MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Williams' output lags compared to last year

Yards are tougher to come by for the Dolphins' running back.
MIAMI (AP) -- Teams stack the line of scrimmage with eight defenders. They blitz and stunt and disregard the threat of a pass. They hit Ricky Williams high and low and even grab his dreadlocks, as one tackler did this season.
That's been the strategy all year against the Miami Dolphins, and it's likely the Philadelphia Eagles will employ the same tactics tonight.
"They'll be ready to bring the kitchen sink, the car, the lawn mower, the garage, everything," Miami guard Jamie Nails said.
Postseason hopes
The Dolphins have struggled to counter the kitchen-sink approach, leaving their bid for the playoffs in jeopardy. Miami (8-5) is in danger of missing the postseason for the second year in a row and trails Denver (9-5) in the race for the AFC's final wild card berth.
The Eagles (10-3) have already clinched a playoff berth with eight consecutive victories, one shy of the franchise record set by the 1960 NFL champions.
Philadelphia's aggressive defense probably will try to contain Williams with a lot of blitzes. New England used that approach a week ago to shut out Miami and limit the reigning NFL rushing champion to 68 yards.
"I hope he stays shackled for this game," Eagles linebacker Ike Reese said. "We don't want him to break free for a 200-yard game like we know he's capable of doing."
The Eagles rank just 21st in the NFL in run defense, which probably means another heavy workload for Williams. He has a league-high 325 rushes this year and is on pace for 400, a milestone reached only three times in league history.
Does he have the strength left to carry Miami to the playoffs?
"He's a young guy," Nails said. "He runs like a horse. He trains like a horse. It's safe to assume he is a horse."
Production
Williams has topped 100 yards in three of the past four games and he's on pace for 1,441 yards. But that's well short of last year's total of 1,853.
The Eagles' top three rushers are averaging at least 4.5 yards a carry, while Williams' average has declined from 4.8 last season to 3.3. In other words, on average, three carries by Williams leaves Miami short of a first down.
"Everybody talked bad about him, saying he didn't get 100 yards in so many games," Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb said. "But he's not the one blocking. If you don't have too much blocking, you can't run."
The Dolphins' line is regarded as the primary reason their offense has sputtered. The ground game, which ranked second in the NFL last year, has slipped to 17th in 2003.
"I'm not frustrated," Williams said. "I've learned a lot about football and life this year with all of the ups and downs. It'll pay off at some point."
Heavy workload
But there's a question of whether Williams' NFL-high 708 carries over the past two seasons have taken a toll at a position notorious for burnout.
The breakaway knack he showed last year has vanished. Williams had runs of 63, 55, 53, 46 and 45 yards in 2002, plus a 52-yard reception. This season his long gain was a 35-yard touchdown catch in the season opener, and his longest run has been just 28 yards.
Maybe blocking is to blame.
"Last year Ricky was finding some holes and getting into the secondary and making moves on guys," quarterback Jay Fiedler said. "I guess there haven't been as many holes and as many chances for him to make the breakaway run."
The lack of a consistent passing game has hurt Williams, too. Fiedler missed four games with a sprained knee and aggravated the injury against New England, hampering his mobility.
That has made it easier for opponents to focus on Williams.
"People are stacking the line against him," Eagles linebacker Carlos Emmons said. "When you keep having injuries at quarterback, they'll stack the line and not respect the pass. He hasn't really changed the way he runs."