By Matt Thompson
CINCINNATI -- Two backs, both drafted
to restore credibility to
franchises on the wane in cities with uncertain futures.
Both from Big Ten schools. One
a Heisman Trophy winner, the other a
Heisman runner-up. One went first overall, the other with the 14th
pick of the
first round. Both were said to be tough. Both were said to have what
it takes
to become stars -- not just contributing players but stars --
in the NFL.
On Sunday night, one of those
players carried the ball 26 times for 152
yards, caught three passes for 22 more and scored a touchdown. He's
a featured
back who played a big role in his team's 30-27 overtime victory.
The other had his number called
but twice, managing a mere three yards,
and the crowd cheered when he was taken out of the game. He's a backup
who had
nothing to do with his team's fortune.
It's a fickle world in the NFL,
as both Eddie George and Ki-Jana Carter
can attest.
And it became readily apparent
Sunday night that these two promising
backs are headed in completely opposite directions.
George, of course, was drafted
out of Ohio State with big expectations
-- not always a positive in a league that eats Heisman Trophy winners
raw. Yet
the 23-year-old Houston Oilers rookie is off to an exceptionally fast
start in
his first year, coming into the game with 314 yards on 66 carries,
an average
of nearly 5 yards a carry.
Against the Cincinnati Bengals,
he made the most of a simple draw play,
running it over and over and hammering the Cincinnati defense -- one
of the
tops in the league at stopping the run -- up the middle all day. His
45-yard
touchdown in the third quarter didn't make or break the Oilers as far
as the
final score goes, but it did jump-start a Houston offense that was
fairly
mortibund as the first half wore down.
It also hinted at the promise
of the future, even if that future may be
in Nashville or Memphis instead of Houston.
Hearst the man now
Meanwhile, the tailback controversy
in Cincinnati died a quiet death
Sunday. Garrison Hearst, acquired on waivers during the preseason and
making
his first start as a Bengal, ran for 90 yards on 15 carries _ perhaps
not
stellar numbers, but in a town that's dying for a consistent, 100-yard
rusher,
he's a breath of fresh air.
In contrast to the pollution Bengal
fans rained down on Carter when it
quickly became clear he was off to another of his futile nights. When
he
finally got into the game after watching Hearst shine the first several
series.
In four games, Carter had played
his way onto the bench by managing all
of 103 yards on 45 rushes -- a little more than 2 yards a carry. He
had one
touchdown -- a 31-yarder against the punchless New Orleans Saints three
weeks
ago -- and leads the team in falling down untouched.
Carter was upset with his demotion,
but games like Sunday's are no way
to get himself back in good graces.
``Sometimes you wonder why they picked
me No. 1,'' a dejected Carter
told media last week. ``But there's nothing I can do about it.''
Well, perform ... but maybe
that's a cheap shot.
After all, it's not entirely
Carter's fault. Bad luck came into play
when the Penn State product, the top pick of the 1995 draft, blew out
his knee
during a preseason game and lost his entire rookie year. Now, there
are
questions about his confidence, his toughness, his attitude and his
determination. No one's exactly sure why, but he's been unable
to reproduce
the explosive game he demonstrated in college. You could blame the
line, but
remember, that's the same line that Hearst runs behind.
Who knows what can happen a few
years from now. Maybe trouble for
George. Maybe a glorious career for Carter. Hearst's future in Cincinnati
is
anything but secured, and maybe a season or two out of the spotlight
might do
Carter some good. Or at least take some of the pressure off. Indeed,
his future
may be bright.
But for now, it certainly doesn't
look that way.
So Carter takes his place on the
bench, and George takes his place as
the Oilers' back of the future.
Two backs. Two dreams. Two fates.
And for Carter, that's too bad.
Above published: 10/07/96
By Matt Thompson
Above published: 10/28/96
By Matt Thompson
Above published: 09/30/96
By Matt Thompson
CINCINNATI -- Ki-Jana Carter broke through
the vast expanse of green
field and didn't even come close to stopping.
A grin plastered across his face
that made him look like a man who had
just passed the world's biggest kidney stone, Carter broke free of
those
around him and began a wide, rapid tour of the sideline, shouting at
the crowd
and waving his arms like a big, orange-and-black bird.
Ki-Jana Carter had scored a touchdown.
And as celebrations go, his ranked
second to no one's _ except perhaps
Jets rookie Keyshawn Johnson last week _ as he lapped the field,
still
cheering and gesturing at the crowd.
He shouted. He howled. He gave
the football to his mother, seated up in
the stands.
Ki-Jana Carter had scored his
first NFL touchdown.
And, truth told, it was
a pretty significant score, even within the
context of the game. His 31-yard jaunt made it 17-6 over New Orleans,
giving
Cincinnati a nice healthy boost of momentum heading into the dressing
room.
But it was what it signified
to the second-year player _ criticized in
the press and challenged by the presence of more-experienced backup
Garrison
Hearst _ that had him really pumped up.
``It seemed like it took forever
to get there,'' said Carter, still
smiling after the Bengals finished off the 30-15 victory. ``I think
sooner or
later I was going to get in, but for our offense in general, I think
it was a
big confidence booster.''
A touchdown. A total of 63 yards
on 19 attempts. A live postgame
interview on Fox. The press surrounding him and not asking him embarassing
questions for a change.
Ki-Jana Carter has finally arrived,
right?
Not even close.
While it's true Carter did look
a little better on Sunday than he did
the first two weeks of the season (turning in rushing totals of 14
and 13
yards a game), his struggles are far from over.
An example: After calling for
the ball most of the past two weeks,
Carter got it on the very first play of the game. He was supposed to
run
around the right end. What he did was get it and stare right into the
face of
linebacker Mark Fields. Carter sort of stutter-stepped, looked around
helplessly, then was dragged down for a six-yard loss.
``That was more their play call,''
he said. ``They were ready for me.''
That may be true, but Carter still
at times seems unsure of what to do,
trying to think and plan when the ungodly speed of the NFL defenses
seems to
warrant a faster action.
As key as his touchdown may have
been _ and keep in mind the hole he
ran through was so immense, a bike courier on a Schwinn could've zipped
through without getting tipped _ he also almost single-handedly
short-circuited several promising drives in the second half.
In the third quarter, Carter was
only marginally effective as the
Bengals had to settle for a Doug Pelfrey field goal after a Rod Jones
interception.
After Bracey Walker picked off
another Jim Everett pass on the next
series, Carter was pulled down for a loss on the first carry of the
drive,
putting the Bengals in a hole they couldn't get out of, and Cincinnati
was
held to another field goal.
The Bengals got the ball back
courtesy of an Everett fumble on his own
26-yard line, but yet again, Carter wasn't much help. Jeff Blake to
Carl
Pickens got Cincinnati to the 12, but a loss of two by Carter, followed
by a
meager gain of two by Carter, forced yet another third-and-long.
This time,
following a penalty, Pelfrey's kick was no good.
Each an instance the game could
have been put away, but the Saints
stayed alive, largely because Carter still has trouble getting back
to the
line of scrimmage, let alone past it.
Small wonder then that Bengal
Coach Dave Shula, under fire from the
press all week long, used Hearst (also fairly ineffective) and third-down
back
Eric Bieniemy most of the rest of the game.
And it's not like Carter has to
carry the load all by himself. The
Bengals have Blake, Pickens and Darnay Scott to break the big play.
They need
Carter to pick up four or five yards on first down so defenses have
to guess a
little.
Blake perhaps put it best.
``We're not asking Ki-Jana to
run 200 yards each game,'' he said. ``We
need him to give us a balanced rushing attack.''
To his credit, Carter knows he
still has a long way to go.
``I'm learning each week,'' he
said. ``In college, I could outrun the
defensive linemen, I could get outside them.
``Here ...'' he laughs, ``here, you
have to go north-south more, break
some tackles, then maybe try to get outside on them.''
So he knows this. But nonetheless,
he still gets periodic attacks of
happy feet, seemingly running in place for a few seconds trying to
decide if
that hole's gonna stay open long enough for him to punch through. On
the
bright side, he only slipped and fell once this week as opposed to
the two
pratfalls he pulled last week in San Diego.
``I just have to work hard and
not get down on myself,'' Carter said.
``I'm just happy I finally busted a long one.''
Now, if he could only bust a whole
buncha of those little ones, all in
a row.
Above published: 09/16/96