How far the Bucs go will depend on Williams and Simms.(NFL)

After running for an unprecedented 434 yards in his first three NFL games, Bucs rookie Cadillac Williams rushed for only 82 in the next six games, two of which he missed with a foot injury. But when I studied those recent games on film last week, he didn't look like damaged goods. I figured that if the Bucs stuck with him, the magic would return.

Against Atlanta last Sunday, it did. Williams ran for 30 yards the first time he touched the ball and finished with 116 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

He looked terrific--a lot like LaDainian Tomlinson, in fact. When Williams finds his path blocked, he can jump-stop on two feet, make a lateral cut through the air to another hole, then burst through. Few runners besides L.T. can make that jump-stop move. Williams has great quickness and acceleration, and once he's through the hole he's very physical. He can run over defenders and carry them on his back. And he can catch passes.

The man throwing those passes, Chris Simms, isn't as dazzling as Cadillac, but he is emerging as a capable quarterback. He has led Tampa Bay from behind to win in the fourth quarter in each of the past two weeks, first against ...