since 2004 thanks to a 24-17 win over the Vikings on Sunday.

For everyone who said Arthur Blank was too involved as an owner for the Falcons to succeed, how do you feel now? Instead of throwing his hands up in the air and bailing like that gutless wonder Bobby Petrino did, Blank hung tough and got back to work this offseason. He hired general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who then hired Mike Smith, drafted Matt Ryan and signed free agent Michael Turner. Blank didn’t give up on his franchise and now he’s being rewarded for it.

The Falcons were very fortunate Sunday in Minnesota. The Vikings turned the ball over four times and when Atlanta tried to return the favor with a fumble of their own, they recovered it for a touchdown. Yes, Atlanta could have lost very easily. But so what? It’s about time the ball bounced the way of the Falcons and after a year of suffering one blow after another, they deserved what happened this season.

Who knows whether or not this great story will have a fairytale ending? And actually, it doesn’t matter because the Falcons have already won by showing up this season. They have a great young offensive core in Turner, Ryan and Roddy White, an improving defense, a general manager who gets how to build a winner and a solid football coach to keep everything running smoothly. More importantly, they have an owner that is willing to do anything to succeed.

Thanks in large part to Blank, the Falcons are the best story in the NFL this season and somehow, someway, are heading to the playoffs.

Football is a funny game. One week a team could be limited to just 13 points by an inferior opponent and the next they could rack up 31 against the best defense in the league. Go figure.

Thanks to their 31-14 beat down of the Steelers on Sunday, the Tennessee Titans earned home field advantage throughout the postseason as the No. 1 seed. They amassed 323 yards, 117 rushing yards and 31 points against a Pittsburgh defense that has only allowed 13 points per game this season. That’s absolutely amazing.

For the Steelers, everything that could potentially doom them in the future doomed them in the present. They couldn’t keep Ben Roethlisberger upright as he was sacked five times, Big Ben hung onto the ball too long and also turned the ball over a staggering six times.

But the most amazing thing was that their defense couldn’t stop an offense that had struggled mightily just one week prior. The Steelers were burned for big plays, they couldn’t stop the run and even allowed Kerry Collins to complete 20 of 29 passes.

Every team has off days and maybe that’s what this was for the Steelers. Or maybe the Titans just proved that they’re still the team to beat in their conference. Either way, the road to the Super Bowl must travel through Tennessee this season in the AFC.

There are several times throughout a season when a team can look back at and say, “Damn, that’s a game we should have had.”

Minnesota’s 24-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday was one of those games.

For all intents and purposes, the Vikings should have beaten the Falcons at the Metrodome. But they fumbled four times – thrice in Atlanta territory – and failed to beat a team they essentially dominated for four quarters.

Okay, so dominant might be a bit strong. The Falcons still ran the ball well and Matt Ryan played mistake-free despite not doing anything exceptional the entire game. But for Minnesota to do whatever it wanted to offensively and still suffer a home loss has to be demoralizing.

The Falcons held Adrian Peterson to under 100 yards (76 to be exact), but it helped that AP couldn’t hang onto the ball. He fumbled twice in Atlanta territory and once more late in the fourth quarter, but was fortunate that his teammate hopped onto the loose ball and saved another disastrous situation. And despite having another nice day passing, Tarvaris Jackson (22 of 36 for 233 yards, 2 TDs) fumbled once and had a bad snap whiz by his helmet in the second half, which forced the Vikings to punt deep in their own territory.

Minnesota essentially shot itself in the foot all day and never recovered, although they did have a shot to at least tie the game in the end by their final drive ended on downs. The Falcons are a nice ball club and they’ll certainly take a win in a tough environment, but the Vikings have to feel like they had a golden opportunity slip through their hands (literally).

Now the Bears have hope. A win over the Packers on Monday night would put them in a tie with Minnesota for the division, although the Vikings would still own the tiebreaker. That means Chicago has to win its next two games and have Minnesota lose to the Giants next week. The Bears still have to take care of their own business, but the Falcons just gave them life.

Here’s something to think about – since Lane Kiffin was hired as the head coach at Tennessee, the Buccaneers are 0-3.

Coincidence? Absolutely. We have no reason to believe that just because Lane was hired at Tennessee that his father Monte (who told the Bucs last week he would join his son at UT as their defensive coordinator next year) has quit on his team. But it is ironic how Tampa’s defense has been in a tailspin ever since Lane was hired as the next head coach of the Vols.

Three weeks ago the Bucs gave up 299 rushing yards in a loss to Carolina. Two weeks ago they were shredded by Michael Turner and the Atlanta Falcons in a 13-10 overtime loss. And then on Sunday, the San Diego Chargers marched into Raymond James Stadium and treated Tampa’s defense like their personal chew toy, marching up and down the field at will in route to an impressive 41-24 victory.

So what happened?

Well injuries along the defensive line happened first, but that’s no excuse for the Bucs to miss countless tackles and forget their general assignments. I mean, this is a unit that has flat out forgotten how to make plays and now Tampa might not even make the postseason.

And even if they do make the playoffs, can their fan base feel good about what they’ve seen over the past three weeks? Defense has been a staple for this team for years and now in the final games of Monte Kiffin’s career in Tampa, it has been the source of their demise. That’s pretty ironic considering the major knock on the Bucs has been the lack of offensive playmakers. Now Antonio Bryant is dominating opponents and the Tampa defense is giving up 30-plus points at home to a mediocre Chargers squad.

After such a fantastic career, Monte Kiffin owes nothing to the Buccaneer organization. But he has just one game left in Tampa and it’s against the Oakland Raiders next week at the James. Think he can draw up a defensive game plan to shut down Da Raiders and get the Bucs into the playoffs? Or are his thoughts already on Georgia, Florida and the rest of the SEC?

It’s amazing how just one offseason can turn around the fortunes of an entire franchise. This time last year, the Miami Dolphins had just one win to its name. One season later, they now control their own destiny in the AFC East after beating the Kansas City Chiefs 38-31 in dramatic fashion.

For all the Raiders, Lions, Rams and Chiefs fans out there – it can happen. Your team can turn things around in just one offseason. But they’ll have to use the Dolphins as a blueprint. They hired someone with a football background in Bill Parcells, who had turned losing teams into winners before. Then they allowed him to do what he does best – put the best people in place to succeed.

He hired a no name in Tony Sparano, who didn’t have a great resume or wasn’t a big name, but Parcells knew he was a football coach through in through. Then the Big Tuna had a solid draft, which focused on rebuilding the offensive line after Miami selected Jake Long with their first overall pick. Then Parcells parted ways with players that no longer fit the long-term plans in Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. Then he found a veteran quarterback that knew the offensive system and could succeed right away.

Now the Dolphins are 10-5 and after everything mentioned in the above paragraph, can we really be that surprised? Well okay, sure we can. The players still had to execute and Parcells’ master plan still had to come together. But regardless, we shouldn’t be too surprised that Parcells changed the fortunes of a franchise as quickly as it does for him to leave it in the lurch a couple years later – because he’s a born winner.

What was most impressive about Miami’s victory on Sunday was that they won after they received push back. Kansas City challenged them for four quarters and the Dolphins survived. Considering the Chiefs’ dud season and Miami’s desire to be a playoff team, the Dolphins should have cruised to victory. But winning isn’t easy in the NFL and Miami won a game they were supposed to. Case closed.

The Dolphins have just one more victory to earn if they want to put the icing on the cake. A win over the Jets next week in the Meadowlands would allow them to clinch the AFC East crown, which is amazing considering they were the doormats of the division just one season ago. Their magical ride isn’t over, but they’ve certainly put themselves in position to succeed – just like Parcells did in the offseason.

There are three things in life that we can all count on right now: Death, taxes and the Arizona Cardinals not making a Super Bowl appearance this season.

How could anyone outside of their fan base truly believe that the Cardinals are anything more than a team that will quietly exit in the first or second round of the postseason? They might win Wild Card week because they’ll play at home, but forget this team beating any opponent on the road. They won’t win in Carolina, New York, Minnesota or Timbuktu. They don’t have a chance – forgetaboutit.

The past two weeks have been an absolute embarrassment for Arizona. Two weeks ago they made Tarvaris Jackson look like Joe Namath and then on Sunday they made the New England Patriots look like the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They could have made a statement on Sunday in Foxboro. Instead, they got off the bus, saw how bad the conditions were and decided to mentally check out for four quarters.

I realize the Patriots have had a tad more experience playing in a snowstorm than Arizona has. But New England’s 47-7 smack down was less about weather experience and more about a Cardinals team that has given up since they clinched the NFC West three weeks ago. They dropped passes, they missed tackles and they flat out gave up after the Patriots took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Cardinal fans have suffered enough throughout the years, so they deserve to finally see a winner. But the fact of the matter is that this team received no challenge in the NFC West this season and that has left them unprepared heading into the postseason. Explosive passing game or not, the Cards’ confidence is shattered right now and whichever team draws them in the first round is getting a great matchup.

As of right now, Arizona simply is a team that is just satisfied to say it made the playoffs.

Following their 33-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Saturday night in Dallas, Star-Telegram columnist Randy Galloway writes that Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones should fire himself.

Then again, Jerry Jones is the dumbest general manager in the history of football, and there he was, postgame on Saturday, proclaiming he has no plans, no matter what, to fire Wade. See, it’s real hard to find good puppets these days.

But please remember that much has changed in the 11 barren postseason years, including five head coaches.

The one and only survivor of this Titanic?

Our captain of the ship, general manager Jones. Why won’t this failure fire himself? No other GM in the league could survive this kind of ineptness, unless, of course, the team owner was in a coma. Now there’s a thought.

Not once, but twice, when Romo had cut the Ravens lead to two points in the last four minutes, the defense caved like a sand tunnel at high tide. Pathetic.

Any defensive coordinator should be fired on the spot. That’s you, right Wade?

Phillips had a run blitz called when Willis McGahee burst up the middle, untouched, for a 77-yard touchdown.

Phillips had a run blitz called when lumbering Le’Ron McClain started outside, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, broke two more five yards later, and then just kept running. He stopped in the end zone, 82 yards later.

The comeback was over. The season is all but over. And Wade should be over and out. But Jerry is, as always, football stupid. Nothing can ever change that.

I realize Phillips will take the heat because it was him who made the defensive play calls in the fourth quarter that eventually sunk the Cowboys. But it’s not Wade’s fault that multiple players missed multiple tackles on those two plays. All coaches can do is put their players in position to succeed and then it’s up to the players to execute.

That said, it’s hard to argue with Galloway that something has to be done with Phillips and/or Jones. This Dallas team is on the verge of missing the postseason despite having some of the best talent in the NFC. Somebody has to be held accountable.

Here’s a quick Week 16 preview for all of the late games with playoff implications in the NFL this week:

Falcons at Vikings, 4:15PM ET
Who would have thought this game would have so much meaning when the season started? Minnesota needs just one more victory to win the NFC North and put the Chicago Bears out of their misery. They’ll start Tarvaris Jackson again at quarterback this week as Gus Frerotte continues to recovery from a back injury. With a lot of help from Adrian Peterson and the running game, Jackson has been absolutely outstanding since subbing for Frerotte two weeks ago and has thrown five touchdown passes in the last six quarters. The Vikings’ defense took a hit this week when it was discovered that run-stuffer Pat Williams would miss the next 2-6 weeks due to injury. That should help Michael Turner and the Falcons’ dynamic running game stay on track, although they’ll still need a huge contribution from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who struggled last week against Tampa. Atlanta needs to win out and hope Dallas or Tampa lose one of their two remaining games. And considering they host the Rams next week, their playoff hopes may reside in beating the Vikings. Can the Falcons’ defense contain Peterson and force Jackson to beat them through the air? Or will the Vikings continue to build momentum as they make a playoff push?

Jets at Seahawks, 4:05PM ET CBS
The Jets are clinging to a slim lead in the AFC East as they currently hold tie-breakers over the Dolphins and Patriots in the division. However, they’re 0-3 on the West Coast this year and a trip to Seattle is never fun for any team come December. This game will also mark Mike Holmgren’s final home game, so you can expect the Seahawks to be ready to play. Still, this is a team the Jets should beat, especially if they consider themselves a legit playoff squad. Seattle’s defense has been brutal this year and as long as Brett Favre can keep from turning the ball over, NY should come up with a big road win.

Bills at Broncos, 4:05PM ET CBS
All the Broncos have to do is win and they clinch the AFC West crown. They won’t have the fortune of facing J.P. Losman, though, as Trent Edwards will resume his starting quarterback duties after missing the past couple weeks due to injury. Denver has been consistently inconsistent this season, especially at home where they currently post a 4-3 record. Buffalo is a disaster, but they did give the Jets a game last week at the Meadowlands and Edwards might (emphasis on might) give the offense a boost. But as long as Denver’s run defense can contain Marshawn Lynch, they should (emphasis on should) be fine.

Eagles at Redskins, 4:15PM ET FOX
The Redskins were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week after an embarrassing loss to the Bengals but you’re crazy if you don’t think they would love to play spoiler. Led by quarterback Donovan McNabb and a stingy defense, the Eagles have played inspired football over the past month and proved two weeks ago in New York that they could win a huge road game. Philly needs to win their final two games to have a shot at a postseason berth and it won’t come easy. After playing in Washington this Sunday, they host the Cowboys next week, who will also be fighting for their playoff lives. If Jim Zorn continues to play things tight to the vest with his play calling, Philly defensive coordinator Jim Johnson might have a field day calling blitzes and confusing quarterback Jason Campbell. But first and foremost, the Eagles have to stop the run or else the passing game will open up and it might allow Zorn to get more creative than he has been of late. Washington’s defense has been solid all year but can anyone slow down McNabb and Brian Westbrook? As long as the Redskins are motivated to ruin the Eagles’ postseason dreams, this should be a great game.

Panthers at Giants, 8:15PM NBC
The battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC is on the line this week in East Rutherford as the G-Men host the suddenly Super Bowl-caliber Panthers. These are two teams heading in opposite directions as the Giants have lost two straight while Carolina is winners of two in a row. The Panthers have been dominating opponents with their running game over the past two weeks, but they’ll get a huge test this Sunday against a stingy New York front seven. Still, the Giants’ offense has struggled without Plaxico Burress and a healthy Brandon Jacobs, so losing three in a row isn’t out of the question. They need to do a better job of protecting Eli Manning or else the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will run through Carolina this year. Jacobs is expected to play so that should help, but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be. And can anyone stop the Panthers’ Steve Smith?

Here are some quick-hit thoughts from the early games in Week 15:

- The Indianapolis Colts might be the most dangerous team in the AFC right now and nobody is talking about them. They’re 10-4, have won seven in a row after beating the lowly Lions on Sunday, and Peyton Manning has thrown four touchdowns to zero interceptions the last two games. That said, they need to get healthier on defense – and fast. They won’t go very far in the postseason without Bob Sanders, especially considering they’ll be playing on the road the entire time.

- Not that they’ve played any explosive offenses of late, but how good has the Miami Dolphins’ defense been the past three weeks? They’ve allowed just 24 total points in their last three games and haven’t allowed a touchdown in 12 consecutive quarters. That’s impressive, I don’t care who they’ve played during that stretch.

- Herman Edwards should take his own advice. You play the game to win, Herm? How about going for it on one of the multiple fourth and one’s your team faced on Sunday? Seriously your team is 2-12 – grow some nuggets and take some chances.

- I know they did it against the Chiefs, but the Chargers come-from-behind win on Sunday was amazing. Even though San Diego’s season has been a massive disappointment, that’s one game you look back on as a fan and just say, “Damn that was fun to watch.”

- Stick a fork in the Redskins – they’re done. You can’t be considered a legitimate playoff threat when you lose to a previously two-win Bengals team. What’s amazing is that this team was once 6-2 and everyone couldn’t help but to look ahead and see that they had a very manageable rest of the season. So much for that as they’ve now lost five of their last six games.

- Does anyone else think Seneca Wallace can start in this league? I for one think Matt Hasselbeck still has some game left in him, but Wallace has been pretty good after getting the opportunity to play more regularly this year. He has eight touchdown passes and only one interception this season. Maybe he deserves a shot to be a full-time starter next year.