By MIKE CRANSTON
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C.(AP) -- With Ronnie Brown lost for the season, the
Miami Dolphins turned to their aging running back.

Ricky Williams showed he's still got it.

The 32-year-old Williams rushed for 119 yards and scored three
touchdowns, and the Dolphins beat the Carolina Panthers 24-17 on
Thursday night for their fourth win in six games to get into the
AFC playoff picture.

A day after learning Brown is lost for the season to a foot
injury, the Dolphins (5-5) continued their surge after an 0-3
start behind Williams. The 2002 NFL rushing champion had a
receiving and rushing touchdown in the same game for the first
time in his career that included a couple of lost seasons.

"Coach always talks about finishing," Williams said. "Sometimes
in this league, in a physical game, it's difficult to finish. I
think in the past we've prided ourselves on finishing games and
we did a good job tonight."

DeAngelo Williams rushed for 122 yards for the Panthers (4-6),
but Jake Delhomme had his streak of three games without an
interception snapped. His desperation pass into the end zone was
knocked down as time expired.

"We just didn't tackle well," Carolina defensive tackle Damione
Lewis said. "Ricky is a hard running, big tailback, He broke
some tackles, and that's him."

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano hinted his team might abandon the
wildcat without Brown, who was placed on injured reserve
Wednesday. Miami didn't use the formation until the second
quarter. It coincided with the Dolphins' first touchdown drive -
Chad Henne's 14-yard touchdown pass to Williams, who wrestled
away from linebacker Na'il Diggs.

Miami took a 14-3 halftime lead when Williams took the direct
snap at the 1 and got to the end zone ahead of linebacker Jon
Beason.

The Panthers got within 17-14 on Steve Smith's leaping 27-yard
touchdown catch and DeAngelo Williams' 2-point conversion run
with 5:18 left. But Ricky Williams bounced to the outside and
shook off Sherrod Martin at the Carolina 5 on a 46-yard
touchdown run.

Williams also caught two passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.
Chad Henne overcame losing his center and the backup and
committed no turnovers.

"We struggled at bit during the game, but the defense kept it
close to give us an opportunity and give us time to get it
together," Williams said.

Still, the Dolphins had to hold off the Panthers. After
Williams' long run, the Panthers got a field goal. They then
forced a punt, and Delhomme found Gary Barnidge on passes of 29
and 17 yards. But from the Miami 26, Delhomme's lob into the end
zone was knocked down by Tyrone Culver.

"Guys are fighting their tail off," Delhomme said. "We are just
not getting it done. ... We are not winning the close ones."

Early on, Carolina's offense stalled because of its makeshift
offensive line and the return from exile of Dolphins linebacker
Joey Porter.

Benched from Sunday's win over Tampa Bay, Porter served as a
captain for the coin toss, then sacked Delhomme on third down on
Carolina's opening drive, leading to John Kasay's 29-yard field
goal.

The Panthers mixed in some of the no-huddle offense on the drive
after its effective debut Sunday against Atlanta. They used it
sparingly after that, and the offense got bogged down without
Pro Bowl left tackle Jordan Gross.

Porter had two of Miami's three first-half sacks, beating Gross'
replacement Travelle Wharton.

The Dolphins had their own offensive line troubles. Center Jake
Grove left in the third quarter with an ankle injury and was
replaced by Joe Berger. Nate Garner moved to center when Berger
went down early in the fourth. Henne bobbled Garner's second
snap, but recovered.

Berger returned on the next series and was injured again. Henne
completed 17 of 29 passes for 172 yards.

DeAngelo Williams' 50-yard run early in the third seemed to give
Carolina life. But the drive ended when Nathan Jones picked off
Delhomme's pass intended for Smith at the Miami 4.

Smith caught seven passes for 87 yards despite getting into a
minor car accident on the way to the game.

Delhomme, who had thrown 13 interceptions in his first six
games, had gone turnover-free this month. But he was just 19 of
42 for 247 yards, and Carolina fell to 0-4 against the Dolphins.
It was a crushing loss for the Panthers, who also began eyeing
the playoffs after starting 0-3.

"There's still a lot of football left and we're still no way in
any stretch out of it," Panthers coach John Fox said.

The loss to Fox's old offensive coordinator leaves them in tough
shape. Dan Henning, fired by Carolina after the 2006 season,
found a way to score just enough without Brown.

Williams, the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner, continued his
resurgence after a career that included a brief retirement and a
drug-related suspension. The time off might be helping him now
when many running backs decline after they turn 30.

NOTES: Panthers LB Landon Johnson, filling in for the injured
Thomas Davis, left with a knee injury. ... Panthers DE Julius
Peppers again played mostly on passing downs only because of a
right hand injury. ... Dolphins backup RB Lex Hilliard, who came
in without an NFL carry, ran four times for 24 yards. ... The
Dolphins and Texans (0-2) are the only teams the Panthers have
never beaten.