"Wide receiver Torry Holt, who has played in two Super Bowls, is no stranger to the kind of big game the Jaguars will play Sunday.

"It's win-or-go-home, the NBA slogan, that's where we are right now," Holt said of Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins.

If the 7-5 Jaguars win, they can earn a playoff berth if they beat Cleveland in the finale, as long as the Jets and Ravens don't run the table.

By contrast, if the 6-6 Dolphins are able to win Sunday, they can eliminate the Jaguars by winning their last three games.

"They control their own destiny just like we do. This is a playoff game for both teams. It'll be entertaining for the fans. I think it's good for the league," Holt said.

Holt said he knows the players will be feeling the butterflies before the game.

"You can call it nervous or anxious or excited. Once the initial hit happens, you're back to football," Holt said.

Cornerback Rashean Mathis said the veterans are stressing the importance of the game to the young players.

"A lot of guys have never been in this situation before," Mathis said. "As long as we stress the importance of the games, the young guys will understand. This is not just a regular regular-season game."

Physical matchup

Though Sunday's game pits two Florida teams, they don't play like warm-weather finesse teams.

Dolphins president Bill Parcells has put together a team reminiscent of the Giants teams he had in the NFC East.

They usually like to run the ball and pound teams on defense. The Jaguars pride themselves on stopping the run, so it should be a physical game in the trenches.

Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said the team is tackling much better than it did earlier in the season and missed only two tackles against Houston last Sunday.

"That's two too many, but it's better than what we've done in the past," Tucker said.

Wilford faces former team

Tight end Ernest Wilford spent last year with Miami and said the Jaguars coaches asked him a couple of questions about the Dolphins, but coach Jack Del Rio downplayed the advantage of picking up information from a player.

"We played a guy last week, Brian Russell, who went to Houston and took all of our information with him over there. So I think you can make too much of it," Del Rio said."