Bordow: Hightower awakens Cards’ dormant ground game

ST. LOUIS - So that’s what a running game looks like. It wears No. 34 on its back, has braids in its hair and can accelerate beyond the line of scrimmage. Welcome to the starting lineup, Tim Hightower. It looks like you’ll be sticking around for a while.

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Hightower had 109 yards and a touchdown in the Cardinals’ 34-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams, and afterwards the soft-spoken rookie was the one place he’d prefer not to be.

The center of attention.

Normally, coach Ken Whisenhunt and quarterback Kurt Warner are the only Cardinals to hold separate press conferences after the game. But Hightower took his turn behind the podium Sunday, and while he was crediting everyone else for his success, his teammates and coaches were throwing bouquets his way.

“Today, we were finally a complete offense,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley said.

How productive was Hightower?

His 109 yards were the most by a Cardinal running back this season.

His 30-yard touchdown run was the longest by an Arizona back since 2005, and the longest rushing score since a Jake Plummer 34-yard scramble in 2002.

He averaged almost 5 yards per carry and showed off a burst that Edgerrin James simply doesn’t have at this stage of his career.

“Tim did a great job,” Whisenhunt said. “It was nice to be able to run the football, which is something we said we needed to do. ... There were a couple of runs today where he made long runs. That’s something we’ve been lacking.”

Give Whisenhunt credit. It can’t be easy to bench a player who has been so prolific throughout his career and has a $30 million contract to boot. The move reinforces what Whisenhunt has been saying since the day he took the job: The best players will play, regardless of their résumé (James) or their draft status (Matt Leinart).

James deserves a pat on the back, as well. He had started 135 straight games since the Indianapolis Colts drafted him in 1999. He could have played the prima donna and sulked as he lost his job.

Instead, he and Hightower watched film together during the week, and when Hightower scored on his 30-yard run Sunday, James greeted him with a pat on the helmet and a wide smile.

Hightower was so appreciative that after receiving a game ball for his first 100-yard day, he immediately turned around and handed it to James.

“From Day One, he’s embraced me and taught me a lot,” Hightower said. “It helps when you have a veteran who’s been there, who’s had success, and he’s showing you everything. ... I think he’s a major reason for my success today.”

Hightower seems to be one of those players who’s faster than his 40-yard dash time suggests. He’s not LaDainian Tomlinson quick, but, unlike James, he can get to the outside and turn a 3-yard gain into a 30-yard touchdown.

“I think he’s got a good burst to him,” Warner said. “When he sees some green space, he can hit it.”

Hightower’s emergence makes the Cardinals’ offense even more dangerous. Arizona has had extraordinary success with the passing game, but one-dimensional attacks usually don’t fare well in cold weather or the playoffs.

Sunday, the Cardinals threw the ball 34 times and ran it 33 times. That balance will put a smile on a head coach’s face and worry lines on defensive coordinators.

“I think the great thing is teams have to decide what they want to take away,” Warner said. “We got no problem throwing the football but if you want to try to take that way and we can add a running game to that, we’re a tough team to stop.”

The best thing about Hightower, other than his talent? His humility.

There’s not an ounce of attitude in his body. He will do whatever the Cardinals ask him to do, without complaint.

“It feels a lot better when you rush for 100 yards and you win,” Hightower said.

The kid gets it, doesn’t he?