DeAngelo Williams Establishing Himself As an Elite Back in the NFL

But Williams has performed well against bad defensive teams, no matter what five guys make up the offensive line. Against the Chargers, Chiefs, Cardinals, Raiders, and Lions Williams has combined for 577 yards and six touchdowns on 88 carries.

The fact that he has run well on bad teams but not on good teams means one thing.  He's a very good back who will absolutely torch inferior run defenses; and even turn in respectable performances against better rush defenses, but against the best rush defenses he needs a little help from the offensive line.

The fact that makes me say this is that he rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown against Arizona, a team that had the 10th-best rush defense coming into the teams' Week Eight matchup. It's not easy to surpass 100 yards rushing against a top-tier rush defense. 

Furthermore, in recent weeks, Williams has shown noticeable improvement in his elusiveness and ability to sneak in between bodies for extra yards. You could make the argument that the Lions and Raiders' crapshoot run defenses just made him look good. 

But Williams was squirming his way out from piles of four and five would-be tacklers. You'd think that between the four or fivesome would just be able to smother him. But they couldn't.

But his most eye-popping new attribute is being able to drag multiple defenders with him for several extra yards.  That's precisely what he did against the Lions on the touchdown that clinched the game for the Panthers late in the fourth quarter. 

Carolina was on the Detroit four-yard line after Charles Godfrey picked Lions QB Daunte Culpepper off and returned it to the four. Williams received the hand-off, got swarmed by a crowd of Lions defenders just as he passed the line of scrimmage, and dragged the pile with him as he fought toward the end zone and finally collapsed into it. 

That's the kind of thing Williams couldn't do before and will add a totally new dynamic to his game.

Williams is a small running back (Williams is 5'9" and 217 pounds) who uses his size—or lack thereof— to be elusive and hard to spot but can also muscle his way for extra yards to convert a first down or get into the end zone is an invaluable asset and incredible luxury in today's NFL.

Just ask the Vikings about Adrian Peterson. Doesn't Williams' game sound breathtakingly similar to that of the NFL's leading rusher?

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