JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- This was supposed to be a coronation for the Jacksonville Jaguars, a week to put the final touches on a division title and gear up for a promising run through the playoffs.

That plan has changed drastically.

Instead, the Jaguars (13-2) are preparing to play the Cincinnati Bengals (4-11) on Sunday with Jay Fiedler at quarterback instead of Mark Brunell and with a million more questions about their postseason hopes than they had a week ago.

"I know what this team is like," said coach Tom Coughlin, his team still glazed over from its 41-14 loss to the Titans last Sunday. "I don't know what last weekend was, but I know what this team is like. I have every confidence in their pride, their character and all that. They're not going to sit there and take that."

They can't afford to.

The Jaguars still need a victory to clinch their second straight AFC Central title. Lose, and they can still back into the title if Pittsburgh beats Tennessee in a later game.

The division title and the bye week that comes with it are critical because of Brunell's injury. He won't be ready to play on the strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee for at least two more weeks.

But as much as they need the win to let their quarterback recover, the Jaguars need it to heal their shattered confidence.

"We need to put the Super Bowl away, put the Pro Bowl away, put all those other things away, because they have nothing to do with what's going on right now," Coughlin said. "I've seen some things on the field the last couple of weeks I didn't even recognize. I'd like to see that disappear and let's get back to the solid quality play that got us to this point."

Fiedler, a fourth-year journeyman out of Dartmouth, will make his first NFL start against a team with practically nothing to play for.

With 1,200 yards, running back Corey Dillon is 40 yards away from setting the Bengals single-season rushing record (James Brooks), but he's listed as questionable with a knee injury.

Quarterback Jeff Blake, a free-agent after this season, is most likely playing his last game with the Bengals. He led Cincinnati on a three-game winning streak that ended last week with a 22-0 loss at Baltimore.

The winning streak may have saved coach Bruce Coslet's job. Earlier this week, team president Mike Brown said he would bring Coslet back next year despite his 21-35 record. The Bengals close the decade with 107 losses, the most in the NFL.

"We understand the situation we're going into," Coslet said. "They got beat last week. We're out of the playoffs and nobody's giving us a chance. But we're going to show up and play our butts off, and let the chips fall where they may."

The Jaguars may also have to worry about point differential in the race for home-field advantage through the playoffs.

That race seemed like a done deal, but last week's results left Jacksonville with a 14-point edge over Indianapolis, which plays at Buffalo at the same time the Jaguars play.

The Bills, who have clinched a playoff spot and are ensured of a road game in the first round, will start Rob Johnson at quarterback along with reserves at other positions.

It means Coughlin must coach with an eye on the scoreboard and, in the case of a lopsided Indianapolis victory, could have to play for as many points as he can.

"The only scenario I'm concentrating on is winning and being the No. 1 seed," Coughlin said. "We have to have the margin to do it. We have to win and win according to whatever scenario the league has designed for us to become the No. 1 seed."

Before they get their calculators out, the Jaguars have to concentrate on playing better. Coughlin acknowledges they've had increasingly bad efforts the last three weeks.

He knows last week's game gave the team's detractors, the ones who said the 13-2 record was simply a product of a soft schedule, plenty of ammunition going as the Jaguars head into the postseason.

"I think it's foolish to lump us in with people who haven't accomplished anywhere near what we've accomplished this year," he said. "But the fact is that, in this business, you're only as good as the last time you line up. We didn't play well last weekend. We need to play better this weekend and I'm very confident that we will."

CINCINNATI Season schedule and results

JACKSONVILLE Season schedule and results

September 12 @Tennessee L 35-36 September 19 San Diego L 7-34 September 26 @Carolina L 3-27 October 3 St. Louis L 10-38 October 10 @Cleveland W 18-17 October 17 Pittsburgh L 3-17 October 24 @Indianapolis L 10-31 October 31 Jacksonville L 10-41 November 7 @Seattle L 20-37 November 14 Tennessee L 14-24 November 21 Baltimore L 31-34 November 28 @Pittsburgh W 27-20 December 5 San Francisco W 44-30 December 12 Cleveland W 44-28 December 26 @Baltimore L 0-22 January 2 @Jacksonville 1:00pm ET

September 12 San Francisco W 41-3 September 19 @Carolina W 22-20 September 26 Tennessee L 19-20 October 3 @Pittsburgh W 17-3 October 11 @NY Jets W 16-6 October 17 Cleveland W 24-7 October 31 @Cincinnati W 41-10 November 7 @Atlanta W 30-7 November 14 Baltimore W 6-3 November 21 New Orleans W 41-23 November 28 @Baltimore W 30-23 December 2 Pittsburgh W 20-6 December 13 Denver W 27-24 December 19 @Cleveland W 24-14 December 26 @Tennessee L 14-41 January 2 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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