Donald Penn Points A Finger At LeGarrette Blount
December 10th, 2011
Joe can only imagine the frustration in the Bucs locker room.
At 4-4, Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik were talking publically about making a second half run like they did in 2010. And players were excuding great confidence and seemingly believed they were better than their record. But now the wheels have come off the 4-8 Bucs. And Joe has to wonder whether the team will stay together and revive itself, or fall apart completely and play selfish ball.
So with that in mind, Joe brings you the following exchange from The Donald Penn Show on Tuesday on WDAE-AM 620. Penn was asked about the failures of the running game against Carolina by co-host Dave Moore. It seemed to Joe that Penn, uncharacteristically, heaped a lot of blame on LeGarrette Blount.
Here’s the unedited exchange:
Dave Moore: So what was the deal with the run game? It looked like at times it was going to get going, but just didn’t, especially initially. Now Blount looked, from a spectator standpoint, that he wasn’t necessarily running with the same intensity; he was having a single guy take him down rather than five. But at the same time what was it in particular that stopped the run? Just not guys staying on guys?
Donald Penn: You know, LeGarrette Blount, he looked at the film and he’s going to self-evaluate himself hard. And, you know, I think he kind of feels the same way. You know, he could have played a lot better than he did. We both think that, too.
You know, that wasn’t the LeGarrette Blount that we’re used to seeing. And, you know, we gotta be ready to come out all the time and be on top of things and be ready to play and hold everbody accountable. And you know, I think he’s learning, he’s seeing that, and you know you gotta be ready to come play every Sunday. Because if you’re not, the other team’s going to be ready or the other guy’s going to be able to come in and do what they need to do.
So, you know, as an offensive line, though, we’re still calling the same plays we were calling before. Some of the holes might have been smaller. Some of the holes might have been not as big as before, but like you said, you gotta get there and try to get the most that you can.
And you know, LeGarrette Blount being such a good running back and being so big, like you said, one guy shouldn’t be able to bring him down. You know it did happen a couple of times but a couple times, you know, he did still break through and he had a couple of, you know, flashes there, but we gotta definitely be more consistent. We weren’t consistent [against Carolina]. Like I always said, when we’re running the ball well we’re a tough team to beat.
Joe’s readers can surely read between the lines themselves and reach their own conclusion. But for Joe, this felt like a public finger-pointing, a bad sign for the locker room.
December 10th, 2011 at 12:30 pm
You know, this team is falling apart. You know.
December 10th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
It’s the same reason the Bucs haven’t scored a touchdown in how many quarters? It’s a complete lack of urgency and motivation that starts from the top. The one thing Gruden always brought was intensity and his teams would always come out fired up. I see no fire!!!!!
December 10th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Yea Bones…when I read between the lines, all I saw was “you know”…
December 10th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
just dont mess with his car.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Good! Piss Blount off! Something tells me he plays well when angry.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
I agree with Penn and not the “give the ball to the Great Blount every play” contingent. Blount is a flawed back even the org agrees. He has below average pass blocking, hands and short yardage. He is good at making highlight reel runs when he reaches the safety level untouched – that may happen once a game. When he doesnt you see why he went undrafted.
Dont be surprised if the Yucks are open to going RB early in April. I would NOT give Blount a large guaranteed long term contract – ever.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
Blount is 6th in the league in yards after contact per attempt, 8th in the league in rushing forced missed tackles 8th(27) in the league in reception forced missed tackles(6) all while being 23rd in the league with rushing attempts(149) and 49th in the league in passing targets(17). He has only dropped 1 pass as well.
Doesn’t sound like his effort or play is what should be in question.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Thomas, that is a reach even for you…Check TPCA above for the reasons.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Blount is probably frustrated by the fact that they have the nerve to put Lumkin in the game on 3rd down. I agree he’s not the Bush type of third down back that this team really needs, but he is 100 times better than Lumpkin in ANY situation.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Linemen and Running Backs always blame each other for low production.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:48 pm
The more Blount plays the more expensive he will be to resign.
If I was him I would not resign here if Olson is OC.
December 10th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
You Know!!!!
December 10th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
fire them cannons at each other? wow mutiny @ 1 buc walk the plank with a rusty shank sounds like Leroy and Bubba in the reckroom fighting over tv rights.
December 10th, 2011 at 3:34 pm
I think every Bucs team from 1996-2008 would beat this team we currently have. Even during the bad seasons, our defense was still good.
December 10th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
I am not saying Blount is not a good back or our best back – he is. However, you fans get easily fooled by ESPN highlights and jumping d backs etc – those runs are great to watch but happen once every 30 or so carries.
More frequently, you have to navigate traffic, keep your feet moving and eyes right and instinctively pick and hit the correct hole decisively ( Emmitt, LT, even Warrick Dunn) were all great at this – Blount isn’t he slows his feet in traffic, has trouble decisively hitting a hole in traffic, and hesitates way too much.
The reaon he doesnt have more drops and missed blocks is because the team limits his opportunities bc they know he is bad in these areas – that is what Imeant by the org agrees. The team (rah rah) believes that Lumpy is better on 3rd down as a blocker, catcher, screen and draw runner than Blount.
I am not sure I agree but it is undeniable that Blount struggles in these areas.
Blount is also a major risk to do something stupid off the field – I would not invest big guaranteed $ on him. FA running backs are always available like Matt Forte in March. Good teams have 2 good backs ie PIerre and Ingram in NO.
December 10th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
@Thomas 2.2
Um……Blount is averaging 4.4 yards per carry. You call that short yardage??
He’s rushed for 663 yards and 4 TD’s. He’d have pro bowl stats if he had a competent OC that would give him more carries. Even when he does get the carries, Olsen fails to give him the ball in important situations during the game.
And I don’t want to hear the lame @$$ excuses from you or anyone about Blount. He’s clearly our best player on the team.
Who’s our other RB? Kregg Lumpkin!! Blount is better in every aspect of the game than he is. So that’s what matters! Either Blount or Pumpkin.
“When he doesnt you see why he went undrafted.”
Blount went undrafted because of the punching incident. Otherwise, he would’ve been a 1st or 2nd round draft pick. He was a great player in college.
December 10th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Why doesn’t Joe do some more research and ask why Blount missed pregame warm-ups against Carolina? Did you see him on the field?
December 10th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
In my opinion, it only sounds like Penn is pointing the finger at Blount for last week’s game. He keeps alluding to the Carolina game. He isn’t blaming him for the entire season.
Looking back at the Carolina game (and only the Carolina game), I think Penn is right. Blount, for whatever reason, looked like he didn’t care for much of the game. I remember thinking this the 1st Buc series of the game. Its sad because it could’ve been a monster game for him. Carolina is a bad rush defense and Freeman was out of the game. This was his game to show that he could carry the team, but (it seems) he took a week off.
Now I can’t really blame Olsen for not trusting Blount based on last week’s performance if he didn’t put a huge effort in the game. The game was his to carry and lead, but he loafed. How could Olsen trust him in situations such as 3rd and medium/long if Blount may choose to believe its a wasted effort?
Of course, this is speculation on my part. Blount could’ve put his 110% effort into it.. but I agree with Penn’s comments and I think it was good of him to call out Blount in such a way. It shows leadership in the way he called him out in a positive manner. Now lets see if it motivates Blount for Jax.
December 10th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
@Patrick
Lumpkin is better at pass protection than Blount. There’s no question about that. You all want to see Blount in there so bad on 3rd downs, but what happens when he misses his blocking assignment and Freeman gets clobbered? I think the earlier posted meant that Blount is not good in short yardage situations. Saying “4.4 yard per carry! OMG!” doesn’t really tell you much about situational football i.e. 3 & 1, 4 & 1, etc.
I would also agree with Thomas that the Bucs will be going after a RB early in the draft next year. Maybe not 1st or 2nd round, but 3rd or 4th for sure.
December 10th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
When its 3’rd and 2 on the opponent’s 40 yd line, run the damn ball. run Blount, and if you only get a yard, run it again. This team is good enough to get 2 yds on 2 plays. As it stands now, all they do is pass on 3’rd and short, and it never ever works. Why? because the defense knows what you are going to do. Once or twice per game they get loco and run the Benn’d around, Olie’s favorite play.
December 10th, 2011 at 9:59 pm
Like I’ve been sayin……
December 10th, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Players with baggage still get drafted if they are good enough; like Dez Bryant for example. How about Jerramy Stevens a rapist, allegedly? Those guys had more red flags than Blount but got drafted.
Blount is capable of amazing runs, he is also capable of games like Carolina. Yes he is a better ball carrier than Lumpy.
December 10th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
Stephen Miracle , you are correct, sir!! I posted this in Usenet during the game, in the first half:
”Blount doesn’t seem to want to get hit today.Tip-toeing, tap-dancing.”
Trent Richardson, anyone??
December 11th, 2011 at 7:43 am
Why did Blount miss pre-game warmups last Sunday?