PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Williams Making Impression as Starter

It took 3 1/2 years for somebody to finally give Harvey Williams the football.

It took only two Sundays for Williams to prove he deserved it.

Nobody makes a career out of two impressive performances, but Williams has converted some doubters into believers by rushing for a total of 235 yards and two touchdowns and catching 12 passes for 81 yards in his first two games as the Raiders’ starting tailback.

With the season only half over, Williams, who never rushed for more than 103 yards in a single game as a part-time starter for the Chiefs, already has single-season career highs in carries (122) and yards (462) and has scored three rushing touchdowns, one more than he scored in his entire career in Kansas City.

“I don’t think anybody is surprised at what I’ve done,” Williams said. “I came here for a purpose.”

Coach Art Shell kept insisting all season that he wanted to get Williams the ball more. In the last two games, the tailback has gotten 27 and 29 carries, respectively.

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Safety Eddie Anderson, who sat out Sunday’s game against the Houston Oilers because of a groin pull, expects to be ready for this Sunday’s game in Kansas City. Patrick Bates, who played in place of Anderson on Sunday, had to come out in the fourth quarter because of a shoulder injury. At first, it was feared Bates had suffered a dislocation, but he says the shoulder popped back into place and he expects to be ready Sunday.