Bruce Arians Was Down On Ke’Shawn Vaughn
December 29th, 2020
Interesting words from Bucco Bruce Arians, especially knowing what happened after he said them.
The winning Tampa Bay head coach spoke to the Buccaneers Radio Network after the thrilling comeback win against the Falcons nine days ago and noted he was a little down on rookie running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn’s performance.
Noteworthy for Joe was Arians wasn’t asked about Vaughn.
“The only guy I was a little disappointed in was Ke’Shawn Vaughn. I thought he was going to have a big ball game and he stuttered a little bit, but that was his first big action. too,” Arians said.
In that game, Vaughn had two carries for four yards and his pass blocking needed work. He didn’t catch the target that came his way, but Joe hasn’t gone back to look at the throw. Before the Falcons kickoff, Arians had been raving about how Vaughn looked in practice.
Remember, Vaughn was active when Leonard Fournette was benched against the Vikings.
Regardless, Vaughn bounced back Saturday against the Lions with a career high 15 carries for 62 yards and a reception, largely in garbage time of the blowout victory.
Joe sees that as a big confidence boost for Vaughn, who the Bucs might rely on in the playoffs if Ronald Jones’ busted finger doesn’t cooperate.
December 29th, 2020 at 12:16 pm
He really has a good burst to his running game.
December 29th, 2020 at 12:16 pm
He is better than fournette at running the ball. His hands have been suspect and his pass blocking is about what you would expect from a rookie, but he runs harder and with better vision than leonard.
December 29th, 2020 at 12:17 pm
I’m telling you now, the kid is gonna be Good!
December 29th, 2020 at 12:27 pm
If you’re disappointed in any running back it’s Fournette.
December 29th, 2020 at 12:27 pm
Fournette seems scared of contact
I would rather give vaughn a few more carries
Again rojo being rb 1. Rojo has stone hands.
Those 3 straight first down runs of 10-12 yards a pop was pretty telling of vaughn.
He can cut and runs hard into opposing players.
December 29th, 2020 at 12:30 pm
Fournette doesn’t seem to be a very powerful runner – most of the time. For some reason. He sure has the build. Guess his blocking is superior.
December 29th, 2020 at 12:35 pm
Vaughn has a future, Fournette not so much
December 29th, 2020 at 12:35 pm
I’ve been a harsh critic of Fournette, but I think he’s been better of late…I wanted to see Vaughn used on passing downs over Fournette, until I saw Vaughn’s catch percentage is 50% compared to 75% for Leonard. Yes, the Bucs need to sign James White (or someone like him) for 2021.
December 29th, 2020 at 12:51 pm
We need to use the running game more and our o-line needs to be upgraded but def run the ball more it opens up oppurtunities and james white would be an awesome addition…on to ATL to get #5 seed then to the SB here we come GO BUCS im calling it we go to the SB
December 29th, 2020 at 1:00 pm
Let’s all HOPE that ROJO will be able to play
December 29th, 2020 at 1:00 pm
vaughn displayed good vision and patience…he looked good imo….shady was disappointing…..the guy is a complete shell of himself….RBs never have a chance vs father time….
GO BUCS!!!!!
December 29th, 2020 at 1:05 pm
He looked very good last week.
Like all running backs, he needs some reps and time to get his feet wet.
December 29th, 2020 at 1:06 pm
I thought Vaughn was impressive, more so than Fournett when he ran. Vaughn runs hard, if he can master the receiving aspect I like Rojo and Vaughn moving forward. Lenord seems slow.and not very elusive. Brady needs that dump of RB to complete his receiving core.
December 29th, 2020 at 1:23 pm
I’m not convinced Fournette has been 100 percent since he got hurt, he hasn’t been the same since
December 29th, 2020 at 1:27 pm
I liked what I saw of Vaughn. He fights hard for that first down, doesn’t give up easily like Fournette. Once Fournette feels defenders around him he goes to the ground. Smh. Love Vaughn.
December 29th, 2020 at 1:35 pm
BTW, I was never sold on Fournette from the begining. I said it in this here pages early in the season. Specially after that sole long run he had at the begining of the season, where everyone was going crazy about it thinking we had a good pick up by signing him. I said …Let me see him doing that consistently then I give him props. Me knowing it was gonna happen. Nope. Never has done it again, and he never will be the one he was. I trust RoJo and Vaughn more. Just my humble opinion.
December 29th, 2020 at 1:44 pm
Vaughn is used to running behind a $hitty run-blocking Oline……Vandy was the $hittiest in college football last year……the Bucs are also a $hitty run-blocking Oline…..although, it doesn’t help them that BL is screaming from the sideline….’HAND OFF TO ROJO….ROJO, RUN IT BETWEEN THE CENTER AND RIGHT GUARD”
December 29th, 2020 at 2:31 pm
Vaughn just gets uphill in a hurry, often before the linebackers can really react. Makes it look easy. I also like how he never seems to lose yardage. Even when it looks like they have him in the backfield he seems to at least get back to the line. Or at least that was the case against Lions
December 29th, 2020 at 2:34 pm
Lets see what Vaughn does with more work this week. It would be very important for him to go into the playoffs as their #2 back. He is more dangerous than Fornette who looks like hes running in sand and has become indecisive in when to cut. Vaughn showed some quickness that Leonard sadly used to have. He’s not the back he was a few years ago.
December 29th, 2020 at 2:57 pm
I am in Jacksonville and have watched a lot of Fournette, and he is a horrible runner. He has the worst moves, and only gets lucky on long runs with wide open holes. He seems to run to contact.
He is a lower tier running back in this league, IMO. Big name nobody.
December 29th, 2020 at 3:35 pm
I would love to see James White here next season.
December 29th, 2020 at 3:52 pm
“…Vaughn bounced back Saturday against the Lions with a career high 15 carries for 62 yards and a reception, largely in garbage time of the blowout victory.”
–When I read this it made me think for a moment, because of the “garbage time” qualifier. You’re not wrong, Joe, but my takeaway from this game with regard to KV30 is that he had three consecutive rushes in the 2nd quarter of 14, 12, and 9 yards. I couldn’t recall the last time that I saw a Bucs RB look that good on three consecutive plays.
With RJ27 & KV30, and LF28 backing them up, we have a legit combo if the Bucs WANT to run the ball. Imagine if they could catch…
December 29th, 2020 at 4:08 pm
Fournette is big but runs small doesn’t have Vision and doesn’t break alota tackles. Vaughn has some burst tho
December 29th, 2020 at 4:35 pm
It’s hard to take much from the Lions game since they were so awful and talentless and lacking so many coaches. Sure he looked good, but lots of guys look good in the 4th quarter of a preseason game.
But anywho Bruce was really really down on Rojo last year, as was 99% of the people on this message board who were cutting him after his rookie year. It takes Arians a while to warm up to guys, no idea why, but it does.
All in all I think Vaughn is on that same track as Rojo, if he’s going to work out we’ll see some flashes next season – and if he’s any good he’ll take over for Rojo when his rookie deal is up after next season.
December 29th, 2020 at 4:41 pm
Don’t know what these ppl are talking about with his hands. He had 430 rec. 11.35 avg and 3TD his last two years at Vanderbilt.
December 29th, 2020 at 4:42 pm
*rec yards
December 29th, 2020 at 7:48 pm
I like the way he dives forward at the end of runs as he’s going down. That hidden yardage adds up.
December 29th, 2020 at 7:54 pm
Where Fournette is valuable is blocking for Brady when a blitz is incoming. For that reason hang on to him. With Rojo and Vaughn we are set for good running backs. What we need are to move Wirfs to LT and draft a RT in the first round. I like the rest of our OL.
December 29th, 2020 at 10:11 pm
Keyshawn Vaughn is the real deal possible franchise player in <3 years look out kids a freak!
December 30th, 2020 at 12:29 am
I think he is going to be Ronald Jones’ back up for years. I think most of this year was learning how to pass protect and run routes to catch the ball out of the backfield. He should see a lot of playing time against Atlanta.
I would imagine McCoy is definitely gone next year and Fournette will most likely be gone as well. If fournette is not gone, that tells me they don’t think Vaughn is ready to step it up next year
December 30th, 2020 at 12:32 am
Owlykat
If they think there’s an O lineman who can step in and play tackle at a starting level, they may do that.
Otherwise, Smith is much better than most people give them credit for and I don’t think that will happen.
I think a DB and another DL are priorities. (Probably rd 2-3).
I also think if Kyle Trask is there at the end of the first round, they will take him to sit behind Brady for a year.
December 30th, 2020 at 1:03 am
How in the world do you expect young players getting better by sitting on the bench or beeing inactive on game days? 80 % of the posters on this website called RoJo a bust after he didn’t see the field his rookie year and has seen it barely in his sophomore campaign, even when he had better results than the guy playing in front of him with less chances given. And now history repeats itself with Vaughn.
December 30th, 2020 at 2:09 am
Vaughn is definitely not a bust, he was just not given that much of an opportunity this year because priority one was blocking so Brady could remain upright.
I am guessing he will be the #2 next year