They arrived at training camp in July, with visions of postseason celebrations dancing in their heads. Thirty-one teams entered the fray that was the 2000 regular season, and only 12 are left to tackle the postseason. We analyze what it will take to knock off the teams who are playoff bound.

Here is the breakdown for all of the playoff contenders in the AFC. For a breakdown of the playoff contenders in the NFC, click here.

AFC East
To beat the Dolphins you must ...
1. Stop their running game. When running back Lamar Smith doesn't run effectively, the Dolphins don't play nearly as well because their passing game isn't very potent. They have no receivers against whom a defense would specifically game plan.

2. Run the ball effectively. Despite their impressive defensive talent, the Dolphins have been average run-stoppers. They've especially had problems with draws and delayed handoffs because their defensive ends charge upfield so fast. Miami's secondary may be the best in football, so it's best not to take too many chances there.

3. Knock out quarterback Jay Fiedler. It's not very sportsmanlike, but the Dolphins are a different team with backup Damon Huard running the offense. The drop-off is quite noticeable. Problem is, it's difficult to reach Fiedler because of the impressive blocking he has up front. There is no weak link on the offensive line.

To beat the Colts you must ...
1. Control the ball by establishing the run early. Indianapolis has been very vulnerable vs. teams that stay committed to running the football.

	Limiting James is a key to stopping the Colts.

2. Get ahead early in order to limit running back Edgerrin James' impact and the play-action prowess of quarterback Peyton Manning in the second half.

3. Win the giveaway/takeaway battle and capitalize on turnovers. If the Colts' offense gets too many chances with good field position, it usually means trouble for the opposition.

4. Stop them in the red zone and make them settle for field goals.

AFC Central
To beat the Ravens you must ...
1. Strike early. While Baltimore's offensive balance has improved of late, it is still more effective running than passing. Put the Ravens in a hole, and don't allow them to set up their improving ground game featuring rookie Jamal Lewis.

2. Find a way to run on the Ravens' defense -- which is much easier said than done. Baltimore lost all three games this season (Miami in Week 3, Washington in Week 7 and Pittsburgh in Week 9) in which the opposition gained more than 100 yards rushing.

3. Rattle quarterback Trent Dilfer. As good as he's been since taking over for Tony Banks, Dilfer still has a tendency to make potentially costly mistakes.

4. Test cornerback Duane Starks. He's been beaten deep a few times this season.

To beat the Titans you must ...
1. Stop running back Eddie George. This is a must. He has the ability to control the tempo with his bruising style of running. Limiting his attempts by winning the time-of-possession battle would help.

2. If you get quarterback Steve McNair in your grasp, you have to bring him down. McNair's most significant improvement this season has been his ability to shed tacklers and continue looking downfield for a receiver.

3. The Titans play scoring defense more than yardage defense. In other words, you can beat them with a handful of big plays, which they have given up at times.

4. Try to bait defensive ends Jevon Kearse and Kenny Holmes into rushing around the corner, freeze them with a counter play and block them off as they try to recover. That has proved to be effective.

5. Roll the dice by putting kicker Al Del Greco in a pressure situation.

AFC West
To beat the Raiders you must ...
1. Make a commitment to keeping a spy on mobile quarterback Rich Gannon, who has burned opponents by scrambling for first downs on a regular basis.

	Teams will keep a close eye on Gannon.

2. Focus the pass defense on shutting down wide receiver Tim Brown. While Raiders running backs and wide receiver Andre Rison have emerged as receiving threats, Gannon keys on Brown extensively.

3. Contain the 1-2 running back punch of Tyrone Wheatley and Napoleon Kaufman (both of whom have been banged up).

4. Attack the safeties when Oakland drops into its two-deep zone. Teams have had success hitting receivers in the seams after corner backs Charles Woodson and Eric Allen release them downfield.

To beat the Broncos you must ...
1. Control the ball and keep one of the league's most potent -- and balanced -- offenses off the field.

2. Take advantage of the their inconsistent defense that gives up plenty of big plays with suspect tackling and a secondary that is not that fast.

3. If Brian Griese is still out, forcing quarterback Gus Frerotte into turnovers - something teams have been able to do in bunches at times - could be huge.

4. Exploit their occasional lapses in run defense. Although the Broncos rank quite respectably in overall run defense, the Bengals did a number on them with 407 yards on the ground earlier this season.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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