“I’m A Broken Record”
June 26th, 2020
Questions.
Now Joe is a self-admitted broken record constantly harping on the Bucs run game.
The Bucs, only once in the past seven seasons, have had a running game that was not in the bottom five in the league in yards-per-carry.
That simply is unacceptable. Yes, Joe loves the passing game, but to regularly not have a respectable running back is just too much for Joe to sit quietly and develop an ulcer.
It seems Joe isn’t the only person irked by this constant thorn-in-the-side. Enter Kay Adams, who confesses to being a broken record about that element of the Bucs’ offense.
The “Good Morning Football” co-host and “It Girl” of NFL Network said unless Tampa Bay figures out how to get production from their running backs, she cannot buy into the massive hype over the Bucs this season, or next.
“I don’t want any 43-year old quarterback — I don’t care if he is the GOAT — to have to drop back and throw as much as he might if that running game doesn’t pan out.”
Adams added for the Bucs to have a shot at winning the division, their offense must be more than just one guy seven years away from AARP eligibility to carry the offense. With such a weak running attack, Adams said she can’t foresee the Bucs being a better team than the Saints.
Those are fair points and Joe is proud to share that someone like Adams is fed up with the lack of a Bucs running threat as well.
And please, you Ronald Jones apologists, spare Joe the “He had two good games to end the season.” Really? Two? Out of 32 games? When is the last time a running back had three seasons to become average? Earnest Graham would be a good guess and he entered the league in 2004 and wasn’t a starter until his fourth season.
(Does Joe want to see Jones run for at least 900 yards? Absolutely! Does Joe hope Jones runs for at least 900 yards? Very much so. Would Joe bet $200 that Jones will run for 900 yards? No.)
You can see Adams’ full explanation of why she’s not on the Bucs bandwagon (yet) in the NFL Network video below.
.@heykayadams still has her questions about the Bucs offense š¤ā¬ļø pic.twitter.com/ipF52e1jFg
ā GMFB (@gmfb) June 25, 2020
June 26th, 2020 at 4:27 am
The constant threat of Brady carving up the secondary will make it a little easier for the run game to get going. Gronk and Wirfs on the right side will open lanes that weren’t there last season as well. Still don’t expect a massive running attack though because I don’t think Brady came here to hand the ball off!
If the defense holds, the running game improves even a little (which it will), and TB12 develops chemistry with his receivers? Katie bar the door! We gonna have us some blowouts!
June 26th, 2020 at 4:34 am
Licht is not so good at finding a run game, thought he was an O lineman and could figure out what it looks like.
June 26th, 2020 at 4:36 am
I heard James White was available- get him too, hell he scored the game winning super bowl TD and broke the Super Bowl pass record- knows his guy
In fact get all the good Pats- I heard Irving Fryar is ready for a comeback.
June 26th, 2020 at 5:54 am
No part of the offense exists in a vacuum. What do we know from the last five years? Teams loaded the box to force the QB to throw. No explanation needed.
There’s a different QB now, one that can shred defenses apart. Defenses will HAVE to respect that.
The additions to the roster alone should aid the run-game. As to whether or not Rojo and Vaughn take advantage is the real question.
June 26th, 2020 at 6:39 am
Saying it over and over doesnāt make it true…
Any fan can look up the game logs and stats
And if you donāt think Wirfs and Gronk make any difference, or that Vaughn wonāt be an upgrade, well…SMH
June 26th, 2020 at 7:24 am
Joe you pointed out over and over that RoJo would not get used by Koetter as a rookie. Then you were completely right. WE HAVE NO IDEA if he was good or bad his first season. He didn’t have one. But I’m sure you will extrapolate he one quarter game worth of runs over 64 quarters.
Dam you write like there are two Joes. š
June 26th, 2020 at 8:29 am
If you look at tape ROJO is not the problem. Running back by committee was a bad idea. When he was used primarily he did well. In film you will see a lot of good runs called back that were not his fault. Silly hold penalties one that I recall on OJ that he had the guy inside the numbers as ur taught to at all levels and never called but when ur a traditional loser refs call everything. The line is not even avg and we made one move this year a draft pick. So honestly we are not sure what he can do at pro level u can only hope he becomes a Boselli. Ride w ROJO is only option donāt leave it to a rookie to protect this qb on blitzes or we will have gabbert in before we know it. Offer Leshan MCCOY a cheap contract 4.5 avg last year plenty of third down knowledge to give the young ones. He wants a super bowl he can play in since he got hurt right before it. Bottom line get more line help one injury away from below avg.
June 26th, 2020 at 8:39 am
Pass protection is more important than “rush yards”!!!!!!!! Tom Brady came to Tampa to break passing records!!!!!!!! He is not here to hand the ball off or win championships!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 26th, 2020 at 8:50 am
(Does Joe want to see Jones run for at least 900 yards? Absolutely! Does Joe hope Jones runs for at least 900 yards? Very much so. Would Joe bet $200 that Jones will run for 900 yards? No.)
Well….just hand him the ball 13 times per game(only 13) and that will add up to 900 yards at 4.2 yards per carry (last year’s stat for Rojo)……do the math.
The quarrel isn’t with the run game….it’s with the lack of production from Peyton Barber…..and the unwillingness of the coaches to run the ball.
June 26th, 2020 at 9:02 am
One guy? Sweet thang you havnt obviously seen the weapons this almost Medicare eligible QB gunna have to throw to, welcome to Tampa Baby.
June 26th, 2020 at 9:41 am
Our running back situation is pitiful and sad until proven otherwise. Sign a vet Licht.
June 26th, 2020 at 10:22 am
Vaughn is bigger, faster, and averaged almost one yard per carry more in college then the great Emmett Smith. Who had the better offensive line Vandy or Florida, who had the better qb. Logic says at least Vaughn will a good running back if he gets an opportunity. Rojo will be great this year with less stupid penalties being called. The running game will be just fine. Just think what cutting the turn overs in half will do for time of possession. More opportunity for the offense and a more dynamic defense that isn’t worn out by all of Winston’s 36 turnovers. He was either blind or was an imbecile. Time will tell.
June 26th, 2020 at 10:43 am
Once again we are writing Vaughn off as before the first day of training camp.
June 26th, 2020 at 11:50 am
Seeing Rojo working with Brady is a good sign.
June 26th, 2020 at 12:27 pm
Poor Kay. She goes to bat for us every year it seems like. Even she’s seen enough of the Bucs run game to be wary. RoJo looked better last year, but still hads issues on pass downs with the blitz. Vaughn? I like him, but I ain’t in love with until he proves he’s really an NFL RB. The loss of mini camps and rookie camp is going to hold him and Calais down for, at a guess, half the season. God forbid anyone goes down back there. Which leads us to we’re worried someone on one of the lowest ranked run games doesn’t go down?! Very troubling, Kids.
June 26th, 2020 at 3:09 pm
First off, I don’t know why ppl still carry the notion that Rojo can’t catch. He proved last year he could and the screen game came alive as if BL and BA heard of the concept for the first time. Short passes in the flat and screen games are just as effective as a run game. I think we’ll see better output in the run game because Brady knows how to adjust the protection. He will help the offense in so many indirect ways.
June 26th, 2020 at 4:11 pm
Rojo gets 900 easy if he gets 18 carries a game
That can’t be determined yet so why speculate?
June 26th, 2020 at 4:55 pm
I really think Vaughn will end up being our #1 RB. He can split carries with RoJo on 1st and 2nd down and can play 3rd down cuz of his blocking and catching skills.
Also, if Rojo would consistently get around 20 carries a game, he would’ve gotten 900 yards all day last season.
June 26th, 2020 at 6:29 pm
Joe you can’t use the sample size of 32 games his first season he had what 30 snaps? I agree he hasn’t shown close to what the hype was, but that doesn’t mean he is a late bloomer or bust.
June 27th, 2020 at 1:24 am
Some of us agree the running game has not been up to par for several seasons. Some of us just disagree with your perspective. For whatever reason you give the impression you do not care for Ronald Jones.
After his rookie year where RoJo was used for a total of 90 snaps on the season, of which he had a total of 23 rushing attempts. You are quoted on the Internationally Popular Ira Kaufman Podcast, brought to you by Bill Currie Ford, Big Storm Beer & Florida’s Elite Restoration, that Rojo was hit in the backfield on half of his 23 attempts and YOU didn’t think this was an issue. I imagine most fans disagreed with that assessment, but you continued to bang that drum.
Fast forward to the end of his sophomore season. Rojo is on the field for a total of 422 snaps or 36% of the offense’s total snaps. Out of the 422 snaps Rojo had 172 attempts & 724 rushing yards for an average of 4.2. Not setting the world on fire but decent numbers IMHO.
All of the stats above I just mentioned were referenced from spotrac.com, click my name for the Rojo page on their site.
Now according to stats listed on pro-football-reference.com One could say Rojo had a year on par Austin Ekeler, Joe Mixon, Tevin Coleman, James Conner, Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon and Devonta Freeman. So If I was to critique the Buc’s ground game it would be directed at the coaching staff. No problem with you being a broken record, just make sure you’re repeating the right song.
Sorry, Joe wouldn’t put RoJo’s year on par with all those guys. Some, yes. There’s also the reality that Bucs coaches gave RoJo just 80 carries in the second half of last season and then proclaimed after the season that he can’t play on third down and they need a pass catching back. As for getting hit in the backfield as a rookie, that hit-in-the-backfield stat is one of the most subjective out there, and keep in mind Arians’ staff walked in and decided the ENTIRE offensive line was good enough to return in 2019. Lot of variables here. And yes, Joe thinks Jones has a ways to go when it comes to consistency, as well as in other areas. –Joe
June 28th, 2020 at 1:04 am
Thanks for taking the time to respond Joe. Although I am a little befuddled why my original post was edited to omit 5 or 6 words, but editors do that all the time. Again, thanks for taking the time to reply.