Keep On Running
December 5th, 2019
Bucs OC Byron Leftwich.
Even though the Bucs have one of the better passing offenses in the league and one of the worst rushing attacks, the Bucs are going to still pound the rock, said offensive coordinator Bryon Leftwich.
And likely run to nowhere.
One would think a team would lean on its strength. That’s not the way Leftwich sees it. He believes in running the ball despite the paltry numbers the Bucs are producing on the ground.
Can’t-block-can’t-play Ronald Jones leads the Bucs with a Muscle Hamster-like 482 yards, good enough for the 29th-best runner in the NFL. Peyton Barber, who is having the worst season of his meh career, has 396 yards, 40th-best in the NFL.
The Bucs are No. 22 in total rushing yards, No. 25 in yards-per-carry and No. 14 in attempts.
Those aren’t great numbers. At all. So it must mean Leftwich has low standards in runners the way he gushed over Jones and Barber today at One Buc Palace.
“Like I always tell you, I love our runners,” Leftwich said. “I believe in running the ball. I believe in running the ball. I believe it is essential to win games in this league to have the ability to run the ball.
“We’d like to have more from a yardage standpoint but we will continue to give Peyton and Rojo opportunities. We believe in those guys also. They will begin to make the plays that are needed from a yardage standpoint.”
Look, what makes anyone believe Barber or Jones or both are going to have breakout games and turn their seasons around now? Hello, it’s December! The Bucs have played 12 games. The season is 75 percent finished.
Now Joe has no problem with pounding the ball so long as the results are there. They aren’t there. So what’s the point?
If Barber or Jones were going to blow up, it stands to reason they would have by now, unless Leftwich is insinuating both have been or were hiding injuries that have lassoed their talents.
The Bucs gave the Giants game away because they tried to ground and pound and it wasn’t working. If not for a standout defensive performance by the Bucs in Jacksonville on Sunday, the Jags may have pulled out a win, in part, because the Bucs tried to go all Emmitt Smith without Emmitt Smith.
At least Leftwich is wise enough to admit the team wishes it was getting more yardage on the ground.
It boils down to this: As Dirk Koetter used to say about his roster, “Our guys are our guys.” It’s December. Warrick Dunn isn’t coming through the door. There is no one on the sidewalk panhandling for NFL work that is better than what the Bucs have on the roster. This won’t be upgraded until March at the earliest, if it is upgraded at all.
The Bucs have talent, Pro Bowl-level talent, all over the place in the passing game. There is nothing wrong in letting your best players win the game. In fact, it is the smart thing.
This just in: Neither Barber nor Jones is one of the Bucs’ best players.
And if folks at One Buc Palace cannot see this or figure this out, this team has bigger problems than the dismal run game.
December 5th, 2019 at 1:50 pm
I do believe that we should draft a RB…..perhaps in rounds 3-7……I believe we need a RT/DT or DE early…..
Now….will upgrading the RB position change anything…..perhaps….but I am one who thinks our Oline doesn’t run block well and our play calling is predictable….
So, I don’t believe an expensive investment in RB would payoff.
December 5th, 2019 at 1:53 pm
“What do you call Ryan Jensen’s behind?
Assisted tackle”
Kobe Faker
December 5th, 2019 at 1:55 pm
His reasoning is that by running the ball it limits Jameis’s mistakes. If Jameis attempts 50+ passes a game, he averages 3 turnovers.
December 5th, 2019 at 1:56 pm
I think we need to get baxk to mixing in more screens. It seemed like when we had started doing thag not only was it effective but I believe our run game performed better for a couple game arundel that time. If you can’t run the ball well in traditional setups then you setup the Tunworth short pass and screen game
December 5th, 2019 at 1:57 pm
Bassinger is right we need more short to intermediate passes. Those are as effective as running the d@mn ball. Why do most passing plays have to be long downfield passes?
December 5th, 2019 at 1:58 pm
Kobe you do know Ryan Jensen has been playing like an all pro this year right?
December 5th, 2019 at 2:03 pm
And number 3 in money allocated to the offensive line.
December 5th, 2019 at 2:03 pm
Sadly Kobe does not know much about football, only trolling online
December 5th, 2019 at 2:06 pm
I think this season goes different if BA calls plays from day one.
December 5th, 2019 at 2:09 pm
Tampa it’s cuz of the vertical system them run. That’s also why Winston gets sacked cuz these routes take time to develop
December 5th, 2019 at 2:16 pm
The Bucs have talent, Pro Bowl-level talent, all over the place in the passing game. There is nothing wrong in letting your best players win the game. In fact, it is the smart thing….
Love our wide receivers……Jaymiss Winsnot…. loves sharing the ball with everybody….. Same movie for the last 5 years
December 5th, 2019 at 2:18 pm
Do a search on football outsiders adjusted offensive line. Bucs line is 22nd vs pass and run. This is not good enough based on money allocated. I know not the popular take around these parts but you can’t run the ball effectively and you allow sacks. The RT position has been an issue for at least 3 of the last 5 seasons. Dotson is a solid depth guy, for the Bucs he’s paid well and has been the worst in the league this season.
December 5th, 2019 at 2:21 pm
Tampabuscsbro Says:
December 5th, 2019 at 1:58 pm
Kobe you do know Ryan Jensen has been playing like an all pro this year right?
I think Kobe was talking g about the play barber or rojo ran right into his backside n fell to the ground
December 5th, 2019 at 2:22 pm
Someone please explain to me how difficult it has to be to design a play that puts 6-6 OJ Howard out wide, 1 on 1 with a shorter DB? Leftwich has had barber and 44 out wide but never OJ? and motion and move mike evans all around…the run game sucks but there are mismatches all over, if the qb can get it in the area of these big guys they usually catch it
December 5th, 2019 at 2:23 pm
Coburn I’m with you on more screens and stop throwing screens to no YAC ME13. Throw them to CG12, use Mike how he’s supposed to be used. Deep balls, crossers, and comebacks.
This offense looked it’s best when the screen game was a big part of it. Rojo made some sick plays vs The Cards off the screens.
It almost feels like as many yards as this offense has put up, they still haven’t found their identity yet.
They want to be a run and gun team but they can’t run like they’d want to, so they are trying to figure out what they are.
December 5th, 2019 at 2:34 pm
Folks at OBP decided to hand the keys to the offense to Leftwich. That speaks for itself. Bucs have a learn on the job GM and OC. SMH!!
December 5th, 2019 at 2:54 pm
“Do not run screens this week
Do not run screens this week
Repeat Do not run screens this week
Leftfoots screen design with the runningbacks is pathetic and int prone
it somehow works against bad linebackers BUT
Do not run screens this week vs DARIUS LEONARD
he will take it to the house 3 Times
Please hell NO”
Kobe U Have been warned Faker
December 5th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
Mission Report 19 January 2013.
Running the ball proved effect enough to keep the Iggles honest.
How many Carries, How Many Yards and what was the Yard Per Carry for the Bucs in this victory?
32-49-1.53-1 TD
December 5th, 2019 at 3:29 pm
“what makes anyone believe Barber or Jones or both are going to have breakout games and turn their seasons around now?”
I’ll just keep posting this:
Ronald Jones – 4.8 yards per touch
Peyton Barber – 3.6 yards per touch
CmAc – 5.8 yards per touch
Kamara – 5.4 yards per touch
Jones in 14+ touch games – 5.3 yards per touch
Basically the same as Alvin Kamara when they involve him heavily in the game plan in terms of per touch effectiveness…
December 5th, 2019 at 3:45 pm
@Jean Lafitte Says:
“His reasoning is that by running the ball it limits Jameis’s mistakes. If Jameis attempts 50+ passes a game, he averages 3 turnovers.”
———————————————
That’s it Cover as much as they can until he gets the contract…… they don’t care for this team and this city…. they know in year or two they going to be gone….
BA = LovieS 2.0
December 5th, 2019 at 5:34 pm
Joe you say there is nothing wrong with letting your best players win you the game. So could you please explain why that formula has not worked?
2-4 in games where we have 40+ pass attempts
3-3 in games under 40 pass attempts
There is also a noticeable difference in QB rating. Much better when we attempt under 40 passes. And as Jean said as well the INTs go down too.
Now I’m not a big stats guy but it’s hard to look at all them numbers and not see a more effective offense when we run a more balanced attack…….Note there is even number of 40+ games(6) to under 40 games(6) so it’s a fair comparison
To add more context and not just look at only stats from one side of the argument. We have more TD passes in 40+ games……12 to 10
INTs in 40+ games…..14 to 6
Too lazy to get a calculator to do yards haha
December 5th, 2019 at 6:33 pm
joe i dont get what you want. if jameis has to drop back 50 times a game because we dont even try running it, he will throw picks and we will lose and then we will blame it on the fact he has no running game. i mean literally zero sum game on what you want to do. i agree the running game has sucked but they need to develop it better and frankly he is just coach speaking as well. should we just never run the ball? i get the concern and it is valid but we cant have it both ways where we say jameis needs a run game and he only throws picks because he has no defense or run game.
if we give jameis the benefit of the doubt for the offense, does leftwich not get the same credit? not defending leftwich but i feel these is a double standard here.
in my opinion, the bucs need to be more balanced because jameis hucking it all day will inevitably lead to mistakes. the yards arent thre but we have to try and build a run game. and you say were building for next year right? i agree so let’s find out who can run block and who cant. we need to figure out how to run eventually or we will never get to the playoffs. defense and rushing the football = key ingredients to january football (the place we all want to be at eventually).
December 5th, 2019 at 6:38 pm
I’ll tell you this much, if we are relying on Jameis to hurl the ball more than 35+ times and win, WE ARE TOAST!
JimmyJack is on the right track. The stats bear out that this team’s winning percentage is more than double when Jameis attempts 35 or FEWER passes. These are FACTS for all those “passing league” torch-bearers!
Balance is key. The rushing numbers only tell part of the story. No, they are not great numbers. You still have to at least attempt to keep the defense honest by running. AND, from an all-around sheer statistical point of view, the more the QB throws (This is for ALL QBs!) the more likely the chances for turnovers.
So, yeah, keep running the football!
December 5th, 2019 at 9:48 pm
^ EXACTLY!
Otherwise you become 1-dimensional and opposing defenses can just tee off. There aren’t any QBs with great records when they’re passing 40+ times a game, so expecting Jameis to be one is asinine.
December 5th, 2019 at 10:26 pm
@Lord, As I’ve said time and time again dumb arss jock coaches just are not the football savants we credit them to be .
Why has Ro jo not had multiple 25 carry games !!
Meathead jock coaching !! Numbers don’t lie !! Final Answer !!