11 Carries, 12 Yards In The Second Half
December 1st, 2019
The Bucs had a dream scenario for their offensive line and maligned running game today in Jacksonville, a freakin’ 25-point halftime lead.
That’s what every offense wants, a chance to eat up the clock and move the chains on the ground, crushing the will of its opponent in the second half.
So how did that work out?
Tampa Bay’s first drive after halftime featured Ronald Jones with 2 carries for -1 yards. A Jameis Winston fumble ended the six-play drive.
Next series? Peyton Barber replaced Jones and had two carries for seven yards, plus two good runs called back (one for holding and one for a pre-snap screwup).
Next series? A 3-and-out featuring Barber up the gut twice for six total yards.
Next series? Barber up the gut twice for no-gain near the Bucs end zone.
And then that was followed up with a four-play, field goal drive for the Bucs on a short field. Yep, you guessed it, the Bucs ran Barber up the gut twice for -2 yards. Backup T.J. Logan added a two-yard run before the kick.
The second-half rushing tally mercifully ended with 11 running back carries for 12 yards. That’s a brutal fail by the offensive line and the running backs, and throw in the playcaller, too.
Good teams are supposed to be able to run the ball when the other team knows it’s coming, or at least create opportunities outside of running up the gut. How bout spreading it four-wide and running a draw? The Bucs lost a battle of wills in the second half and it just highlighted the fact their running game is second rate.
Kudos to Barber for his fifth and sixth rushing touchdowns of the season. The Bucs haven’t seen that many from a running back since Doug Martin had six in 2015, and there are still four games to play. But the Bucs need to fix this darn running game if they want to be a playoff contender.
Joe has written this several times, but the Bucs will need to address running back yet again this offseason. Perhaps they will?
Joe knows a straight answer won’t be had, but it’s a bit stunning how Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich rarely trust Ronald Jones in the red zone offense or in short yardage, and they sit him down for Peyton Barber in a game that essentially was in the bag.
Jones needs reps so the team can see what they have entering this offseason. Joe can only conclude the Bucs already see Jones as a back with a lot of holes in his game.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:15 pm
Yeah. About done with the RoJo hype. He is a decent little back but not much more. Waiting all year for a breakout game and it just aren’t coming.
Yep, we gonna need an upgrade at RB. RoJo just carn’t make guys miss when he’s gotten the looks.
Do like that little spin move he’s developed lately though so maybe he prooves me wrong sometime in the last 4.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:16 pm
They are ruining Rojo’s confidence just when it was fixed. Give him the damn ball!
December 1st, 2019 at 6:19 pm
Bucs desperately need a big back like Derrick Henry (who just happens to be a FA after this season) to complement RoJo. Most winning teams don’t just rely on a single back. Barber would make a decent #3 for the right price.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:21 pm
Draft OL early and often. Oh, and try running off tackle or to the outside on occasion. Maybe even a safe WR screen when EVERYONE knows we are going to run it up the gut. I assume they do have different running plays in the playbook, maybe not though?
December 1st, 2019 at 6:26 pm
Yeah, we held christian mccaffrey in line just like we got held in line today. Jacksonville wasted all their resources on loading the box and forcing Jameis to beat them with his arm, and he did, in the first half. Sometimes good team just accept the other team is so devoted to stopping the run, they just continue the thrashing through the air, but we wanted to chew clock so bad we just kept running it. It’s a shame to think if our schedule was this easy in the beginning, we may have gotten our s””” together and be in the hunt. Either way, happy for a Bucs win, GO BUCS!
December 1st, 2019 at 6:28 pm
Tough to say anything on Rojo when he gets 2 Carrys a game.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:29 pm
Game in, game out the OL has no push and wont until they adress it. Been this way for years..
December 1st, 2019 at 6:34 pm
Also a argument to be made that using other backs does help keep some tred on RoJos tires…….But at this point he really don’t flash much so what are they preserving him for?
Defientally don’t mind Barber in during the second half in predictable run spots. That’s when RBs really take a beating. Defientally like RoJos toughness just not sure he’s equipped to handle a load like that.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:36 pm
You know who runs for positive yards often?
Dalvin Cook.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:39 pm
Go root for the vikings then?
December 1st, 2019 at 6:46 pm
In postgame, Arians said Rojo missed a blitz pickup and “that was it”- meaning he’s not playing anymore today…
December 1st, 2019 at 6:51 pm
We have absolutely NO IDEA what have in ROJO! Stupid ass runs up the gut have not worked all year yet they keep calling them! Did anyone see even a crease for ROJO to hit today! His strength is burst through the hole and making people miss in the open field. Tell me when you have seen an open hole between the tackles, yet that is where they consistently run him. Our run blocking is atrocious. That’s not on the running back. He is not Erick Dickerson or Sayers, but even they would not be able to run behind this line unless a lineman hits someone by accident and opens a lane for them to get through! One outstanding blocking play by line today was Barbers TD off the right side. They gave him a great hole and he hit it, getting to full speed by the next level. Did you see any holes for ROJO? Neither did I. He was usually hit behind or at the line. You will never know what you have for a running back until you develop some run blockers. Getting stuffed at the line is NOT the RBs fault. He is told what hole to hit. Hard to do with no Hole there. He is going to be good as soon as we learn to block.
December 1st, 2019 at 6:56 pm
Joe it’s Jameis Winstons fault because he’s the one handing the ball off to them. He’s allowing the defense to run rough shod through our OLine and tackling the runners in the backfield because of his long wind up of a hand off. How dare the the running backs not get positive yards when they’re wrapped up as soon as they get the ball. Your outright refusal to call out the O Line going all the way back to Doug Martin days is ridiculous
December 1st, 2019 at 7:01 pm
You almost had it J0e…
You spoke of the failure by put o-line, but then go back to saying we need to upgrade the running backs?
Why not upgrade the O-line instead?!?!?!?!? Since that’s where the problem is.
That helps your run game AND passing game.
December 1st, 2019 at 7:04 pm
DON”T LET THIS DISTRACT YOU FROM JOSH JACOBS
thanks again “Trash” Licht
STAR RB now putting up 1000 yards PLUS for Oakland was there for the taking!!!!
A$$h0L*
December 1st, 2019 at 7:08 pm
Reminder: The Bucs won.
December 1st, 2019 at 7:09 pm
Poor Dotson he can’t run block for crap , we can get a RT in the draft or free agency.
December 1st, 2019 at 7:16 pm
You know that Josh Jacobs has been excellent at running the ball but like all Rookies pretty trashy at picking up pass blocking.
Licht picks last two years not looking like trash IMO with this coaching staff:
2018 Vea, Jones, Davis, Cappa, Whitehead, Cichy
2019 White, Bunting, Dean, Edwards, Nelson, Gay.
There were a lot of idiot fans and a Joe on this site that wanted us to pick Darrell Henderson in the 3rd round this past year. They were wrong and Licht was correct in getting Jamal Dean and Mike Edwards and trading that early 3rd round pick.
December 1st, 2019 at 7:31 pm
ModHairKen
Well there certainly isn’t sunshine and rainbows over the sky of One Buc Place either.
December 1st, 2019 at 7:34 pm
Barber is filling the Alstott role of wearing down the opponent in the second half with a lead. Only problem is this OL is more Beta and less Alpha.
December 1st, 2019 at 7:35 pm
Mod Hair Ken
keep in mind this site was not created to celebrate wins.
The true purpose of JoeBucsFan.com is to gather and criticize , hate , and mock.
December 1st, 2019 at 8:43 pm
Offensive Lineman and Running Backs with draft grades in the top three rounds:
Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa (6-5, 320, 5.08)
Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia (6-5, 318, 5.11)
Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama (6-5, 322, 5.28)
Austin Jackson, OT, USC (6-6, 308, 5.08)
Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama (6-5, 320, 5.30)
Creed Humphrey, OC, Oklahoma (6-4, 328, 5.29)
Trey Adams, OT, Washington (6-8, 304, 5.27)
Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville (6-7, 365, 5.47)
Trey Smith, OG, Tennessee (6-5, 330, 5.27)
Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas (6-7, 302, 5.10)
Netane Muti, OG, Fresno State (6-3, 311, 5.18)
Josh Jones, OT, Houston (6-5, 309, 5.31)
Lloyd Cushenberry, OC, LSU (6-3, 312, 5.21)
Tyler Biadasz, OC, Wisconsin (6-2, 322, 5.26)
Prince Tega-Wanogho, OT, Auburn (6-5, 307, 5.23)
Matt Hennessy, OC, Temple (6-3, 293, 5.05)
Robert Hunt, OT/G, Louisiana-Lafayette (6-5, 314, 5.35)
D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia (5-9, 215, 4.47)
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin (5-10, 218, 4.53)
Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson (5-9, 212, 4.52)
Zack Moss, RB, Utah (5-9, 218, 4.52)
Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona State (5-9, 205, 4.46)
Cam Akers, RB, Florida State (5-11, 214, 4.48)
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State (6-1, 211, 4.49)
Najee Harris, RB, Alabama (6-1, 232, 4.57)
December 1st, 2019 at 8:51 pm
Jameis CARRIED the offense with 200+ passing yards in the first half and around 290 yards for the game while the running game stalled, but all Jameis needs is an average defense to win games, even if the run game is bad … remember when he was 22 years old he went 9-7 with an average defense and bad run game … if Jameis ever gets a top 15 defense AND run game, he’ll be in the MVP race.
December 1st, 2019 at 9:19 pm
Allot of really good play today !!!
The o line s run blocking is just pathetic and consistently there is no push !! Someone please take their purses and return their Balls
December 1st, 2019 at 10:30 pm
Nice list geno711 and we need at least two linemen and one running back from it come April.