Miami’s a Team That Needs a Distraction

The Times’ ratings scale for this week’s NFL games:

**** Don’t miss a down.

*** Could be good.

** Who let the dogs out?

* Stupor Bowl.

Not even three months after Ricky Williams announced his retirement, the Miami running back is wavering.

Will he come back?

When will the NFL allow him to return, considering he faces a suspension for substance-abuse violations?

Do his Dolphin teammates want him back?

How many other teams might be interested in him?

The Dolphins should be thrilled with the controversy. Any attention on Williams draws attention away from the Miami players, which is good for them. Without Williams, the Dolphins have become an embarrassment. Miami is winless at 0-4, and hopeless on offense, having scored only 32 points.

It figures to get worse. The Dolphins will be in Foxboro, Mass., on Sunday to play New England, a team hoping to hoping to set an NFL record by winning its 19th consecutive game. The Patriots last lost on Sept. 28, 2003, to the Washington Redskins, 20-17.

It is inevitable that the Patriots will lose again. It is inevitable that the Dolphins will win again. Just not Sunday.

**Miami at New England, Sunday, 10 a.m. -- The Patriots haven’t exactly cruised in tying the record for consecutive victories. The average margin of victory was in double figures for each of the other five teams that won 18 straight. New England has won by an average of only 8.9 points.

***Oakland at Indianapolis, Sunday, 10 a.m. -- The silver and black has gone from black and blue to just plain blue. With quarterback Rich Gannon out because of a broken vertebra in his neck, Kerry Collins stepped in last week and committed five turnovers. The Colts’ kicker, Mike Vanderjagt, is questionable because of a strained right hamstring.

****Detroit at Atlanta, Sunday 10 a.m. -- Who’d have thought these teams would be a combined 6-1? The Falcons are shooting for their first 5-0 start. The Lions are giving up fewer than 100 yards rushing a game.

*Minnesota at Houston, Sunday, 10 a.m. -- Attention Dolphins: Looking for someplace to dump Williams if he is allowed back soon? Viking running back Onterrio Smith, who was filling in for injured Michael Bennett, will miss the next four games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. Sometimes, the best replacement is already on the roster. Texan third-string running back Jonathan Wells, filling in for injured Dominick Davis, rushed for 105 yards last Sunday.

****New York Giants at Dallas, Sunday, 10 a.m. --- The Cowboys have won 10 of their last 13 against the Giants in Texas Stadium. Dallas has the second-best passing game in the league. The Giants have the second-leading rusher in Tiki Barber.

**Cleveland at Pittsburgh, Sunday, 10 a.m. -- Steeler rookie Ben Roethlisberger is the first Pittsburgh quarterback to win his first two starts in nearly three decades, since Mike Kruczek won nine in a row while replacing an injured Terry Bradshaw in 1976. Cleveland’s Kenard Land leads the AFC with four sacks.

*Tampa Bay at New Orleans, Sunday, 10 a.m. -- There’s a new quarterback with a familiar name for the Buccaneers. Chris Simms, son of Phil, replaces Brad Johnson, who has lost 10 of his last 13 starts. Saint quarterback Aaron Brooks hasn’t had to worry about losing his job, just his composure. He got into a screaming match with teammate Charles Grant on the Saints’ charter flight home last week.

*Buffalo at New York Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. -- The most impressive number for the 3-0 Jets might be two, their league-low number of turnovers. The Bills’ Terrence McGee is leading the league in kickoff return yardage, but then, Buffalo has had a lot of practice returning kickoffs.

**Jacksonville at San Diego, Sunday, 1 p.m. -- Charger running back LaDainian Tomlinson has been slowed by a groin injury. If he doesn’t suit up, San Diego might as well forfeit. The Jaguars have scored in the last minute to notch all three of their victories. It shouldn’t come down to that this time.

****St. Louis at Seattle, Sunday, 1:15 p.m. -- The Rams have a balanced attack, with Marshall Faulk piling up 100-yard games on the ground and receiver Isaac Bruce doing the same through the air. That won’t be so easy this week against a Seahawk defense that has given up only 13 points.

*Arizona at San Francisco, Sunday, 1:15 p.m. -- Emmitt Smith apparently stepped out of a time capsule before putting on his Cardinal uniform last Sunday, when he rushed for 127 yards. The 49ers could use a time capsule of their own.

***Carolina at Denver, Sunday, 1:15 p.m. -- Carolina running back Stephen Davis gave the offensive line a pep talk this week. The most inspiring thing he could have told them was that he was ready to come back after knee surgery. More bad news for the Broncos: Running back Quentin Griffin has proved he’s no Clinton Portis, and he may not even be the Griffin he was a few weeks ago because of a sprained ankle.

**Baltimore at Washington, Sunday, 5:30 p.m. -- The speedway must be looking awfully good to Joe Gibbs, considering how awful his fumble-prone Redskins have looked. The Ravens aren’t so concerned about Jamal Lewis holding on to the ball. They are more concerned about holding on to Lewis, who faces a two-game suspension later this month.

****Tennessee at Green Bay, Monday, 6 p.m. -- “This team is not going to fall apart,” Coach Jeff Fisher said of the 1-3 Titans. That quote is being echoed in Green Bay, as the Packers are also 1-3. This game may be won by the quarterback who bounces back more effectively from injury. The Titans’ Steve McNair has had a bruised sternum, the Packers’ Brett Favre a concussion.