"Here is what Dolphins fans saw when they watched Ronnie Brown last week: He pounded the ball 20 times for 115 yards, including 60 yards while orchestrating the Wildcat and a 38-yard, highlight-reel run to set up a score. He also scored twice in the 38-10 victory over Buffalo.

And what did Brown see?

"I gave up a sack," he says, shaking his head. "That's unacceptable."

The sack might have been less about Brown and more about the athletic ability of defensive end Ryan Denney, who leaped as Brown went low for a block and stripped Chad Henne of the ball.

If you watch the film, you can see Brown punching the air in disgust.

You might say that blocking Denney on that play was impossible for a running back.

"It's possible," Brown interrupts, convinced.

Brown sees the unlikely as possible, even probable, this season. In his fifth year as a pro, Brown is healthier and stronger than ever. The result is an offense that orbits around Brown, who entered Week 5 as the NFL's third-leading rusher. With 369 yards, he trailed only Tennessee's Chris Johnson (434) and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson (412).

It's rare for Brown to be mentioned in the same breath as an elite back such as Peterson. But Brown isn't lowering his expectations to suit anyone who stereotypes him as a workhorse.

"I want to be the best running back in the NFL," he says. "My expectations exceed everybody else's. There's no reason to be average, to want to just make it. I want to be the guy to make a play."

Versatility is wild card in offense

With an offense devoid of stars at quarterback and wide receiver, the Dolphins believe Brown is their playmaker. And not simply by taking a handoff.

A year ago, when the Dolphins were coming off an 0-2 start, quarterbacks coach David Lee asked Brown and running backs Ricky Williams and Patrick Cobbs if any of them wanted to run a special formation as the quarterback, a set that might call for an occasional pass. Brown, who had never played quarterback, was the only volunteer."