Pro Bowl tackle Tony Boselli will miss the entire playoffs with a knee injury.

In the last two weeks, however, they've lost three key offensive players -- quarterback Mark Brunell last week and offensive tackles Tony Boselli and Leon Searcy on Sunday.

Not a good way to enter the playoffs.

Even with a bye week during which Brunell should heal. Boselli was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He will miss the playoffs, meaning the Jags will be without their best blocker.

"We've had our share of injuries and this is another," coach Tom Coughlin said. "Obviously, it's a huge blow to our team."

"It was scary," Jags receiver Keenan McCardell added. "Right now, you don't want any injuries. You're in a single-elimination tournament, and you've got to have your best players."

These days, with rosters kept thin by salary-cap constraints, injuries can be even more devastating. So can seedings.

With the playoff lineup set, here's an early look:

AFC playoffs
Here's another scary thought for the Jaguars.

If Tennessee beats Buffalo in Nashville next Saturday and Seattle beats Miami in the Kingdome on Sunday, Jacksonville will play host to Tennessee in its first playoff game. The Jags are 14-2 and both losses came against the Titans -- 20-19 on Sept. 26 and 41-14 in Tennessee on Dec. 26.

The blowout win was an indication that the Titans are peaking. Steve McNair threw five touchdown passes in that game after entering it with six all season.

They're also a fake fourth seed -- their 13-3 record is tied with Indianapolis and they are, in fact, the first team since the wild-card system began in 1970 not to win a division with that record.

"We have a very realistic chance to be in Atlanta," running back Eddie George said after Sunday's win in Pittsburgh.

On record, the Titans, Jaguars or Colts are likely to be in Atlanta. Although Indianapolis might be a year away, particularly on defense.

But the last time the Super Bowl was played in Atlanta, the AFC representative was Buffalo.

And the last time Tennessee played Buffalo in a playoff game, they were the Houston Oilers. That game was in Buffalo on Jan. 3, 1993, when the Oilers had a 35-3 lead in the third quarter and lost 41-38 in overtime.

"Remember it? If I remember that pain, I would never play football again, so it's out of sight, out of mind to me," said guard Bruce Matthews, the team's senior player.

Pain.

That's what Jacksonville is feeling right now.

NFC playoffs
What can you say about a conference playoff in which two 8-8 teams, Dallas and Detroit, are involved?

There's one clear-cut favorite in the NFC -- St. Louis.

The Rams (13-3) lost a meaningless game Sunday in Philadelphia, removing most of their regulars after Kurt Warner became only the second quarterback ever to throw for 40 touchdowns in a season and Marshall Faulk broke Barry Sanders' all-purpose yardage record. They're at home, where they are 8-0 with an average margin of victory of 25 points.

About the only danger seems to be Minnesota, which won eight of its final 10 games to finish 10-6. If the Vikings beat the Cowboys at home next Sunday and Washington beats Detroit on Saturday -- both likely -- Minnesota will got to St. Louis for a second-round game.

Can Minnesota beat the Rams?

"As far as the momentum and the desire and being hungry to go out there and fight for a championship, I don't think we're there yet," noted pundit Randy Moss said after the Vikings beat the Lions on Sunday.

If they can't beat the St. Louis, can Tampa Bay?

The Buccaneers' defense is wonderful. But the quarterback is Shaun King, a rookie.