Rams insist they're not taking 0-6 Dolphins lightly

MIAMI -- At some point the Miami Dolphins became a joke.

Maybe it was in February, when Dan Marino quit after 22 days as an executive. Maybe it was in July, when Ricky Williams retired with hazy motives, or 10 weeks later when he said he wanted to return. Or maybe it was last week, when the Dolphins couldn't beat a winless opponent and fell to 0-6 to become the only NFL team without a victory.

A franchise that produced the lone perfect season and perennial playoff contenders under Don Shula is now fodder for comedians.

"'Friday Night Lights' is about a high school football team, and it's a terrific movie," Jay Leno said on "The Tonight Show." "If you really want to see some good high school football this weekend, check out the Miami Dolphins."

The Dolphins have heard the jokes.

"The only way to shut them up is to win," Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor said.

Miami will try again today at home against the St. Louis Rams, a team headed in the opposite direction. After a 1-2 start, the Rams have won three straight to take the lead in the NFC West.

But they're not laughing at the Dolphins -- at least not yet.

"We don't want to be the first team to lose to anybody," Rams receiver Shaun McDonald said. "We're going to go out there and play like we're playing the best team in the league."

The Dolphins rank first in the NFL in turnovers, but they're last in six categories -- including points with 55. They've given up as many touchdowns on interceptions as they've scored -- four.