Its not the Hype, its the Hope

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Williams' influence starts with 2

    TAMPA - It wasn't the image. It was the imagination.

By GARY SHELTON, Times Sports Columnist

Published August 21, 2005

The rumble began as he took the handoff, finally. The sound grew as Carnell Williams cut between hope and possibility, and it became louder as he took his first two steps toward tomorrow.

Gain of 2, and Williams was on the stat sheet.

Gain of 2, and the dreaming began.

Not a lot, as far as opening carries. Not a lot, as far as lasting memories. Still, as the noise poured over Williams and his first carry, perhaps it is easier to understand the noise of Aug. 12, when he didn't carry at all.

This, then, was what all the fuss was about. In his first preseason carry as a Buc, Williams showed enough to tease. He had a 5-yard run around left end. He had a 9-yarder that was called back for holding. He gained only 13 yards on five carries, but he flashed a little leg and he showed a little promise.

It isn't the kid. It's the concept.

This is what you have to understand about Williams. It's the idea of him that is so appealing right now. It's the knowledge of what he can be, and what he can allow others to be, that has so many people watching him so intently.

Tampa Bay wants to fall in love with Williams. Fans want him to be the back this franchise has waited for its entire existence. They want him to move the chains, change the game and to stop the fall. They want a little Sweetness, a little Juice, a little Ghost. Just that.

"You ain't the Lone Ranger," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said about the eagerness to see Williams. "People have no idea how much I want to line up and hand the ball to this guy 35 times in a row. "Run it again, Carnell.' I'm more excited than anybody."

It isn't the player, it's the promise.

If anyone should understand the hunger around here for a great running back, it's Gruden. The frustrations over his running attack have left his teeth short from grinding.

For four straight years, the Bucs have been lousy at running the ball. They were 29th last season, and they've been 24th or lower for four straight years. In 23 of their 29 seasons, they've ranked in the bottom half of the league.

With his speed, with his vision, with his nickname, Cadillac Williams is supposed to help cure all that. Yes, it is a lot to ask but, yes, it has been a long time to wait.

The Bucs could use great. The franchise has had a few very good backs - James Wilder, Ricky Bell, Warrick Dunn, Mike Alstott. But they haven't had a great one.

Great backs are the ones who make everyone smarter. They make the defense meaner and the quarterback sharper and the playbook bigger. They turn third downs into first downs, nickel backs into linebackers and an even field into a downhill slope.

"A great back can be the equalizer in a lot of games," Gruden said. "Wet weather. Cold weather. You're backed up in your own end zone. Goal line. Short yardage. You've got a lead and you're trying to run the clock. You need a guy who can make two guys miss and run another guy over. That's the guy we're looking for."

Is it Williams? We'll see.

Look at Williams through the eyes of Brian Griese. If Williams turns out to be special, Griese's job just got a lot easier.

With a great running back behind him, a quarterback has more time to throw. He can play-action more frequently. He can bootleg. He can take chances more often.

If nothing else, Griese will tell you this about his time in Denver: The years with Terrell Davis were easier than the years without him.

Look at Williams through the eyes of the offensive line. Who knows? Perhaps, it will be a rear view.

With a great running back, a lineman doesn't need to open a door, he needs to crack a window. He gets a chance to knock a few of these sleek, pass-rushing guys on their heels. There is a feeling of power, of control a line gets when it is running the ball.

For the Bucs, this is no small thing. Their young offensive linemen have shown some pop in the first two preseason games, but they could use some help.

Look at Williams through the eyes of a receiver. Suddenly, there is a little more room in the secondary.

Safeties don't play as deep. Linebackers don't drop as fast. And it's a lot easier to get open on third and 3 than third and 13.

Look at Williams through the eyes of the defense. Maybe the defenders will look on from the sideline.

With a great running back, the defense gets more rest. Because running takes more time than throwing, the defense is fresher in the fourth quarter. Because running teams are able to dictate field position, it means the end zone is farther behind a defense.

How many times have you heard this defense talk about the importance of stopping opposing running backs? Wouldn't it be good for opposing defenses to think the same?

That's what the Bucs need out of Williams. That's why all the alerts went up when Williams didn't play, and why all the cheers went up when he did. That's why the franchise has fingers crossed.

It wasn't the hype, it was the hope.