“Lights Out” Love For Leonard Fournette
December 23rd, 2022
Running back talk.
Those Bucs fans barking to see more of rookie running back Rachaad White aren’t going to like this.
The man with the title of Buccaneers run game coordinator, assistant head coach Harold Goodwin, was asked this week for a review of Leonard “Lombardi Lenny” Fournette’s 2022 performance.
Speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Goodwin said Fournette was fantastic in the season opener at Dallas and then became a little inconsistent. But Goodwin was quick to say the entire Tampa Bay offense became inconsistent after that.
Then Fournette cranked it up.
“Lenny’s been great the last couple of weeks,” Goodwin said. “Last few weeks he’s been lights out. As far as catching the ball out of the backfield he’s been fabulous. He’s been good in protection. He’s been good in protection.”
Goodwin said overall the Bucs running game is missing “chunk” runs, as in turning the five- or seven-yarders into 10 or 13 yard scampers.
Over the last four games, Fournette has 163 yards and 1 touchdown on 38 carries (4.29 yards per carry). And he’s caught 17 of 19 targets in the passing game. But as Joe noted earlier this week, no running back in the league has been worse this season when it comes to runs of 20 yards or more.
That has to change.
December 23rd, 2022 at 6:37 pm
The blocking has to change.
December 23rd, 2022 at 6:59 pm
D-Rok … Kinda feels like beating a dead horse, doesn’t it.
December 23rd, 2022 at 6:59 pm
Nothing against Lenny but I feel that White gives us a better chance to win.
December 23rd, 2022 at 7:12 pm
DR, it does indeed.
Both of these backs would be “good” with even slightly better blocking – at least get 1 blocker to 2nd level at point of attack, and we’d have easily 1 YPC better.
I get why they run the duo-blocking scheme mostly, but c’mon man – why hardly ANY traps? counters? sweeps? Run scheme is so 1970’s, and I’m sick of seeing the same darn thing week-in and week-out.
Change it UP, coaches!
Who knows, maybe they’ve been practicing all year and are holding back a good run game just in time for the playoffs. I mean, that’d be frickin’ genius, right?
Unleash the Kraken on the unsuspecting run D’s. SMH and LOL’ing – aint gonna happen, unless it does.
December 23rd, 2022 at 7:14 pm
Bucs don’t have the true break away running back that some other teams have. We do have two very decent backs, but neither have the the explosive speed/ power that can be a true game changer. What hurts the Bucs the most is losing the entire group of excellent blockers they had before this year due to injuries and departures. The one left over from last year is ok at run blocking but sucks at pass blocking. If your line sucks its pretty hard to score touchdowns like the past 2 years.
December 23rd, 2022 at 7:36 pm
D the play calling has to change. If the d knows its coming and where it’s going it’s gona be much harder to block. Look at the breakdown of play calls on each down for the season. If you sense a trend you’d be correct. Opposing teams sense it too. Good luck blocking
December 23rd, 2022 at 7:45 pm
But, but, but – Darin, the coaches say all the fault is player execution! Coaches haven’t looked in the mirror once this year, and that’s amazing because I’d expect them all to have huge beards at this point.
Scheme and coaching have KILLED this team. Aint saying with the talent available they’d win the SB, BUT I’m sure they’d have more wins and be more competitive with a competent scheme and coaches not in a coma.
December 23rd, 2022 at 8:10 pm
Too slow getting to the hole. Stop the stutter stepping. How many receptions has White made?
December 23rd, 2022 at 8:14 pm
Why are they missing chunk plays?? Many reasons, starting with the o-line. But part of the reason is Fournette is a plodder who seldom makes tacklers miss, and doesn’t have the speed and elusiveness to break big gains. I am both a Bucs and Vikings fan, and even though he is having a somewhat off year, every time Dalvin Cook get the ball, you know he can break a long gain if he gets a small opening. Fournette, not really. I know he was a big part of the SB 2020 run, but this year, I don’t know why he is even in the line up.
December 23rd, 2022 at 11:14 pm
Listen, the offense the bucs run has never had a creative running game. It was all predicted on double team blocks. If defenses played two high, they could gash them. If they dropped a safety, Brady would kill them with crossers. That all set up deep play action passes. No doubt that Lenny has been slower to the hole this year. Next Gen says by a full MPH. He has looked better the past few weeks. I think that has more to do with growing continuity up front. The reason the offense can’t hit more deep passes, is because guys are sitting on routes. They don’t fear being beat over the top, because Brady is sped up. He doesn’t have the time he did last year, because the run game has been so inept. It’s all a trickle down effect.
December 24th, 2022 at 1:39 am
Bijan Robinson in the 2023 draft would be the best change. We’re currently picking at 19 and there’s a good chance that he’d still be there.
December 24th, 2022 at 5:22 am
Until a couple of weeks ago there was more emphasis on getting Lenny into
pass patterns. Then we played the 49 er’s and Lenny and White picked up blitzes.
Lenny in particular had a crushing block, but both backs had blocking assignments
which enabled Brady to connect on more intermediate routes to WR’s.
December 24th, 2022 at 8:08 am
This regime has not been good at picking backs, see Rojo, or developing young backs, see what’s happening with White. The best way to improve our run game is to get a new coaching staff.
December 24th, 2022 at 9:27 am
Are we watching the same number 7? Not bring in shape really has had a major issue on his performance.( 163 yards in 4 games ) Goodwin needs to go to, but praying the Glazers pull off the impossible and land SEAN P !!!
December 24th, 2022 at 9:52 am
Turn cannons into pop guns
December 24th, 2022 at 1:37 pm
Zero creativity in the playcalling + sub par run blocking = 2022 Bucs offense.
December 24th, 2022 at 4:04 pm
Trade Lenny and draft Bijan Robinson. Definitely underrated at where he should be in mocks. Build a OL in front of him and he’s dynamite 🧨
December 25th, 2022 at 10:19 am
Playoff Lenny is a tank, there’s no one that plows through the pack like he does,he just keeps on pushing ,He needs to have MORE playing time,he is a great player,use your weapons!
December 25th, 2022 at 11:28 am
Fournette has been much better the last week or two. That being said, average yards per carry for the entire league is at an all-time high… and here Lenny is averaging under FOUR yards a carry just like he has done in FOUR out of his SIX NFL seasons. There’s no surprise there.
December 25th, 2022 at 11:30 am
For those too dim to remember, Rojo averaged 5.1 YPC and managed 978 yards on the ground in 2020. It was one of the best seasons for a runner in Buc history.
December 26th, 2022 at 12:52 pm
I think all of you guys better wait and see what playoff Lenny does in the playoffs if they make it he one Dynamite player ready to explode and he’s just getting geared up for the playoffs so let’s give him a chance he was a major player in the Super Bowl that the Bucks won remember that. It would also be interesting see one of you couch players or couch coaches try and run the routes that he runs through how many men and how many he drags along with his powerful body. Lenny is a great player he just needs some inspiration from his non-emotional,and non motivational head coach, along with some confidence building by his quarterback and I think he will do just fine and lead the Bucks into the playoffs