Surprising Dolphins face improved Ravens

"They have expanded that package," Baltimore coach John Harbaugh says. "It looks more and more like the complete package, so it's tougher to defend than it was earlier in the year."

While Miami's trickery failed to work in the earlier meeting, Baltimore was physically superior in that game, bruising more than just the Dolphins' egos.

"That's kind of their M.O.," Miami cornerback Andre Goodman says. "They do their best to intimidate you. They did a good job of it the first game. But this is a different team."

It's a team that belongs in a fantasy league, considering the storybook nature of the Dolphins' transformation. Leading the turnaround has been quarterback Chad Pennington, released by the New York Jets in August and now the AP Comeback Player of the Year.

The Dolphins are the year's comeback team - their 10-game one-year improvement matches the best in NFL history. While a soft schedule has made it easier for them to hide flaws, they're no longer a laughingstock.

"We went from the outhouse to the penthouse," says linebacker Joey Porter, the AFC sacks leader.

Porter and his band of overachievers will be underdogs Sunday, even playing at home, because doubts persist that Miami belongs in the postseason. Only 11 Dolphins have started a playoff game. One is Pennington, who led the Jets to the postseason three times.

"The playoffs are a little bit more emotional. The electricity in the crowd is a little higher. The play on the field is a little faster," Pennington says. "It's just different, because now you're playing for that special prize."

The Dolphins contend they can overcome postseason inexperience by drawing on what they've learned in recent weeks. They came from behind in the race for a playoff berth by winning their final five regular-season contests, four on the road, and four by a touchdown or less.

"Before, it was win or go home," Sparano says. "It's still win or go home."