JV Run Game Holding Bucs Back
January 2nd, 2023
The Bucs squared up Sunday against a below average Panthers run defense and — surprise! — the Bucs made them look like a steel curtain in the trenches.
It’s absolutely criminal that Tom Brady has to deal with a worse ground game than the clown show Jameis Winston was given.
The Bucs entered Sunday’s thrilling win last in the NFL in yards per carry and proceeded to sink a little deeper into the run-game cellar.
Rachaad White? 11 carries for 22 yards.
Leonard Fournette? 10 carries for 28 yards.
At least each guy was consistent. The longest run of the day was seven yards.
And when the Bucs needed to ice the game with 59 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter? Three runs netted five yards and the Bucs were forced to punt.
Short yardage? The duo of Fournette and White were 1-for-3 on the ground, and on this day the Bucs preferred the air and Tom Brady’s legs in those situations.
It’s mindblowing how a throw-first team can’t take advantage of openings on the ground. The Bucs are not facing a ton of stacked boxes. And White is a rookie with fresh legs and Fournette at 3.5 yards per carry is approaching Payton Barber status.
Joe’s not big on a balanced offense, but the playoffs are next and it’s damn hard to win there without an efficient ground game. The Bucs had that through their Super Bowl run two years ago, and they were solid in the playoffs against the Eagles last year (31 carries for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns).
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:17 am
Yes.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:19 am
Draw plays on every first down doesn’t help either. Fire Leftwich.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:23 am
Quit wasting snaps on it. Brady, Evans, Godwin, Jones, et al are the better option. Air it out from here on out!
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:24 am
I’d love to see what the split is on 1st down average vs 2nd down average.
Maybe if the Bucs weren’t 100% completely predictable about when and where they’re running the ball, they’d have some success at it. But no, instead of mixing things up, that idiot Leftwich runs right into 8 man boxes, or right at the other teams best player, with shocking results (well shocking to Leftwich since he’s an idiot).
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:29 am
Run game is beyond terrible, but they are both stout and can pick up first downs with their hands. White and Vaughn next week.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:35 am
BA red pen
Maybe we will get lucky on second and long, they will never suspect a thing.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:40 am
@Joe
Todd Bowls deserves a nickname now as our newest Division Winning Coach.
I’m thinking of something along the lines of “Chips Ahoy”. Maybe that can be the name of his offense. “No Risk it No Biscuit was put in the Ring of honor the same day that C(s)hips Ahoy was born!
I really liked Todds interview today. He finally seemed RELAXED and a pleasure to listen to.
Can’t wait to see what we do in the playoffs with the Todd Bowls “Chips Ahoy” philosophy!!!
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:48 am
Ever consider that the league has decided to take away our run game and force Brady to throw?
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:00 am
Todd Bowls deserves a nickname now as our newest Division Winning Coach.
I’m thinking of something along the lines of “Chips Ahoy”. Maybe that can be the name of his offense. “No Risk it No Biscuit was put in the Ring of honor the same day that C(s)hips Ahoy was born!
I really liked Todds interview today. He finally seemed RELAXED and a pleasure to listen to.
Can’t wait to see what we do in the playoffs with the Todd Bowls “Chips Ahoy” philosophy!!!
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:07 am
Lenny and White are just dudes. We need someone with a rare skill set like Bijan Robinson to overcome our below average, to just plain putrid coaches.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:12 am
Leftwhich needs to do different run plays like run it to the right on a pitch or something like that because the middle isn’t our answer though hainsey been doing good. I can’t wait for Jensen to come back I think that’ll help out
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:16 am
love the accomplishment against a 6 win team!! yay bucs.. i cant see how they will win a playoff game.. just being real
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:23 am
I agree, Buczilla. Lenny and White are indeed just dudes, but they are constantly hyped as more. A huge problem is that they are slow-mo dudes who just don’t explode and get upfield efficiently. Not good in short yardage. They have to be out in the flat, with open space to “gather a head of steam” to get YAC. I don’t see either of them carrying an offense for an extended period the way a smashmouth offense would need.
The elephant in the room is an OL. They were slightly better today, but that is not saying much. Mediocre.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:34 am
Carolina played tight coverage and stacked the box. That’s why Godwin had 100 and evans had 200.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:36 am
They have find some type of running game to keep teams honest.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:45 am
It’s 2023 – you run through the air.
Also, if you still think it’s 1972 and you have to run the ball, here’s an idea, run on 2nd down, not just up the gut on 1st down. At some point you’d think this idiot Leftwich would figure out that people know what is coming and make some adjustments.
Seriously – just call the same plays in a different order, and 90% of the problems on offense would magically get fixed.
Instead of up the gut on every 1st down, how about this, take a deep shot on 1st down, run up the gut on 2nd down, then next series, do the opposite, then next series, change it up yet again. There’s no rules that say the running game must only consist of running it between the tackles on 1st down when the defense has 8 people in the box waiting on it.
January 2nd, 2023 at 3:34 am
We had a good rushing attack against the Cowboys.
I hope we will play the Cowboys in the payoffs.
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:11 am
Brady is 7-0 vs cowgirls
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:19 am
Need to run more counters like we did against Seattle.
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:20 am
Todd Monken (remember that guy?) does it right with the Georgia Bulldogs. Pass to set up the run, and not vice versa.
That’s how some 5’11” walk-on nobody is about to lead his school to a second national championship in a row, imagine what that strategy could do for Brady’s offense?
January 2nd, 2023 at 6:41 am
…and it’s not because of the backs efforts. They say for o-lineman run blocking is the easiest assignment but not with this group for some reason. They just rarely open lanes and when they do untimely penalties usually negate the back’s effort.
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:22 am
You still have to be balanced to get all the way there in the playoffs. Jensen will work his tail off getting ready over the next two weeks. Bucs will develop a running game-watch out NFC.
January 2nd, 2023 at 7:43 am
Our run game works when it needs to. Short passes are the running game now. Both backs are great catching the ball. It’s tiring to hear everyone say how bad we are running the ball. I think Devin White said it right a couple of months ago. He said the team was bored. I think they were. Now they are not bored. The rest of the NFL better look out because here we come.
January 2nd, 2023 at 8:07 am
And when the Bucs needed to ice the game with 59 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter?
Running 3 times was Bowles’ decision- force Panthers to use up all their timeouts and rely on the Defense . No way Bucs were going to pass and Panthers knew it. Fortunately, Bucs’ punter saved the day.
Bucs’ interior OLine is just not good at run blocking and that is not going to change this year.
January 2nd, 2023 at 9:02 am
Most fans know what’s coming in the Bucs running game and then you have a line that allows a minimum one defensive linemen in the backfield before the runners can even get started. Not a good mix. Predictably and stubbornness believing your lineman can win one on one when they haven’t all year
January 2nd, 2023 at 9:08 am
The running game.. is it a lack of talent up front, or can ANY O-line be successful if utilized correctly? Have no idea. I know the patented Brady sneak was stomped a few times earlier in the year because we couldn’t move the pile a single _$$3@’€^°ing INCH, but it’s worked of late
January 2nd, 2023 at 11:31 am
You serious Joe? Stevie Wonder could see that they were tackled behind the scrimmage line almost every time wtf. The o line is a$$. Only reason Brady is alive is because he lets the ball go in 2secs. Only Barry sanders would be able to run behind us atrocious oline
January 2nd, 2023 at 12:36 pm
Rod … right on
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:34 pm
I can hardly believe it Crackw, but I almost enjoyed TB’s presser today. It was the first time. I think also c”Ships Ahoy” should be used, somewhere. It does still bother me that no one on the team poured the Gatoraid bucket. Here is hoping that changes with the team, soon, as I guess we will be stuck with the coach for another year.