As I watched the Dolphins take the field against the Super Bowl hopeful San Diego Chargers on this Sunday I got that feeling in my stomach, the feeling Dolphins fans have become use to. A great team that should have beaten the 1-15 Dolphins discovered something at the same time the fans did, this is not the 1-15 Dolphins. That was made clear with a goaline stand where the Fins new defense stuffed the NFL’s most prolific runner. That was made clear when Ronnie Brown decided to knock Antonio Cromartie out rather than running out of bounds because of liberties Cromartie had taken the entire game on Dolphins receivers. It was made clear when Joey Porter was playing so well his mouth couldn’t keep up.

Now what’s clear is that the Dolphins are more than just rebuilding, their contending. I know it may be too early to say, the Fins could run off 5 straight losses and the playoffs could be lost. But for one week, Dolphin fans can enjoy being contenders, being in the playoff mix. Does it feel familiar? Not long ago the question surrounding the Dolphins wasn’t making the playoffs, it was winning the Super Bowl. We may be returning to that, those great times when the wins don’t matter as much because they happen often.

The team is built better than it has been in years, strong rookies mixed with veteran leaders, and a coach who does what it takes to win and demands the same from his players. We still dont know what the future holds, but for now it is bright and the present is sweeter than it has been in a long time.