Dolphins’ Victory a Rush for Williams

Shortly after retiring Larry Csonka’s number Monday, the Miami Dolphins retired the Chicago Bears.

It was Ricky Williams who put them out to pasture, leaving Bear defenders in his vapor trail with a 216-yard performance that gave him the NFL rushing lead and paved the way for a 27-9 victory.

Williams, who a week earlier gained 228 yards in a snowy loss at Buffalo, became the third player in league history to record consecutive 200-yard games, joining Earl Campbell and O.J. Simpson.

Something gained, something lost. By virtue of Williams reaching 1,500 yards -- and he has precisely that many -- Miami has to give New Orleans a first-round pick in this spring’s draft. But it’s safe to say the Dolphins will make that sacrifice with a smile.

“Right now he’s running as good as anyone,” quarterback Jay Fiedler said, “and he’s really carrying the load.”

The yards might not come so easily Sunday when the Dolphins (8-5) play host to the Oakland Raiders, who have the third-ranked rushing defense and have won five in a row. That’s clearly the game of the week, and also pits quarterback Rich Gannon, a strong MVP candidate, against a Dolphin pass defense that consistently ranks among the league’s best.

“You always relish a challenge like that,” Dolphin safety Brock Marion said. “They’ve got Tim Brown and Jerry Rice, and Gannon’s really getting the ball to them. We’ve just got to make sure we go out and execute.”

Consider Chicago executed. This game was a mismatch throughout, even though the scoreboard didn’t always reflect it. The Dolphins owned the first half -- outgaining Chicago, 293 yards to 37, and limiting the Bears (3-10) to two first downs -- yet only built a 14-0 lead. Things would have been more lopsided had Miami not lost two fumbles inside the Chicago 10, one recovered on the seven and the other in the end zone.

“We can’t do that anymore,” Dolphin tackle Todd Wade said. “That was ridiculous on our part. We’re a better team than that, and we can’t afford to be turning the ball over like that. If we do that against Oakland, that could be the game.”

How fitting that after a gloriously imperfect first half, the Dolphins spent halftime celebrating the 30th anniversary of their perfect season. A huge stage was wheeled onto the field, the lights were dimmed, and legendary coach Don Shula brought the crowd of 73,609 to its feet. Csonka was honored, and most of the other members of that 17-0 squad gathered around the dais, their receding hairlines and exceeding waistlines a stark reminder of how long their record has stood.

A brief but heavy rainstorm rolled through in the first half, and probably played a part in Miami’s three fumbles, two of which were lost. The downpour also had thousands of fans reaching for their raincoats. The skies cleared in the second half, though, and the monsoon of a running back took over.

With 9:28 to play in the third quarter, Williams broke around the right side, found a crease, and ran untouched 63 yards into the end zone. He’s known as more of a bruiser than a burner, but he has shown impressive bursts of speed this season. His 216 yards are the most ever against the Bears.

“We’ve just got to get our guys covered up, then we watch him do his thing,” guard Jamie Nails said.

Williams was beaming afterward, leading a reporter to ask if he’s having more fun this season than any other.

“It’s hard to call it fun,” he said. “It’s more rewarding when you work as hard as I did in the off-season and get these results.”

Bears’ starting quarterback Jim Miller was carted off the field with a knee injury late in the third quarter and replaced by Chris Chandler. It was a miserable night for Chandler, too, who completed seven-of-17 passes with two interceptions in about one quarter’s work. He was replaced by Henry Burris, who accounted for Chicago’s only touchdown with a six-yard pass to Marty Booker in garbage time.

“I don’t know what the diagnosis is for our problems,” center Olin Kreutz said.