With their 13-9 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers captured the AFC North title and a first-round bye in the postseason. But their win didn’t come without a little controversy, which is something that the Steelers have become accustomed to this season.

Down 9-6 with under a minute remaining in the game and facing a third and goal from the Baltimore 4 yard line, Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger found receiver Santonio Holmes on a broken pass play. Holmes was ruled down at the one-inch line after his momentum carried him out of the end zone, but the play was overturned by replay and Pittsburgh was awarded the eventual game-winning touchdown.

Even after looking at the replay multiple times, there’s no way officials had a definitive camera angle to determine that the ball was across the goal line. And considering the original call on the field was that it wasn’t a touchdown, it’s amazing the call was overturned. Doesn’t there have to be indisputable visual evidence to overturn a call?

The controversy comes in not only because of the fishy decision to overturn the call, but also because had the play not be overturned, the Steelers would have had a fourth and goal at the Ravens’ one-inch line. Maybe Mike Tomlin would have kicked the field goal to possibly force overtime. Maybe Pittsburgh would have gone for it and scored anyway. Or maybe the Ravens come up with a goal line stand and win the game. We’ll never know, which of course is the most frustrating part about all of this.

In a perfect NFL world, a game would never be decided by an official’s replay decision. But as we’ve seen multiple times this season, this isn’t a perfect NFL world.

NFL purists always say that teams with momentum heading into the postseason are always the most dangerous. Well after two impressive wins, their latest being a 30-10 victory over the Broncos on Sunday, the Carolina Panthers might be the most dangerous team in the NFC right now.

With all due respect to the New York Giants, Carolina has been the most impressive team in the NFC the last three weeks. In their last three games, the Panthers came back multiple times in a thrilling victory over the Packers at Lambeau Field, absolutely ran over the Buccaneers last Monday night and then handled Denver in convincing fashion on Sunday.

What has been the most impressive thing about Carolina the past three weeks is the way they’ve run the ball. Quarterback Jake Delhomme hasn’t necessarily been that impressive (Steve Smith has one again made Delhomme look better than he is), but he hasn’t needed to be because the running duo of DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart has been so good. Plus, the Panthers’ defense has really tightened things up again, just in time for the playoffs.

The Panthers still have a tough road ahead of them because they have to travel to the Giants and Saints the next two weeks. But they also have a two-game lead over the Bucs and Falcons in the NFC South, meaning they have to win just one of their two remaining games to clinch the division. It’ll be interesting to see if the Panthers can not only can claim the NFC South crown, but also win out and achieve home field advantage throughout the postseason.

If someone would have said before Sunday that the quarterback who threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions in the Vikings-Cardinals game would not be Kurt Warner, I would have said let me take a sip of whatever you’re drinking because it has to be some good stuff.

While subbing for the injured Gus Frerotte on Sunday in Arizona, Tarvaris Jackson threw for 163 yards and four touchdowns in Minnesota’s impressive 35-14 win over the Cardinals. Granted, Adrian Peterson was the real star for the Vikings while rushing for 165 yards on 28 carries, but Jackson didn’t make one mistake and finally made some plays in the passing game (with a little help from Bobby Wade and Bernard Berrian, of course).

I realize that the Cardinals already clinched their division last week, but they’ve still got a lot to prove. Outside of the Cowboys, they haven’t beaten any team of substance this year and their defense remains a massive question mark. It’s one thing to get gashed by Adrian Peterson but it’s quite another to allow Tarvaris Jackson to throw for four touchdowns on just 17 attempts. That’s horrible.

Yes, the 2008 Arizona Cardinals have been a nice story and it’s okay to feel all warm and fuzzy inside about Kurt Warner turning in an MVP-like season when most figured he would be in a reclining chair watching games on Sunday from his home. But after Sunday, how could anyone think that this is a Super Bowl contender? There’s no way they’re winning on the road in New York or Carolina come playoff time and after their pathetic defensive effort on Sunday, I’m not even sure if they’re better than the Buccaneers or Falcons (two Wild Card contenders) at this point either.

Good for Tarvaris Jackson and a surging Vikings team – seriously, impressive performance. But this loss was rather shocking for Arizona.

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.

I realize Trent Edwards is hurt and the Bills aren’t playing for much these days, but how is J.P. Losman still starting in the NFL? I certainly don’t have the talent to play one of the toughest leagues in the world, but after watching him over the past three weeks, I struggle to fathom how this guy was ever a first round pick. And not only that, how he’s still getting the opportunity to start. A moist towelette might be more productive under center than Losman is.

Losman gift-wrapped a 31-27 victory for the Jets on Sunday by throwing three interceptions (only two were his fault) and losing a fumble after being stripped deep in New York territory. Defensive end Shaun Ellis returned the fumble for a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the game, which essentially gave the Jets’ their game-winning score.

Losman wasn’t a complete waste – he did run for a touchdown and threw for a score on a nice slant pass to Steve Johnson right before half – but I can’t see how the Bills don’t rid themselves of this guy after the season. He’s just bad. And just like Joey Harrington, what makes him even more nauseating is that once in a while he’ll show you something to make you believe he can play (only to make you puke the next week).

This was a huge win for the Jets because it keeps them in first place in the AFC East on a day when both the Dolphins and Patriots also won. But this wasn’t a very impressive performance, especially considering the Losman-led Bills had scored a total of just six points the past two weeks. Regardless, a win is a win and at this point in the season, it doesn’t matter how a team gets them.

The Jets still control their own destiny from here on out, although they have to travel to the West Coast again next week (they’re 0-3 out West this season) to play the Seahawks and then host divisional rival Miami in their season finale.

The Tennessee Titans might have the AFC’s best record, but they’re currently not the hottest team in the conference. That title can be bestowed on the Houston Texans, who have now won four straight games after beating the Titans 13-12 on Sunday.

Many NFL purists (some of which write for ESPN the Magazine) expected the Texans to be one of the surprises in the AFC this season. But after getting out to a dismal 0-4 start, it appeared as though nothing had changed for the Texans.

Granted at 7-7 they still won’t make the playoffs, but at least they have a lot to build off of heading into next season. They found a great young running back in rookie Steve Slaton, their defense has the makings of maturing unit and as long as he can avoid injury and be more consistent, quarterback Matt Schaub is starting to come around.

This wasn’t a critical loss for the Titans because they clinched the AFC South last week, but building momentum heading into the playoffs is vital. And considering they have two tough games left in the Steelers and Colts, it would have been nice to see them throttle a team in the Texans that they’re superior to – especially with the Steelers and Colts still left on the schedule. Either way, no harm, no foul. But this loss to Houston leaves a little to be desired.

Rookie Matt Ryan has been everything the Atlanta Falcons dreamed of having in a quarterback when they drafted him third overall in April’s NFL Draft. But has running back Michael Turner been the key reason for the Falcons impressive turnaround this season?

Turner rushed for 152 yards on 32 carries and scored the Falcons’ lone touchdown in their crucial 13-10 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. On a day when Ryan threw two uncharacteristic interceptions that kept Tampa in the ballgame, Turner gashed the Bucs’ suddenly poor run defense and was the key in keeping the Falcons’ playoff hopes alive.

Turner has carried the ball 300 times this season for 1,269 yards and 14 touchdowns, which set a Falcon single-season record. He’s also forced opposing defenses to jam the box in efforts to stop Atlanta’s dynamic rushing game, which has allowed Ryan to find open receivers all season. For as good as Ryan has been (and rookie or not he’s been absolutely fantastic), Turner has allowed him to make an easy transition from the college level to the pro. Of course, one could say that Ryan has also helped Turner excel seeing as though he hasn’t made the mistakes that usually doom a rookie.

One more note on Atlanta – how good has defensive end John Abraham been this year? He added three sacks to his amazing season total of 15.5. For as good as Ryan and Turner have been on offense, Abraham has taken games over this year for the Falcons and he certainly did so again on Sunday while producing huge plays – none bigger than a sack on third down in overtime to force the Bucs to punt.

For Tampa, this was a huge blow. They’ve now lost back-to-back divisional games, although they’re still in great shape because they host the Chargers and Raiders in their final two games. But their run defense has been gashed the last two weeks and they continue to have issues putting the ball in the end zone when they’ve moved into opponents’ territory. Barring a collapse over the next two weeks, the Bucs should still make the playoffs. But this has looked like a weary group the last two games.

According to a report by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver Terrell Owens and tight end Jason Witten had to be separated after getting into a heated debate during a team meeting on Friday.

“It’s a dead issue,” receiver Patrick Crayton said.

It might be, but it didn’t come without a near altercation Friday between Owens and tight end Jason Witten in the Cowboys’ locker room. According to two sources, the two exchanged words before being separated. Both players acted as if everything was fine when the media was allowed in the locker room. But Owens was still clearly miffed.

Which is why it’s not a dead issue and won’t be unless the Cowboys can pull together and not only beat the Giants but make a playoff run.

Despite the best efforts of all those involved to dismiss, deny or downplay any and everything, it’s become apparent the loose semblance of control has unbuckled at Valley Ranch, and the fragility of a team of which so much is expected continues to crack. A season that should be about what happens on the field continues to be more about everything but.

No. 1: Owens denied an ESPN report that he is envious of the relationship between Witten and Tony Romo.

“What do I have to be jealous of?” Owens said. “Look at me, I’m … Anything that goes on, I am going to be the scapegoat. I’m handsome as hell. trying to figure out how I make the headlines and I don’t even say anything.”

Asked if he was cool with Witten and Romo, Owens said: “I’m cool with everybody. We addressed everything. Coach addressed everything. Everything is everything.”

Said Witten of having priority with Romo: “I don’t want people thinking that. Obviously I have a lot of respect for Terrell and I think it’s the same way. He’s a hell of a player.”

No. 2: The meeting Crayton, Owens and Roy Williams had with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett about trying to get the ball more, and the alleged tunnel vision Romo has for Witten.
The official line Friday was that meetings take place all the time; it’s no big deal.

The unofficial line is those players were irritated at not being thrown the ball late in the Cowboys’ 20-13 loss Sunday in Pittsburgh. They want the ball. Period.

No. 3: Cornerback Terence Newman’s phone interview with ESPNFirst Take on Friday morning, when he said there is not enough accountability by players, as well as the coaching staff.

One of two things usually happens when internal bickering starts to take over a team: 1) Players will band together and rise above it or 2) The team will implode on the field and frustrations will boil over. Considering the Cowboys have a brutal three-game stretch ahead of them, it’ll be interesting to see if the players unite or tear each other apart at the seems. Either way, it’s been an interesting week at Valley Ranch.

Sunday’s Best: Giants (11-2) at Cowboys (8-5), 8:15 PM ET NBC
We’re getting down to crunch time in the NFL and there’s nothing better than an NFC East battle with playoff implications. If the regular season ended today, the Cowboys would be in as the sixth seed. But the regular season doesn’t end today and Dallas has one of the toughest final stretches of any team with playoff aspirations. After playing host to the Giants on Sunday night, they’re home against the Ravens next week and then travel to Philadelphia in the season finale. That’s a brutal three-game stretch for any team, nevertheless one that is dealing with injuries (see Marion Barber) and internal bickering (see Cowboys’ wideouts vs. Tony Romo). The Giants, meanwhile, are sitting pretty for the top seed in the NFC, but they’ll have to earn it after losing to the Eagles at home last Sunday. Suddenly the Carolina Panthers are just one game behind the Giants in the quest for capturing home field advantage throughout the postseason and the two teams play each other next week in Jersey. Can the Cowboys bounce back from their collapse last Sunday in Pittsburgh? Will the Giants lose two in a row for the first time all season? Like several matchups on the Week 15 schedule, this game is must-see.

Upset Watch: 49ers (5-8) at Dolphins (8-5), 1:00 PM ET, FOX
Let me state for the record that I think the Dolphins have been one of the best storylines in the NFL this season. That said – they’re due for a letdown. Just when the public is ready to hop on a team’s bandwagon and ride its coattails the rest of the season, they hit a pothole and send everyone flying off. Miami is a better team than San Francisco and they should win Sunday in convincing fashion. But San Fran is a dangerous team right now because they have nothing to play for and have fiery Mike Singletary leading the way – the same fiery Mike Singletary that is trying to prove he deserves a head-coaching job. The Niners have been more competitive since Singletary took over and quarterback Shaun Hill has been a pleasant surprise. You might think I’m crazy (and I am) for predicting a 49er upset considering Frank Gore is expected to miss the game, but DeShaun Foster is no slouch and is likely craving the opportunity to carry the full load. Just when you think you’ve got the NFL figured out, it throws you a punch to the gut. Do we have another punch coming this Sunday in Miami?

Intriguing Matchup: Buccaneers (9-4) at Falcons (8-5), 1:00 PM ET, FOX
Call this “Sunday’s Best II.” With the Bucs’ loss to the Panthers in Carolina on Monday night, the NFC South is now 0-10 this season when playing on the road against other NFC South opponents. And considering Jeff Garcia has missed significant practice time this week due to a calf injury, things don’t bode well for Tampa. However, Monte Kiffin’s defense has always given the Falcons trouble. Both of these teams are coming off of divisional losses and both need a win to stay in the NFC playoff picture (especially Atlanta), so we can probably expect one hell of a fight. Look for Tampa to take away Michael Turner and the Falcons’ running game and force rookie Matt Ryan to beat them through the air. They had this same approach in their Week 2 victory and Ryan failed miserably, although it’s safe to say he’s a completely different player nowadays and he showed once again last week in New Orleans that he can make every throw in the NFL. Will the Bucs get back on track this week or will the legend of Matt Ryan continue to grow?

Other Notable Games:

Steelers (10-3) at Ravens (9-4), 4:15 PM ET CBS
Call this game “Sunday’s Best III” or “Sunday’s Best 1A.” Whatever you call it, it’s going to be one of the best games of week. Pittsburgh remains one game ahead of Baltimore in the AFC North and currently has the head to head advantage after beating the Ravens earlier in the year. No team is playing better defensively right now than Pittsburgh, but the Ravens have suddenly hit their offensive stride in recent weeks and still boasts one of the best defenses in the league. This game might wind up being a 6-3 final.

Vikings (8-5) at Cardinals (8-5), 4:05 PM ET FOX
The Cardinals may have locked up the NFC West crown last week, but they still have plenty to play for as they try to improve their playoff seeding. And with the Bears’ victory over the Saints on Thursday night, the Vikings must win to stay one game ahead of Chicago in the NFC North. Can backup Tarvaris Jackson lead Minnesota to victory?

Broncos (8-5) at Panthers (10-3), 4:15 PM ET, CBS
With their win over Tampa on Monday night, many purists are talking about Carolina possibly being the No. 1 seed in the NFC come playoff time. But they’ll get a challenge this Sunday from a Denver team trying to clinch the AFC West crown.

Bills (6-7) at Jets (8-5), 1:00 PM ET, CBS
After losing two straight, the Jets now find themselves in a three-way tie with the Dolphins and Patriots for first place in the AFC East. Can they get back on track or will the Bills play spoiler?

The New York Giants have officially ruled out Brandon Jacobs playing against the Dallas Cowboys this week.

Giants running back Brandon Jacobs has been declared out of the Giants game Sunday night in Dallas.

Tom Coughlin made that announcement moments ago after Jacobs missed his third straight practice with an injured left knee.

“We just didn’t feel like hed be ready to play,” Coughlin said.

Derrick Ward will start in place of Jacobs. Asked if that meant Ahmad Bradshaw would get a little more work than usual, Coughlin said “Well see how the game goes.”

LB Jonathan Goff (hamstring) has also been ruled out and DT Fred Robbins (shoulder) will be listed as “questionable”.

The Cowboys’ defense has played better of late, but they’re still just average at best against the run. I wouldn’t trust Ward and Bradshaw to light up the fantasy scoreboard this week, although neither would necessarily be a bad start.