Team embracing underdog status.

DAVIE — The mood at the Miami Dolphins practice facility isn’t quite ratcheted up to playoff intensity yet. But it’ll start moving that way when practice resumes Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. AFC wildcard round playoff game at Pittsburgh against the Steelers.

The upstart Dolphins (10-6) are 10-point underdogs against the playoffseasoned Steelers (11-5), and Miami players say they can feel the doubt.

And enjoy their role as underdogs.

“Of course, that’s been our m.o. (modus operandi), that’s how we’ve lived this whole season, especially even the first time we played Pittsburgh, nobody gave us a chance,” safety Michael Thomas said.

“So it’s not surprising to us we’re 10-point underdogs this week. It doesn’t faze us. We’re going to go and prepare like we’ve always prepared. We actually prefer it that way and we’re going to go out there and do our thing.”

Coach Adam Gase hadn’t yet progressed to that point Monday.

“I’m still a little irritated about [Sunday],” Gase said of Miami’s 35-14 loss to New England at Hard Rock Stadium. “I haven’t quite got over that yet.”

Although players seem to have turned the page and are now looking excitedly toward this week’s playoff game, the New England loss has been gnawing at the ultra-competitive Gase.

The Dolphins didn’t do much right Sunday as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady picked apart the defense for 276 passing yards, three touchdowns. Offensively, the Dolphins gained just 280 yards, and committed two turnovers while the defense did not force any turnovers or get a sack.

“[Sunday] was awful,” Gase said. “For us to show up and look the way we looked ... and for us to show up and get smacked around on our own field is terrible.”

Regardless, players are growing more and more excited about the franchise’s first playoff appearance since the 2008 season.

“Most definitely,” said defensive end Andre Branch, a four-year veteran who will be making his playoff debut.

“It’s another week of football and we can’t take this moment for granted because if you lose it’s not, ‘You’ve got another opponent next week.’ No, it’s the offseason.”

The Dolphins defeated the Steelers, 30-15, when they played at Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 16. That game was the start of a sixgame winning streak for the Dolphins and the start of a four-game losing streak for the Steelers.

But since then the Steelers have turned it around and are riding a seven-game winning streak led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (29 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 95.4 passer rating, 11th in NFL), running back Le’Veon Bell (1,268 rushing yards, fifth in NFL) and wide receiver Antonio Brown (106 receptions, 1,284 yards, 12th in NFL).

“Offensively, it’s the same thing we saw last time,” Gase said. “They’ve got three very elite performers at critical positions on offense, and their defense historically has been what we all know it has always been. They’ve been tough. They do a great job of tackling. They stop the run.”