Rounding into form

Michael Pittman, brought in by coach Jon Gruden to fill the hole left by Warrick Dunn, has shown only flashes of his talent after missing most of training camp.

By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 26, 2002

[Times photo: James Borchuck] Running back Michael Pittman gains 14 yards to set up the Bucs' first touchdown during Monday's victory against the Rams.

TAMPA -- It seems odd to look at Michael Pittman's bodybuilder physique and hear he still is working into shape.

But two weeks ago, still gassed from missing most of training camp with a sprained ankle, Pittman succumbed to dehydration and was carted off the field with leg cramps.

The humidity is new for Pittman, who played his first four seasons in Arizona. Humility is not.

"I was sure my teammates were going to accept me because I'm not a real cocky guy at all," Pittman said.

"I'm humble, very humble. And I just come to work and do my job. Everybody saw that. Everybody welcomed me here with open arms."

Unfortunately for Pittman, defenders have greeted him the same way.

After three games with Pittman getting the bulk of the carries, the Bucs rank 29th in the NFL in rushing at 69.7 yards per game.

There are several reasons why Tampa Bay hasn't run the ball well. Injuries have hit the offensive line. The Bucs fell behind against New Orleans and abandoned the run. And Pittman was limited to 11 carries in Monday night's victory against the Rams.

But when you are paid millions as a free-agent running back like Pittman, there are no excuses, running backs coach Kirby Wilson said.

"I told him, 'Sometimes, you've got to make things happen yourself, individually,"' Wilson said. "And when you get those (blockers) jacked up, that will lead to something else. And that will get coach (Jon) Gruden excited about calling more runs. Don't wait on someone else.

"I think he knows where I'm coming from. It's not a personal attack on him. It's just that we need this. The whole team needs this."

Despite the slow start, Pittman leads the team in rushing (36 carries, 140 yards, 3.9 average) and receiving (17 catches, 117 yards, 6.9 average).

"I think he's been great for us," quarterback Brad Johnson said. "He sees the hole. He runs hard. He probably hasn't gotten enough carries for himself, and sometimes we do split it with him and Mike (Alstott). He probably hasn't gotten the numbers that he really likes.

"But that's really kind of a rhythm thing for a running back. You need to get up to 15 or 20 carries; especially that's really when you pound it with the lead."

Pittman has shown flashes of what Gruden needs to overcome the loss of tailback Warrick Dunn, who signed with Atlanta. His 14-yard run Monday, in which he bulled over Rams defenders, set up the Bucs' first touchdown.

"We were in the red zone, and I knew we had to score. So I just carried a couple of guys on my back," Pittman said. "I just run with a lot of determination, especially when I'm fired up. But that's my game. That's the way I love to play."

It's not unlike the running style of Alstott, who has been reduced to a short-yardage and goal-line back. Alstott's reduced role is reflected in his numbers, 22 carries for 44 yards. But he and Pittman quickly formed a friendship.

"What helped me and Mike bond so quickly was our attitudes. We're both unselfish," Pittman said. "It's not about me or him. It's about us as a team. We love to work out. We love to run over defenders.

"We're very similar in a lot of ways. We're very aggressive as running backs."

Gruden said he would like to increase Pittman's rushing load, and Sunday at Cincinnati might be a good opportunity to do so. The Bengals are 29th in rushing defense, yielding 153 yards per game.

"Monday night was the first wire-to-wire performance where we started feeling (Pittman)," Gruden said.

"I think we need to see him more as a ballcarrier. And hopefully, we can get some first downs and sustain some drives."

That sounds good to Pittman, who said he knows Gruden won't hesitate to make changes if a player does not produce up to expectations.

"With Gruden, he's the kind of coach, if you're not performing, he's not patient," Pittman said. "He's paying me a lot of money to perform. And if you don't, he's going to find somebody else to do it. You can see that after he let Marco (Battaglia). That's the way he is.

"That's fine. I'm open to that. I've got to prove it to them. I've got to prove it to myself. I've got to prove it to my coach."

If not, the heat Pittman starts feeling won't be due to the change in climate.

"He's flashed some. He's shown some of the things he's capable of doing," Wilson said. "We're still waiting on him to be in tip-top game condition. He's behind, honestly, missing as much as he did in the preseason. He's real close to it. The timing is almost there, and at that position, the more you see, the better you are. He's getting that. He's starting to get into that rhythm.

"He's going in the right direction. He's got to have some urgency, and he's got to get it done sooner than later."

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