Anger, embarrassment, even tendrils of dissension -- all of those things were heard and felt in the Dolphins' postgame locker room Sunday, and, oddly enough, they were positive signs in a certain, very real way.

They were indicative of a big late-season game, of actual stakes and a playoff atmosphere. They were indicative of a season that matters for a pleasant change, and of a franchise beginning to matter again.

The emotion of Sunday, including the emotion that went reckless late in this game, was indicative of a team growing up by realizing it still needs to, and had better.

The Dolphins were beaten here by their division rival New England Patriots 48-28, and what you heard after the game was a Miami team that now thinks it should beat anybody it plays, a team that no longer finds solace in 3 ½ quarters of valiant effort.

Oh, by the way, the NFL's last-unbeaten Tennessee Titans finally lost Sunday, so the day wasn't a total waste for the Dolphins in that the club's 1972 Perfect Season was reverified as historically unique.

The Titans lost, but it was to the AFC East division rival New York Jets, and that was what mattered.

Miami is in an actual, bona fide playoff chase for a change, gunning to end a six-year postseason drought, and that helps explain all of the nerves and nonsense toward the end Sunday. This is a team that hasn't been in enough big games to find out whether it has enough poise. It found out Sunday.

''It's an embarrassing loss on a big stage with a big opportunity,'' team captain Vonnie Holliday said, and left little doubt he meant teammate Joey Porter's late personal foul and then unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that led directly to a Patriots touchdown, and to a plain unraveling of the Dolphins.

Afterward Porter dressed quickly, said, 'I ain't talkin' to the media,'' and bolted -- the loquacious one so willing to opine on just about everything suddenly mute over his own spasm of costly immaturity.

It was a rough game all round, with six personal fouls evenly split.

The Pats' Kevin Faulk called it ''two teams fighting to win a game,'' and he was quite literally right.

Just before Porter's football version of a mental breakdown, Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder and Patriots tackle Matt Light both were ejected for fighting, even though Light certainly got more of his money's worth -- grabbing Crowder by the dreadlocks and getting in a few quick rabbit punches, hockey-style.

Crowder whipped his helmet and beamed a huge smile to verify it didn't faze him. He left to an ovation from the near-sellout crowd.

''What's disappointing is not only that we lost but the way we handled the game, especially late,'' Holliday said. ``We've won by being smart, disciplined and were the opposite late in the game. It was an embarrassing loss to our organization the way we handled that at the end. I want to apologize to the fans.''

Coach Tony Sparano called it ``a lack of poise.''

''Psychological breakdown'' was Holliday's phrase.

It bears remembering that Miami was trailing 38-28 before Crowder was ejected, and before Porter and poise parted ways.

In other words, to blame the loss on the late emotional unraveling would be to miss the point. Miami lost because it could not stop New England's passing game or quarterback Matt Cassel, turning Cassel into king.

He would complete 30 of 43 passes for 415 yards and three touchdown passes -- all to Randy Moss. Moss and ex-Dolphin Wes Welker would scorch the Dolphins for a combined 16 catches for 245 yards.

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