Running Game At A Standstill Katherine Smith, The Tampa Tribune, published 7 November 2005 Along the way to their 4-0 start to the season, the Bucs featured one of the best running games in the league. Lately, the ground game hasn't been much to brag about. When asked where the running game had gone, offensive line coach Bill Muir replied: "It hasn't gone very far." Before back-to-back losses to San Francisco and Carolina, the Bucs averaged 139 rushing yards a game. In their past two games, they've had 43- and 44-yard efforts despite the return of Cadillac Williams from a foot injury. Coach Jon Gruden said part of the problem was the blocking. "We are trying draws and traps," Gruden said. "We're just not getting it done right now running the ball." Backup tailback Michael Pittman, limited at practice this week with a shoulder injury, managed only five carries for 14 yards. Fullback Mike Alstott, who had two receptions for 21 yards (both for first downs), did not carry the ball until midway through the fourth quarter when he rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. What was left of the Raymond James Stadium crowd at that point began chanting Alstott's name before he got his lone carry of the game, his first since the Oct. 9 game against the New York Jets. Following his best week of practice since injuring his left foot in the Sept. 18 game against Buffalo, Cadillac Williams was held to 29 yards on 11 carries. His longest run of the day was 7 yards. He also coughed up the ball for the first time in his short NFL career. Williams fumbled during the Bucs' opening drive when he ran into the side of right tackle Kenyatta Walker. Carolina's Mike Rucker recovered and four plays later, the Panthers scored a touchdown to take a 10-0 lead. In two games back since missing two with the injury, Williams is averaging 24.5 rushing yards after taking the league by storm by averaging 145 yards in his first three games. "Teams are better prepared," Williams said of the difference from earlier in the season. "They're walking an extra safety down and as an offense, we just aren't getting it done as a whole. [The backs] aren't making the right reads and people aren't staying on their blocks, different little things like that. We are in a slump right now."