JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- If this truly is Dan's Last Stand, the Jacksonville Jaguars would like to bring it to an end.

Dan Marino, the postseason's sentimental favorite, leads the Miami Dolphins (10-7) to Jacksonville for an AFC Divisional playoff game Saturday.

The Jaguars (14-2) say they can't pretend to care about Marino's legacy or their widely perceived role as villains this week.

"Let's call a spade a spade," said Jaguars tackle Ben Coleman. "If he wins it all, he's probably going to check it in. He can ride off into sunset just like John Elway did last year. But honestly, I don't know if that happens all that often."

Of course, the one thing Elway had that Marino may not is a Super Bowl-caliber supporting cast. Even with their 20-17 win over Seattle in the wild-card round last week, the Dolphins come into this game as losers of six of their last nine.

Unlike years past, Marino can't lift the team to victory on his own. Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson will continue to rely upon a solid ground game, good defense and turnovers to take the pressure off his 38-year-old quarterback.

Former Giants quarterback Phil Simms believes that's the only chance Marino has to extend his season -- maybe his career.

"I watched him play last week, and that's obviously what serves Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins best," said Simms, who also thrived in a ball-control offense. "He doesn't need to stand back there in the shotgun and throw 40 times a game. He's not physically capable of doing that anymore."

Marino contends he's capable of throwing it 60 times a game if he has to, although he has grudgingly accepted Johnson's style, especially if it helps the Dolphins win.

Meanwhile, the 17-year veteran says the speculation about his retirement has become little more than annoying background noise to him as the season has progressed.

"I may continue to play, I may not," he said. "If you're a player, you wouldn't be doing yourself any justice if you were worrying about all the outside things. I have enough to think about being the quarterback for this team and trying to win games. That's what I try to focus on."

The "other" quarterback, Mark Brunell, is expected to play on a sprained left knee that will be at less than 100 percent. He practiced at full-speed Thursday and said the knee felt good.

"I don't consider myself hobbled," he said. "And Saturday, I don't anticipate being hobbled one bit. I've just got to go out there and play confidently. You've got to play as if you don't have any problems with your legs and that's how I'm going to approach it."

He'll be protected by a line that lost its best player, left tackle Tony Boselli, to a torn knee ligament in the final regular-season game. Right tackle Leon Searcy will play with a high ankle sprain sustained in the same game.

None of this bodes well for a team that struggled in the homestretch. The Jaguars lost 41-14 to the Titans on Dec. 26, then plodded through a season-ending 24-7 victory over Cincinnati with Jay Fiedler at quarterback.

Among the red flags that have emerged for the Jaguars is an inability to start fast. They've scored just 61 points in the first quarter this season, compared to 123 in the fourth. They're also poor finishers inside the opponent's 20 _ scoring touchdowns on just 46 percent of their trips, good for 18th in the NFL.

Since the Titans loss, coach Tom Coughlin has increased the tempo in practice. He says he thinks many of the problems have been solved.

"I think we have practiced well," Coughlin said. "I think we have worked on some areas we needed to work on. I think there is some suddenness and some speed that perhaps was lacking at one time."

He'll find out Saturday, when the Jaguars go against one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game.

Rookie cornerback Fernando Bryant is one of several Jaguars who grew up watching Marino on TV and now has a possible chance to end his career without the Super Bowl title he still covets.

"I always watched him and knew how good he was -- how good he is," Bryant said. "It's an honor playing a legend. You know he's going to be there in Canton. I'm looking forward to it, don't get me wrong, but it's nothing I can think about once I get out there."

MIAMI Season schedule and results

JACKSONVILLE Season schedule and results

September 13 @Denver W 38-21 September 19 Arizona W 19-16 October 4 Buffalo L 18-23 October 10 @Indianapolis W 34-31 October 17 @New England W 31-30 October 24 Philadelphia W 16-13 October 31 @Oakland W 16-9 November 7 Tennessee W 17-0 November 14 @Buffalo L 3-23 November 21 New England W 27-17 November 25 @Dallas L 0-20 December 5 Indianapolis L 34-37 December 12 @NY Jets L 20-28 December 19 San Diego W 12-9 December 27 NY Jets L 31-38 January 2 @Washington L 10-21 January 9 @Seattle W 20-17 January 15 @Jacksonville 12:35pm 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 W 24-7 January 15 Miami 12:35pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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