Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington looks for a receiver as Vince Wilfork of the Patriots closes in during the second quarter of their game at Gillette Stadium in September. The Pats lost, 38-13, so getting even with Miami today is crucial in New England’s playoff push.

The Providence Journal / Mary Murphy

Let’s put it this way: it’s been a while.

It’s been a while since the New England Patriots were in a regular-season game of this magnitude, one in which their playoff hopes were on the line.

It’s been a while since they weren’t in the driver’s seat; been a while since they were the chasers and not the ones being chased.

It’s been that way since 2002, back when some of the key players were Anthony Pleasant, David Givens and Christian Fauria, not Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker and Sammy Morris.

That is yet another testament to the consistent success New England has enjoyed this decade. The franchise has won five straight AFC East titles and six of the last seven. The only one the Patriots didn’t claim was in ’02, when they did their part with a come-from-behind win against the Dolphins on the last game of the season, but the defending Super Bowl titlists were knocked out of the playoffs on the second tiebreaker when the Jets beat Miami.

Even in 2005, when it won “only” 10 games, New England was assured of its season continuing because of its 5-1 record in the AFC East.

It is not overstating things to say that New England’s postseason chances could take a serious nosedive if they lose in Miami today. Both teams are 6-4 and chasing the 7-3 Jets, who have a tough game against the undefeated Titans in Tennessee. But even if the Jets lose to the Titans, putting them into a tie with the winner of the Patriots-Dolphins game, they still would hold an advantage in the division. New York is 3-1 in division play, with home games against Miami and the Bills still on the schedule.

Miami is 2-1, and after today it has a game against Buffalo (in Toronto) and a contest against the Jets at the Meadowlands on its division schedule. New England is 2-2, with its season-finale in Buffalo all that’s left after today’s showdown with its Florida rival.

If the Dolphins win today, it would give them a season sweep of the Patriots, and head-to-head results is the first tiebreaker if the teams finish with the same records.

Generally, the mantra around Foxboro is that every game is a big one.

But New England’s players weren’t afraid to admit this week that this one has a more critical feel than most.

“It’s a one-game season for us,” co-captain Wilfork said on Friday. “It’s a challenge; this is what you live for. Games in November and December determine where you are in February.”

While there are some big names missing from the active roster, players who have been through the battles for division titles and beyond and could provide leadership on the field and off, Wilfork isn’t worried about how the Patriots will handle the pressure of the game.

“This locker room is still the locker room from last year and years before. We just have different faces,” he said. “We have a very confident group of guys who love what they do.”

While followers of the franchise gnash their teeth with each loss, Wilfork stressed that the unimaginable dominance of last year, and even the 14-2 seasons the Patriots have put together in recent years, are not the norm. For a team to be 6-4, for each division game to carry such weight, to experience stumbles — those are just a part of everyday life for most NFL fans.

“We know what’s at stake. It’s tough, but that’s NFL football,” Wilfork said.

It’s been a while since there was this much at stake in a non-playoff game.

And if the Patriots don’t come to play today, they might be facing a long offseason.

smanza@projo.com