Homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

It’s something every team strives for and something that can truly aid a team in making a run at the Super Bowl. And homefield could be on the line on Monday night -- Christmas night -- when the Tennessee Titans host the Dallas Cowboys in the final regular-season game of the 2000 NFL season.

Tennessee (12-3) will need a victory over the Cowboys to gain homefield advantage in the AFC if the Baltimore Ravens (11-4) defeat the New York Jets on Sunday. The Ravens, by virtue of a better conference record (10-3 vs. 9-3), would gain homefield with a win and a Tennessee loss Monday night. The Ravens have one more conference game than the Titans because in the AFC Central Division, the third- (Baltimore) through sixth-place teams from the season before play three non-division intraconference games, while the first- and second-place (Tennessee) teams play two. This situation will no longer occur beginning in 2002 when the NFL expands from 31 to 32 teams with a balanced scheduling formula.

"Everything comes down to the final weekend," says Titans head coach JEFF FISHER. "We understand what we have to do and we understand we have a very good team right behind us in the division race."

Since 1975, when homefield advantage was first determined by record rather than by divisional rotation, 29 of the 50 clubs with homefield have advanced to the Super Bowl, with 18 of them winning it.

"If all the playoff games are in Tennessee, it's going to be tough for other teams to get to the Super Bowl," says Titans tackle FRED MILLER.

And arguably, no team in the NFL has a bigger homefield advantage than the Tennessee Titans, who have won 15 of 16 games since their home stadium, Adelphia Coliseum, opened last season.

"It's really tough to beat us here, and that gives us an edge," says Miller. "You want to do everything you can to get every edge you can have for the playoffs, because it’s a must-win situation."

If homefield is already decided, says Fisher, the Titans have something else to shoot for – an NFL-tops 13-3 mark. "The motivating factor will be to have the best record in the NFL," he says.

The Titans have won their past seven December/January games and both of their Monday night games this season. But don’t count the Cowboys out. Although eliminated from playoff contention, Dallas is seeking to take momentum into the 2001 season. Quarterback ANTHONY WRIGHT will again start in place of an injured TROY AIKMAN and Wright knows the Titans will come after him.

"They're going to see a quarterback just starting to play and they're going to want to try to blitz," says Wright. "I think it's good for me to go through this right now. I'd like for them to do whatever they can so I can see it. The more times I see it, the better I will get at it."

More interesting notes on this week’s Cowboys-Titans Monday night matchup:

• Titans quarterback STEVE MC NAIR has won 20 of his past 25 starts.

• Titans running back EDDIE GEORGE has scored 10 touchdowns in his past five games. George (384 rushes) also needs 27 carries to pass JAMAL ANDERSON (410) for the NFL record.

NFL CHRISTMAS GAMES