Dan Marino has thrown 31 career TD passes in postseason play.

His passes might lack beauty, but he made plays when the naysayers were saying Damon Huard was the better quarterback. Huard has better mobility, but Seattle would be playing this weekend if Marino had not been the quarterback for the Dolphins in the fourth quarter.

Now, the Dolphins get the Jacksonville Jaguars, the AFC's top seed but also a team many have abandoned as the conference favorite. Critics have cited the Jags' easy schedule, their late-season struggles and their injuries. First, I'm not one who believes that a team needs to play a tough schedule to be any good. The Jaguars were a confident football team because they beat people even when they didn't play great football. A team's confidence is built more by beating a bad team rather than losing to a good team. Any victory is a confidence builder.

They might not have played great defense to end the season, but defensive coordinator Dom Capers will have the Jaguars ready to play. Sure, Mark Brunell looked smoother at the end of the season than at the beginning, and it took a while for receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell to get untracked. But the Jaguars are a disciplined football team that should play well.

I have liked the Jaguars from the beginning, but my only concern is their health on offense, with Brunell (knee) and tackle Leon Searcy (ankle) ailing, and All-Pro tackle Tony Boselli (knee) out for the playoffs. Miami has a fast defense that can apply pressure on the perimeter. Boselli is the best offensive tackle in football, and Searcy, depending on how well he can play, is one of the better ones.

The Jaguars love to run behind Boselli. Can they handle Miami's defensive quickness? Regardless, I still think the Jaguars will win the game because they are playing at home and are more explosive.

Here are the keys to Saturday's AFC divisional playoff game for each team:

Miami Dolphins
1. Protect Marino: Because Marino is a pocket passer, protection begins from the inside out. A heavy emphasis must be placed on center Tim Ruddy and guards Kevin Donnalley and Mark Dixon. Miami must not turn it over, meaning Marino must protect the football. He did not turn it over on the road against an opportunistic Seattle defense.

The Seahawks' Jon Kitna threw two interceptions, and that was the difference in the game. Miami must play a perfect game offensively to win. If the Dolphins turn the ball over two or three times, they won't win in Jacksonville because the Jaguars are too good in every phase of the game.

2. An edge on Brunell: The Dolphins must treat Brunell like they did Kitna and pressure him from the outside and keep him off the perimeter. I'm anxious to see how Brunell's rhythm is since being out. With one tackle out and the other hurt, the Jaguars are exposed on the edges. Brunell is an edge football player who likes to get out of the pocket. We don't know how healthy he is, even though he will play. But the Dolphins put quite a punishment on Kitna last weekend, especially defensive end Trace Armstrong. The Dolphins must force Brunell to make plays from the pocket.

3. Stick with the run: The Dolphins must have the threat of running the football, even if they are unable to gain 150 yards rushing. They can not betray the run, whether it works or not. J.J. Johnson had 27 carries for 86 yards last week, and a repeat performance will keep the Jaguars from just playing soft zone defense and pressuring Marino with blitzes. The Dolphins do not have an explosive offense, so they must not abandon the run. They can no longer expect to win if Marino has to throw 45 times.

Jacksonville Jaguars
1. Inside pressure on Marino: The Jaguars must get to Marino's feet. They don't need to pressure him from the outside because Marino likes to step up in the pocket. If Capers blitzes linebackers, he will blitz them between the tackles so Marino must go east and west instead of north and south. He likes to step up and throw, not move sideways.

2. Take away Tony Martin: Martin is the Dolphins' home-run threat. So the Jaguars must double-cover him with a cornerback and a safety and not give up the big play. Either Aaron Beasley or Fernando Bryant will try to keep Martin from getting a free release at the line of scrimmage.

3. Use their big three: The Jaguars have to get McCardell, Smith and particularly Fred Taylor involved in the offense. A healthy Taylor can make a big difference for Jacksonville. With his ability to run and catch, he is another threat who could be placed in the company of Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James as one of the league's best all-around backs. Plus, with Taylor, the Jaguars need to run right at the Dolphins defense instead of around them.

As for the receivers, last year the Jaguars were able to exploit the Dolphins' man-to-man coverage on the outside with two big touchdowns on Monday Night Football. Miami still will gamble on defense with man coverage; if the Dolphins don't, Taylor will have a big game. The Jaguars will take their shots downfield to Smith, one of the game's most underrated players.