HONOLULU -- Miami missed the playoffs, but that didn't prevent running back Ricky Williams and his fellow Dolphins from showcasing their talents on Sunday.

	“	It's always great to get in the end zone, but it's especially great to do it against the best players in the world with millions of people watching. ”
		— Ricky Williams

Williams, who led the NFL with 1,853 rushing yards, scored two touchdowns and earned player of the game honors as the AFC pounded the NFC 45-20 in the Pro Bowl. Williams, who easily outperformed current Saints running back Deuce McAllister, was playing in his first Pro Bowl.

"He had a great year all season, so it was good to see him do that," Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas said. "A lot of Dolphins played good today; that's why we gotta get this thing turned around."

Williams wasted little time making an impact on the game, rushing for 18 yards on the AFC's first offensive play. Three plays later, Williams scored from 3 yards out for a 7-0 lead.

"It's always great to get in the end zone, but it's especially great to do it against the best players in the world with millions of people watching," said the first-year Dolphin.

Williams, who finished with 56 yards on 11 carries and forced a fumble on kick coverage, was far from done.

Late in the second quarter, Williams eyed his second touchdown of the afternoon but was abruptly denied by Washington linebacker LaVar Arrington. Williams went airborne at the 2-yard line, but was forcefully knocked out of bounds by the hard-hitting Arrington. However, Williams found the outside on the next play and would not be denied of a second trip to the end zone by Washington cornerback Champ Bailey.

Williams' performance not only garnered praise by current teammates, but by former critics.

"He overcame a lot of obstacles," Saints wide receiver Joe Horn said of Williams. "There was a lot of talking going on back and forth, but I told him I always respected him.

"Ricky played with a chip on his shoulder, it showed during the season and it showed today."

Williams' first touchdown was set up by Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, who led the league with 18½ sacks this season. Taylor intercepted San Francisco's Jeff Garcia on the game's opening possession and then uncharacteristically began to dance and celebrate with his AFC teammates.

"That was the DBs. The DBs make you do it," said Taylor, who also pressured Brad Johnson into a fourth-quarter interception. "They're always dancing around."

Not to be forgotten was Thomas, who earlier described the 2002 campaign as his "most disappointing season." Thomas had an interception and fumble recovery in the first half. However, all he could do was dwell on the frustration of the Dolphins not playing up to expectations.

"Hopefully, they're going to make some changes in the offseason because we have some weak links," Thomas said.

James C. Black is the assistant NFL editor for ESPN.com.