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Friday, January 03, 2003

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

BEREA, Ohio -- Ryan Tucker knows all about special running backs. He was the right tackle in an offensive line that blocked for Marshall Faulk when the St. Louis Rams won the Super Bowl in 1999.

Two months ago, on the day the Cleveland Browns decided to turn their offense over to running back William Green, Tucker saw something special in their No. 1 draft choice. And it came on one play in the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals.

As Green was running toward the sideline, he stiff-armed Bengals cornerback Kevin Kaesviharn and put him on his back.

"Sweet, man," Tucker said, recalling the moment. "It just de-cleated the guy."

Green ran for 96 yards on 25 carries against the Bengals, beginning a seven-game stretch in which he averaged more than 100 yards per outing and helped to lead the Browns to their surprising playoff appearance against the Steelers at Heinz Field.

Yesterday, though, the Browns were still talking about that play against the Bengals, testament to the impact Green has had on Cleveland's offense.

"That was the first glimpse you saw of him," said Tucker, the Browns' right tackle. "You see something like that, and, during the season we would see glimpses of it, we were like, 'This kid has it.' And, every week, he's doing more special things. He's a big, strong kid. I don't think people realize that."

Green is a major part of the turnaround in Cleveland.

In two years, Coach Butch Davis has transformed the Browns from a start-up franchise that won five games in two seasons under Chris Palmer into a 9-7 team that beat out Miami, New England and Denver for the final wild-card playoff spot in the American Football Conference.

And Green, after rushing for just 161 yards in the first nine games, finished the regular season with 887 yards rushing and three 100-yard games. The turnaround was punctuated with his performance in a 24-16 victory Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons that helped to clinch the playoff spot as he rushed for 178 yards on 26 carries and scored on runs of 21 and 64 yards.

"I knew it would turn around when I got my shot again," Green said. "I wasn't sure when that was going to happen. Unfortunately, we had a running back go down, and I got my shot. Thank God, I took it from there."

The Steelers might not even recognize Green.

When the teams met in September and later in November, Green was a rookie disappointment and a backup to Jamel White. He looked lost in the Browns' offense.

He carried seven times for 16 yards in the first game at Heinz Field, then four times for 10 yards in the rematch in Cleveland. But, after the 23-20 loss Nov. 3 to the Steelers, Davis used the open week to change the scope of the Browns' offense. Green entered the starting lineup against the Bengals, White came out, and the Browns' running game has been rolling ever since.

"We were going to make a commitment to the type of team I'd like us to be," Davis said. "Early in the year, we weren't able to do that. We were threatening to get into that mode of relying on the passing game so much, you reach a point of no return."

Since Green has been the starter, the Browns are 5-2 and have averaged 137.7 yards rushing. In their first nine games, they were 4-5 and averaged 72.3 yards.

Last time they played the Steelers, the Browns thought Green might have been a wasted draft pick. Last week, he was voted the team's Most Valuable Player.

"It's his strength and speed," Tucker said. "He's not stuttering in the backfield anymore. He sees that hole, man, and he explodes through it. Or, if he has that outside run, he'll set up a block and take it to the outside. He's really put it together, and we're real excited."

"The most rewarding part is being able to get to playoffs and help the team contribute," Green said. "For a long time, I felt like I wasn't a part of it because I wasn't playing like I wanted to play. There's no better feeling now than feeling like I'm part of the team."

The Steelers will be a good barometer for Green.

They lead the National Football League in rush defense, allowing an average of 85.9 yards per game. But, in their past six games, the Steelers have yielded just 71.8 yards per game, though Baltimore's Jamal Lewis had 86 yards on 14 carries last week.

"Right now, we're just trying to concentrate on the passing game," safety Lee Flowers said. "That's what has really been hurting us for the last couple weeks. If we stop the passing game, we should have a chance to win this game.

"We've played some good running backs this year and we've been pretty successful with those running backs, so he shouldn't be any different. I'm not saying he's not a good running back, but I don't think he's better than a Corey Dillon or a Fred Taylor. Their receivers and their offensive coordinator [Bruce Arians] are what made that team right now."

Not anymore, though.

In a short time, Green has become the focal point of the Browns' offense.

"I always knew I had it," Green said. "It was just a matter of adjusting and applying it to the field. It was a matter of gaining that confidence