Stripping off his socks while seated as his locker after practice Friday, Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown perked up a little, just for a moment, as he absorbed the statistic he had just been delivered.

``Really?'' Brown said in his typical, refreshingly innocent tone before immediately going back to what he was doing.

Yes, really, he and teammate Ricky Williams are among the top four running backs in Dolphins history. And on Sunday against the Saints, as long as Brown gains just 2 yards, he will move to No. 3 on the all-time list ahead of Mercury Morris.

Only Larry Csonka (6,761 yards) would have more yards than Williams (4,958) and Brown (3,876) -- a place in history entirely unfamiliar to Brown.

``That's something good, but it's not something I'm thinking about,'' Brown said. ``Obviously, I still feel like I've got a long way to go with a lot more to accomplish. So at the end of it, I'll look at it. But right now, I'm just trying to have fun.''

For Brown and Williams, who have two of the league's most selfless egos, you would expect nothing but belittlement when it comes to their impact on the organization's storied history. But this isn't something that should go unnoticed.

Considering the success of each player this season, it is without argument that Miami is witnessing the most impressive backfield since Csonka, Morris and Jim Kiick.

``I am very aware of what I have in my backfield; no question about it,'' coach Tony Sparano said. ``I have been in other situations where I thought I had a couple pretty good backs and now having these two backs with me I see really how special both of them are.''

Brown isn't the only player with an opportunity to further cement his place into Dolphins lore. Williams needs just 42 yards to become only the second running back to eclipse 5,000 yards while wearing aqua and orange.

Already, when including his first three seasons with the Saints, Williams has totaled 8,087 yards in the same number of seasons (eight) it took Csonka to total 6,761 yards. Brown and Williams both are in their fifth season with the Dolphins.

BORN TO RUN

But this isn't necessarily a comparison between the Dolphins' current backs and the backs of old. Instead, it is a testament to the type of running Miami should be capable of considering its weapons.

``The teams that we had, the undefeated season, the back-to-back Super Bowls, we had a ball-control offense,'' Hall of Fame coach Don Shula said. ``We had Csonka, Kiick and Mercury and Paul Warfield for play action. [Bob] Griese was a very cerebral quarterback and knew how to work the personnel that he had.''

As a result of those ingredients, Shula's teams during that era focused on controlling the time of possession, which would limit the number of opportunities opponents would have to put up points.

That's precisely how Miami will attempt to defeat the Saints Sunday -- by grinding out long, patient drives behind Brown and Williams. So in the moment, it's important, which is all this duo seems to care about.

``They like to see each other do well,'' fullback Lousaka Polite said. ``It's funny. They're competitive. But they're also each other's biggest fans. It's cool. It's the ultimate sportsmanship. I like to see it.''

It should be interesting to eventually see whether Brown will surpass Williams -- and possibly even Csonka -- by the time his tenure with Miami ends. That likely will depend on his contract situation.

Depending on whether the NFL's owners reach a new collective bargaining agreement with the Players Association, Brown could become a free agent after this season or, at the latest, next season.

CLIMBING THE LADDER

Should the team find a way to sign him to an extension, it could be exactly what it takes to give Brown a chance to creep into Csonka's territory. As for Williams' numbers, Brown is hoping he doesn't surpass the No. 2 all-time running back anytime soon.

``Maybe after he retires, I can play a few more years and get there,'' Brown said. ``But hopefully, his numbers keep growing and so do mine. Hopefully, we can keep stretching it out.''

As Brown and Williams continue to chase history, the Dolphins know their overall team success will depend on that production. So whereas Sparano appreciates what both players have accomplished, he also hopes they aren't done just yet.

``We are lucky to have them and they both have done a great job,'' Sparano said. ``As far as where they are and where they will be at the end of all this, we will see. I hope there is a lot more to be written.''

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