MIAMI -- Ray Lewis needed three plays to assure others of what he already knew -- the shoulder injury that kept him out of the previous five games would not be a factor.

Lewis planted Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams on the third play of yesterday's 26-7 Ravens loss, tracking down Williams after a 2-yard swing pass out of the backfield and using the injured left shoulder to help bring him down.

The Dolphins needed 5 yards for a first down, and Lewis was the only player in Williams' way.

"If anybody had any questions about whether it was going to hold out during the game, that [play] probably did," Lewis said. "I knew I was ready from when I went out and warmed up earlier and saw how it really felt."

On Saturday night, Lewis made the decision to return for his first action since the Ravens won at Cleveland on Oct. 6.

He ended up playing nearly every defensive snap and showed no favor to the injury, which, early last week, looked as if it could end Lewis' season early.

"During the game, I didn't feel it at all," Lewis said. "Probably when my pain medicine that I don't like wears off, I might not agree with the call. But right now, I'm feeling great.

"There were certain times in the game where guys grabbed it and tried to do what they wanted to do with it. I don't have full strength, but my theme was, 'I love this game.' "

Lewis led the Ravens with nine tackles and resumed his role as emotional leader of the defense.

Before the game, Lewis, as he usually does, fired his teammates up with his usual banter. "It was a spark, but Ray can only do so much," linebacker Peter Boulware said.

During the game, despite Lewis' presence, Williams rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Ray Lucas passed for 221 yards.

Lucas, in for injured Jay Fielder, and the Dolphins were on a three-game losing streak in which the sputtering offense took most of the blame.

"They came out and switched the game up on us," Lewis said. "They came out and threw the ball, misdirection plays and things like that. It really had our secondary going around and our linebackers not really visioning right.

"It was just too many mistakes. I've never really seen that many mistakes."

The Dolphins sustained scoring drives of eight, six and 11 plays in the first half. While there was speculation beforehand that the Ravens wanted to limit Lewis to about 35 snaps, that didn't happen.

"You knew it was going to be that way," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "He was feeling good. For a while there, it was three-and-out, so it wasn't extended. He wanted to get a feel for [the game], and he felt good. He played very, very well, and I'm glad he got through it."

Afterward, Lewis said he felt no fatigue during the game, even though his practice on Wednesday was his first real workout in five weeks. "I don't believe in getting tired; that's a mental thing."

So confident was Lewis after the game that he even mentioned playing on Sunday against Tennessee.

"I was going to have to have surgery [after the season], anyway," he said, "so why not?"