Dan Marino completed only 11 of 24 passes for 118 yards against Washington last week.

Because the Miami Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks stumbled into the playoffs, their spirits are low. So Johnson and Holmgren are wondering how they can help build their players' confidence and get them feeling good about themselves again. This is where coaches really earn their money, when they can get their team to believe in themselves in a short amount of time.

In Miami, everyone has focused on Dan Marino and the Dolphins' offensive problems. But looking at the tape of last week's game against Washington, I actually thought Marino threw the ball with good velocity. He had one overthrow on a fade to Oronde Gadsden, which should have been a touchdown. But that happens to every quarterback. He looked to be firing the ball again.

Meanwhile, the Miami defense, which was so good early in the season, has struggled. The Dolphins gave up only 80 yards rushing a game in the first eight games, but 105 per game in the final eight. That's a huge disparity. When teams like the Dolphins falter at stopping the run, they begin committing their safeties closer to the line of scrimmage, making them vulnerable to things downfield.

The Dolphins have also had problems at cornerback. Sam Madison has played at a Pro Bowl level all season, but Patrick Surtain replaced the inconsistent Terrell Buckley in the starting lineup. Still, the Dolphins were weak against the pass on their left side.

One of the reasons for Seattle's late decline is the ineffectiveness of quarterback Jon Kitna. He played a poor game against the Jets last week, missing some open receivers. The Seahawks tried to design plays to get the ball down the field, but he made the wrong read or wrong throw. They ended up having to go back to the pure West Coast offense, with three- and five-step drops, and getting the ball out quickly on slant routes. But Kitna was inaccurate on those throws too.

Defensively, Seattle is a high-percentage blitz team. Defensive coordinator Jim Lind, a solid game-planner, is adept at varying his schemes. But his basic approach is to pressure the quarterback. The Seahawks will be taking a risk on the outside with their cornerbacks isolated, and Marino should have no trouble reading the defense. The question is, will the Miami receivers escape bump-and-run coverage and get open? If they do, I think the Dolphins can win the game.

Here are the keys to Sunday's AFC wild-card game for each team:

Miami Dolphins
1. Tough tackles: Defensive tackles Tim Bowens and Daryl Gardener must have big games and bottle things up inside. Their job is important because the Dolphins defense needs linebacker Zach Thomas to run free. If Bowens and Gardener let an uncovered offensive linemen go after Thomas, whether it's the guard or the center, Thomas can be blocked. He is a lateral, sideline-to-sideline player with great quickness and speed. He was my Defensive Player of the Year. If he runs free, that will solidify the Dolphins' defense has been vulnerable is on the edges. Their ends -- Rich Owens, Jason Taylor and Trace Armstrong -- are light and can be handled by the tight ends and tackles. The Dolphins are giving up rushing yards on the edges, outside the tackle and tight end. If Thomas is blocked, Ricky Watters or Ahman Green can get those yards on the outside. If not, Thomas will make the play.

2. Throw it: With Tony Martin back and a healthy O.J. McDuffie, the Dolphins have a chance to do some things in the passing game. If the Dolphins are going to score, they must throw the football. Their running game has been basically non-existent. J.J. Johnson may return from a hamstring injury. Autry Denson ran the ball well last week, showing some quickness and toughness and the ability to run inside. He may be a good complement to the passing game. I think Marino will try to throw the ball down the field early in the game. McDuffie may be a game-time decision and will be critical to the passing game. Fullback Rob Konrad will also play an important rule. He can catch balls in the flat, a good play against the Seahawks if they commit their safeties to pass coverage.

3. A fine line: The Dolphins offensive line needs to control the line of scrimmage, something they have failed to do. Johnson has been building a line for four years, and they have yet to come together. The Dolphins average only 3.1 yards per rush, the second-worst mark in the NFL to only San Diego. They have to run the football to be effective. Knowing Seattle's weakness at stopping the run, Johnson will think he can run the ball, and he may be right.

Seattle Seahawks
1. Kitna is key: Kitna must have a big game. It's a pressure-filled game, like last week in New York, and he has to be able to handle the pressure. It appears that his limited arm strength is hurting the Seattle offense because he is not delivering the ball accurately down the field. The Dolphin cornerbacks will play tough, in-your-face coverage and will concede the short passes. That puts more of a burden on Kitna to make precise throws downfield to his talented receivers.

2. Keep your gaps: Seattle's failures against the run have surprised me. Based on individual talent, like Cortez Kennedy and Sam Adams up front, they should be much better against the run. The Seahawks have given up an average of 147 yards rushing per game over the last six games, at 4.1 yards per carry. Fortunately for Seattle, the Dolphins don't have a back the caliber of the Jets' Curtis Martin, who ran over them last week. But the Seahawks' front must maintain its gap discipline in order to slow down, and perhaps even stop, the Miami running game.

3. Manage Martin: Martin is the Dolphins' speed receiver and the biggest threat to make plays downfield. There is no reason for the Seahawks to commit eight men in the box to stop the Miami running game. They can put the burden on the front seven to handle the run, freeing up the safeties to help cornerbacks Shawn Springs and Willie Williams against Martin, who could burn Seattle deep if he is left in single coverage.