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Ravens visit Dolphins in rematch

Jan 4, 2009 - 2:31 PM Baltimore (11-5) at Miami (11-5), Sunday, 1 pm EST

MIAMI (Ticker) -- While the Miami Dolphins are the feel-good story of 2008, the Baltimore Ravens are not far behind.

In a matchup between teams that few - if anyone - would have predicted to be in the postseason, the Ravens visit the Dolphins on Sunday in the AFC wild card round.

It's a rematch of a regular-season contest in Miami on October 19, which the Ravens won, 27-13, to spark their run toward a playoff berth following last season's dismal 5-11 mark that cost head coach Brian Billick his job.

Baltimore had limped into Miami on the heels of a three-game losing streak, albeit against the top three teams in the AFC. However, rookie quarterback Joe Flacco finished 17-for-23 for 232 yards and a scoring pass to ignite a four-game winning streak.

The Ravens shut down the Dolphins' running game and forced Chad Pennington to throw 35 times, one of which was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by linebacker Terrell Suggs.

That contest marked a turning point for Flacco, who had thrown one TD pass and seven interceptions in his first five games, but tossed 13 scoring passes and just five picks the rest of the way.

Facing a must-win game to get into the playoffs in the regular-season finale against Jacksonville, Flacco was superb in throwing for 297 yards on 17-of-23 passing in the Ravens' 27-7 victory. He completed 14-of-17 for 246 yards in the first half, when the Ravens took a 24-7 lead.

The rookie's maturity and the return to form of a ferocious defense has sparked a revival under first-year coach John Harbaugh in Baltimore, which lost nine straight games at one point in 2007.

"I wouldn't even know where to start on that," Harbaugh said of the turnaround. "Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Joe Flacco, the offensive line, Derrick Mason. Where do we stop?"

The Ravens' defense will be a daunting task for Miami to solve, having allowed the third-fewest points in the league and not allowing an opposing running back to rush for 100 yards in 35 consecutive games.

Yet the Dolphins have been remarkably resilient in bouncing back from last season's 1-15 debacle. They are the first one-win team in NFL history to reach 10 victories the following season.

Miami completed its rags-to-riches tale with a 24-17 victory over the New York Jets to wrap up the AFC East Division title.

Pennington, who was cast aside by New York when the Jets acquired Brett Favre in August, outplayed the three-time NFL MVP as the Dolphins finished the season with five consecutive victories.

"It's always a sweet feeling to be a champion," Pennington said. "My teammates and coaches accepted me from the get-go and it's just been an unbelievable ride. We're really enjoying ourselves right now."

The Dolphins have been enjoying themselves since the loss to the Ravens, winning nine of the next 10 games to complete an improbable run into the postseason.

Miami also features a first-year coach in Tony Sparano, whose squad matched the 1999 Indianapolis Colts' NFL single-season improvement record of 10 wins.

"I couldn't be prouder for any of my players in the locker room, but certainly for the guys that were here last year," Sparano said.

"They're a different team right now," Ravens safety Ed Reed said of the Dolphins. "We're a totally different team."