It’s RoJo
August 28th, 2021
Tonight in Houston was supposed to be a dress rehearsal for the regular season with Bucs starters playing a half.
Leonard “Playoff Lenny” Fournette didn’t get one carry.
It’s preseason and it doesn’t really matter, but running back was a position where the Bucs allegedly had a competition brewing.
Ronald Jones got the start and looked strong. RoJo rumbled for 27 yards on just four carries, including a touchdown run that featured Vernon Hargreaves playing terrible defense. Tom Brady himself sprinted to be the first to congratulate RoJo after he bounced outside for the 13-yard TD.
So does this mean RoJo won the job, or for some reason the Bucs didn’t want to risk getting Fournette injured. Fournette did play and caught a pass?
Yeah, the beasts of the Bucs backfield will share carries regardless, but it looks like RoJo will get the call out of the gate against Dallas in 12 short days.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:06 pm
1-0 in 13 days.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:08 pm
Vaughn doesn’t look good.
Potential cut candidate?
August 28th, 2021 at 11:11 pm
The 0 reps from Ryan Griffen seem to be more damning. Fournette will be come alive…… Griffen looks to be getting the boot.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:15 pm
@DoooshLaRue
The backup OL was poor at run blocking. It’s not all on him.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:15 pm
(though yeah, he had some questionable moments out there)
August 28th, 2021 at 11:16 pm
Yeah, Bucs ain’t tipping their hand in preseason. Probably come out with 5 straight hand-offs to Fournette.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:18 pm
Rojo looks like he gets BIGGER every offseason.
Rojo looks SOLID.
I get the benefits of RB by committee, but Rojo sure looks like if they could just let him “warm up” in games and get into a consistent rhythm, he could be one of the top RBs in the NFL.
Now that he’s added some muscle since he was a rookie, he has the size for the NFL. He’s very FAST and has good vision.
I think it’s time to FEED ROJO and feed him often. Let’s see what he can do as a feature back.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:19 pm
I’m all for Rojo getting most of the carries, but they’re both going to play, so it really doesn’t matter who the starter is.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:26 pm
VH III cut the throttle real fast, no attempt to run down RoJo
August 28th, 2021 at 11:28 pm
PassingThru Says:
August 28th, 2021 at 11:15 pm
@DoooshLaRue
The backup OL was poor at run blocking. It’s not all on him.
_____
What about the fumbles?
OL cause those?
August 28th, 2021 at 11:31 pm
Bernard came up limping after that drop. Didn’t look too serious but if he’s a no go then Fournette will be saved for third downs.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:34 pm
Rojo definitely showed he’s the man in the backfield to start the season.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:39 pm
@Doosh
That’s why I qualified the comment. Those fumbles were bad.
But at the same time, the backup OL was not giving him the glimpse of a running lane.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:40 pm
I think Vaughn showed enough as a runner aside from the fumble, which you have to give credit to Reid for making the play.
He’ll be fine as the 3rd string rb behind the 1’s, but Vaughn isn’t inspiring at all as a kick returner. If anyone Darden had the best day returning kicks I suppose.
August 28th, 2021 at 11:43 pm
Hope Playoff Lenny don’t get bunched up–we need him whether he starts or not remember the superbowl Rojo couldn’t punch it in and Playoff Lenny scored on a nice run
August 28th, 2021 at 11:52 pm
Passing thru,
Fair enough.
August 29th, 2021 at 12:06 am
Vernon was a soft tackling unprofessional lazy dude when he was with us. I’d he had the tenacity and drive to become one of the best his talent could have taken him there. But with the money he got comfortable why do any extra work film study I made it baby!!! Enter Lovie my most despised Bucs coach ever and he coddles and doesn’t even bring in strong competition to sharpen the blade. I say it’s 75% on the terrible Mike Smith Lovie staff and 25% on the player for his indifference and ineptitude. shoot undrafted free agents with way less talent play their souls out! This pick in the first round irks more them almost any other failed draft pick. It’s just something about this guy he never seemed to give a spit. His life was set when he was a 1st round pick and I think he just doesn’t love the game enough to give a mouse turd. I don’t ever want to a corner back in round 1 again! Dude ruined it and look at history
August 29th, 2021 at 12:18 am
My bad I looked it up. To be fair to the wannabe Dungy. Lovie (lol who the hell gave him this feminine emasculate name/nick name? Was gone before VH3 was drafted so it’s all on Mike (give em a 20 yard cushion and lose with dignity) and Dirk ( Loyal to a fault should have fired GIVE em 50 slick Mike Smitty sooner!
August 29th, 2021 at 1:08 am
Finally y’all see ! Rojo da goat
GoBucs!
August 29th, 2021 at 5:15 am
I been consistent Rojo was the better back Fournette is good they will both be fine we need them both but Rojo is the better back!
August 29th, 2021 at 8:33 am
Vaughn looked mediocre. Lenny dropped a pass right in his hands and got benched. Rojo was electric.
August 29th, 2021 at 8:39 am
Rojo is more explosive in open field. A monster once he breaks the line. Griffen, Mickens, Vaughn ALL gone. They will pick up a cheap veteran security RB.
August 29th, 2021 at 9:09 am
Fournette Kool-Aid drinkers fail to realize that Lenny has one season in his career in his four where he averaged FOUR yards per carry or more. Also, he has a 3.9 YPC over the course of his career. While Rojo has three seasons under his belt and averaged 4.2 YPC or more in two of them and carries a 4.5 career YPC…. Rojo is clearly the better runner and it isn’t even close.
August 29th, 2021 at 9:30 am
“give em a 20 yard cushion and lose with dignity”
Now ^^^THAT^^^ is funny…and painfully true.
August 29th, 2021 at 9:31 am
Jones is the kind of runner who looks capable of breaking any run for big yardage.
It also looks like he and his body have grown up.
August 29th, 2021 at 11:34 am
I also think the ROJO high energy physical style of running works better in contrast to with the finesse/intellectual passing game of Brady.
August 29th, 2021 at 11:48 am
@ Doosh
I was wondering the same thing. Two fumbles and very little production. I would be fine cutting Vaughn if it allowed to keep an extra WR, DB or Lineman.
Im pretty sure there will be other RBs available who can run for three yards, drop passes and fumble.
I have to say I am most disappointed by KVs performance this preseason…
August 29th, 2021 at 2:26 pm
Lovie told Vernon to take it easy out there. They can’t be exhausted for the opener. Lovie is getting them Jacksonville ready!! So ready they will be🤣
August 29th, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Joe.. didn’t know we couldn’t link back to one of your own articles.. If I may quote you…
“Ronald Jones had three angry, run-to-the-death kind of successful runs in the first quarter and Mathieu was barking at teammates to blast RoJo so he would calm down.
“One of us gotta tattoo No. 27,” Mathieu yelled. “He’s runnin’. He got too much juice right now. He gettin’ the ball, he like, he’s like Walter Payton.””
Have to let a guy like that soften up the D….
August 29th, 2021 at 3:14 pm
In alot of ways, Rojo is the best RB in the game…
He’s the best at breaking tackles (check yo sheet), he’s got the best vision/creativity and heart of any RB (in my legit opinion), he’s the fastest thru the hole and by the time he reaches the line of scrimmage in the league, he’s got the best agility in the league, he’s got Take It To The House Speed and the potential to take any play to the house….
Rojo is by far my favorite RB in the NFL.
GLAD HE’S ON THE BUCS.
August 29th, 2021 at 3:52 pm
Y’all can hang it up thinking ROJO is gonna get the ball as much as he should because Mr. Straight Shooter is so stubborn that it doesn’t matter that ROJO is the much better player, he wants his system run the way he wants it and he will pull him no matter how well he’s running and put in Leonardo no matter how many times he pitter patters behind the line. It happened last year it will happen this year, but since we have Lucky #7 Rings we don’t have as a much to worry as other teams.
August 29th, 2021 at 4:25 pm
The dude runs angry with knees and elbows flailing. He’s like tackling a hornet’s nest when he gets going…
August 29th, 2021 at 4:56 pm
To compare him to the great Walter Payton. Wow.
No disrespect to so many fine running backs… Bigger backs, stronger backs, and faster backs than Payton. There certainly are a number. But a more determined and tougher back than Payton? I don’t know of any.
August 29th, 2021 at 6:05 pm
@Mark: what’s funny is none of those guys played against Payton.
I had the glorious opportunity to live in Chicago the three 80’s years of the Bears great run, and indeed, Walter Peyton was incredible.
That dude was tougher than woodpecker lips.