Williams' play offers no joy in loss

MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. -- When asked if he took any pleasure in having 80 rushing yards, his career long run and only the second three-touchdown game of his career against his former team, Dolphins running back Ricky Williams already was shaking his head halfway through the question.

"Nope," Williams said.

Loquaciousness -- at least about football -- never will be a Williams trademark. His description of his 68-yard touchdown run, on which he got beautiful blocks from pulling guard Justin Smiley, fullback Lousaka Polite and wide receiver Greg Camarillo, could've come from Reader's Digest: "I saw a crease and I hit it."

He wouldn't question the Dolphins' play calling, which featured only eight runs for he and fellow running back Ronnie Brown in the second half after they had combined for 111 yards on 17 carries in the first half (for that matter, neither would Brown, who just theorized the Dolphins were adjusting to what the Saints were doing). In fact, Williams grew talkative only when addressing the frustration of the loss.

"It was ours," he said. "We fought, we fought and they just fought harder in the end. It's unfortunate. That's been our signature, that we fight for four quarters."

Later, he said, "It feels worse (because of the 24-3 lead). We talked about them being front-runners. When we got in front, we didn't handle it that well."

ALLEN MAY BE DONE: On what appeared to be a huge play for the Dolphins, a fumble-causing sack by outside linebacker Jason Taylor and recovery by defensive tackle Randy Starks in the third quarter, the Dolphins might've taken a big blow for the game and their season.

Cornerback Will Allen suffered a knee injury that appears will take him out for the season. Though veteran Nate Jones, who snatched a potential touchdown catch away from Marques Colston for an interception Sunday, plays the nickel back, 2009 first-round pick Vontae Davis is now the likely starter opposite 2009 second-round pick Sean Smith.

BLAME GAME: Afterward, speaking of a second-half collapse in which they give up a bushel of points, the Dolphins' defense could've been in the midst of a breakup. They gave the football version of "It's not you, it's me."

Nose guard Jason Ferguson looked disgusted with himself and the defense that gave up 115 yards rushing, 302 yards of total offense and 36 points in the second half.

"We go out in the first half, we follow the game plan to a T," Ferguson said. "Then we go out in the second half and we forget."

Linebacker Akin Ayodele said, "We just had to keep pressure on them whether it's four-man rushing or a blitz. If you can get to the quarterback, that's the key to the whole offense."

Yet in the second half, Saints quarterback Drew Brees got time, receivers got open downfield and the running game opened things up as a fresh Mike Bell began slashing through the Dolphins.

"It's all on us," Ferguson said. "It's not a coaching mistake. It's something we lost focus on. It's something you can't do in this league. Not against this team, they're too explosive."

Ayodele said in the running game, he thought they had some gap control issues.

"You really can't say it's a different back, (like) he took steroids and he came back," Ferguson said. "It's just the fact that the determination they picked up. They felt themselves back in the game."