Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams finally has found someone who doesn’t care that he is 33. That someone coordinates the next defense Williams will be facing.
“I can only go by what goes on tape,” Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz told reporters on Thursday, after being asked whether Williams looks like a 33-year-old running back. “They don’t ask for a birth certificate before the game. They don’t give you nine yards [to gain a first down] if you are over 30. You’ve still got to get 10. He’s a patient runner, he’s compact and he’s strong. He can test every area of your run gaps.
“If we’re nosey or if we get out of our gaps, he’s a guy that can make you pay. A lot of that comes from his experience. So I think that’s served him well. He’s been in the league for a while. He understands the run game and it’s not just [about] where the ball is supposed to go. He can test every gap and we have to play sound defense.”
Williams has 68 touches in two games played only six days apart, and Le’Veon Bell returns in one week. Barring injury or another suspension for Bell, Sunday’s game at Philadelphia will be the last chance for Williams to be the workhorse, at least until he becomes a 34-year-old running back.