Fournette “Week-To-Week”
December 16th, 2020
Leonard Fournette talk
Some strange words from Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians earlier today.
Arians spoke with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club prior to the team announcing Ronald Jones was placed on the COVID/reserve list. So perhaps at the time, it was no done deal that RoJo wouldn’t play Sunday.
And even though fellow running back Leonard Fournette was a unexpected healthy scratch last week against the Vikings, Arians announced Fournette would replace RoJo if he couldn’t play.
Arians’ comments then got a bit strange as he responded to a question asking about Fournette’s mindset just days after being inactive.
“He’s in a great spot,” Arians said. “He understood everything last week and he understands everything this week. He had a great practice today [and was] into it.
“Leonard is a pro. Just like everybody else on our team, it’s a week-to-week thing.”
Man, all kinds of loaded phrases there.
What did Fournette have to understand? That he had to bust his tail? That he had to know the gameplan (Joe isn’t saying he didn’t know the gameplan), that he needs to catch more passes? That’s he’s not a No. 1 back? What?
And if Fournette is a pro, what is there to understand?
Fournette was into a practice? That seems to suggest he wasn’t all-in in previous practices.
Fournette is “week-to-week.” How many other guys on the Bucs’ roster don’t know their gameday active status from week-to-week?
Joe likes to say that some players (including park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking Bucs quarterback Tom Brady) talk a lot but don’t say much.
Well today, Arians spoke very, very little about Fournette but said a whole bunch.
December 16th, 2020 at 4:49 pm
we are going to need him this week with Rojo seemingly out….
December 16th, 2020 at 4:51 pm
Me thinks Joe is nailing it on many points…Fournett is here for “reasons “
Gawd WTF is wrong with these guys, the NFL is their big opportunity in life
December 16th, 2020 at 4:54 pm
Man I got a tell you, when I read stuff like this it makes you wanna puke.
The media can’t help but to create all these nonsense conspiracy theories. Can you guys just get behind the team and stop trying to sell add space.
I’m about done with Joe. If ira Kaufman wasn’t on I would’ve been done with y’all long time ago.
Just STOP!
December 16th, 2020 at 5:03 pm
He had to understand why he was benched……reading way too much into BA’s words……
He understands…….he responded positively & the week to week thing may mean it could happen again….it’s a message to Fournette to stay on track.
This guy has all the reason in the world to play well….
December 16th, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Falcons: Dead ass last in pass defense. By far. No ass rush either. Even if we had Rojo – cmon. Run a little to keep em honest, Jesus no need to go full brown turtle p**sy mode. There are times when it’s ok to throw 40 times in a game. This will be one of those times, to go full blown aerial assault and work on some things. We don’t need to have permanent PTSD here and be scared of Atlanta’s defense. This is why we pay Mike evans the big money, and this is why Chris Godwin will be getting paid this off-season. Play to your strengths. Christ.
December 16th, 2020 at 5:04 pm
dude has some questionable vision to say the least
December 16th, 2020 at 5:06 pm
He’s brought on as a pass catching running back who dropped three passes in one game, nearly all drive killers
December 16th, 2020 at 5:07 pm
meh, non story, ….cept yeah, sounds like Fournette was peaved at not getting carries and it may have rubbed off on his engagement level. as someone else posted…now he’s playing for next years pay day. he’ll be a beast.
surprised BA never said it about ME they way he loafed a bit and kicked coolers when he didn’t get the ball.
December 16th, 2020 at 5:38 pm
As the great Bobby Knight would say, something along the lines of, “no motivator like the bench. Ass meets bench, bench meets ass, and a fire is lit.”
Also, Fournette could be a super star. It makes sense that Arians has the stones to call out a guy whose Uber talented, but maybe not locked in like he should be.
Also Fournette missed games w an ankle. Glad he is well rested.
Agree with TampaBayBucFan
December 16th, 2020 at 5:44 pm
No one exaggerates like joebucs. It’s easy to assume something negative or easy to assume him being a healthy scratch. Yes you would have to have a talk with someone of that pedigree. That’s not like benching Scotty Miller geez seriously?
December 16th, 2020 at 6:22 pm
@BA … “Leonard is a pro. Just like everybody else on our team, it’s a week-to-week thing.”
LOTS of speculation & innuendo; very few facts. Like so many other stories emanating from 1 Buc Palace.
December 16th, 2020 at 7:01 pm
Fournette was a quality backup before he got injured, then hasn’t appeared to be the same since then, although lack of opportunity is an issue as well. But clearly Fournette isn’t in the future plans of the team, so why not let Ke’Shawn Vaughn play – afterall we wasted a 3rd rounder on him, even though people with an IQ over 15 like myself said we didn’t need another RB. I of course was right, meanwhile 90% of the dopes on this message board were saying Fournette would be our leading back, day 1, despite the fact he was cut by Jacksonville.
December 16th, 2020 at 7:03 pm
@DR
That’s the Arians Special.
December 16th, 2020 at 7:09 pm
Forget Fournette for now. We don’t even know what we have in Vaughn and Shady.
December 16th, 2020 at 7:31 pm
Fournette was needed in a 3rd down role but didn’t deliver, so he got benched. Hopefully the inactive status had the desired affect and he comes out with his hair on fire.
December 16th, 2020 at 7:47 pm
Annnnnnnnnnnd, it could be that a competitive athlete is merely hungry to see the field and BA has to love him up. Not worried.
December 16th, 2020 at 8:08 pm
The media isn’t worth sharing anything with. Do you really think any coach (or person) anywhere wants to talk to the media. They have lost there way for many reasons.
For those of you with issues as to how our coach talks to the media, get some perspective, no coach does what you ask. All you want to do is bitch.
Which I s fine, you are fan. Let it rip. But don’t act all high and mighty because you pull together a few stats and think you know more than any coach at any level in the NFL.
Because you don’t. Not even close.
Go Bucs!
In BA I Trust!
December 16th, 2020 at 9:30 pm
Shady earned some more snaps this week.
December 17th, 2020 at 12:50 am
BA doing his THANG….Look over here….boom. Here we come from this direction…
Watch Fournette….BA has intentionally set up LF for a big game. Watch….
December 17th, 2020 at 4:40 am
what a great pic of BA ^^^^^^
he looks like movie star in that pic
December 17th, 2020 at 8:05 am
B.A. knows he has to rely on Fournette this week, and is getting his head right. After being inactive last week, this is L.F.’s chance to show the league what he has left with Rojo out. I hope Vaughn get’s a chance to see what he can do also.
December 17th, 2020 at 10:09 pm
Brady comments have gotten old
December 18th, 2020 at 10:19 am
When in the hell is somebody going to bring up the fact that our front line sucks for the most part. Start giving the master some time back there to throw the ball and we got a shot. Go Bucs
December 19th, 2020 at 1:59 pm
I’m a Bucs lifer. And your site has been #1 since the Tampa Trib tanked. Ira is my number 1 trusted Bucs media expert. I’m spending less time on your site because I’m tired of reading your “park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking Bucs quarterback Tom Brady.” Do you think this is going to cause him to want to be interviewed by you? Every Bucs fan I know loves the goat. We are 8-5 with no preseason. We are in the conversation. When do you go back to some positives on this team? I personally think we may have a crack at Aaron Rogers when his deal is up. When criticism is deserved, bang em. But after that week, it’s over. This year, for all its warts, has been a heck of a lot more fun that the previous 15. I didn’t expect a Super Bowl Championship out of BA & TB12. Maybe next year. You guys are the voice that real Bucs fans trust. Let’s be fair.