“Quit Running The Ball”
October 23rd, 2023
Loud Bucs fan fed up.
This is an absolutely beautiful, deserved takedown on the NFC South as a whole, and the Dixie Chicks and Bucs offenses in particular for the shameful, embarrassing display of professional offensive football exhibited at The Licht House yesterday.
And “offensive” is the keyword. If you were not offended yesterday, then you have no soul.
Long-time friend of Sage of Tampa Bay sports Ira Kaufman, Judy Battista of NFL.com excoriated what the two teams claimed were NFL offenses yesterday.\
It wasn’t just that both offenses were inept, it was braindead football from the mind-numbing decisions to the ill-disciplined display.
“Sloppy” doesn’t properly describe it.
Battista was sitting a good distance away from Joe in the Bucs’ press box. So Joe did not hear what Battista heard. Apparently, a full-throated Bucs fan had seen enough and begged the Bucs to use common sense.
Whoever it was spoke for not just Bucs fans, but football fanswho had the misfortune of watching the game.
The Bucs running game is so non-existent that they got their season-long run from Baker Mayfield, for 31 yards. Outside of that, they averaged just 2.2 yards per rush, which led to a desperate plea from a Bucs fan on the team’s final drive: “Stop running the ball.”
A-freaking-men!
This mind-numbing desire to keep feeding the ball to one of the NFL’s worst running backs in misplaced slot receiver Rachaad White (especially from shotgun) is starting to turn Joe absolutely mental. This is like over the course of two seasons throwing the ball to a receiver who cannot catch a cold yet has coaches have a twisted delusion that the guy will suddenly turn into Steve Largent.
If Joe didn’t know better, he’d swear someone at One Buc Palace is trying to get fired — or trying to set the team up to draft quarterback Drake Maye in April. That’s how crazy this White-as-a-bellcow-running-back fetish is.
If the Bucs don’t acquire a running back by Halloween, a week from tomorrow, which is the trade deadline, the Bucs are not serious about the playoffs..
Joe received a Twitter observation from someone this morning with the handle @bwillvfl that makes a Bucs fan think: Ever since the Bucs told Baker Mayfield they don’t want him to take hits, the offense has collapsed.
The only halfway-decent, consistent running game the Bucs have is Mayfield.
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:38 am
He runs too high and is a slot WR he never gets the corner
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:43 am
The running plays must be too predictable. When you are last in the league on O, got to get imaginative. Flat passes, screens, end-arounds, trick plays. Got to create more uncertainty in the opponent’s D.
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:46 am
First and 10, “RUN through the GUT” loss 2 yards. 2nd and 12, “run around the gut, tackled loss 2 yards”. 3rd and 14, “bombs away to nowhere” 4th and 14, PUNT. …. Bowles and Canales…. we’ll get it next time….. RINSE AND REPEAT….. oh boy… BUCS Life !!!
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:47 am
Another 3rd round ( Premium pick ) BUST…
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:48 am
Hang a microphone behind the the opposing teams linebackers and I bet he can get yardage then.
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:49 am
A more physical RB may help, but they will still have the same interior OLine and TE’s.
The loss of Jensen has cost the Bucs 3-4 wins per season last year and this year.
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:51 am
These are Jason Lichts’ hand picked crew from Canales to Oline to RB’s, time to start laying the blame where it belongs if no roster changes are made…….
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:52 am
The one positive from White this game was the work he did catching passes and looking competent after the catch. Sorry I’m trying to stay positive
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:53 am
Comment of the month, maybe the year!
Bravo sir. Bravo! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:55 am
I honestly see their point that running the ball is important. However, at some point if there isn’t any progress at all…you’ve just gotta admit defeat and move on to something else that does work. Trouble there is the passing game wasn’t working very well either. It wasn’t totally hopeless, but still, it’s not very good.
October 23rd, 2023 at 10:57 am
No, he’s not bad and might just be a good back catching passes out of the backfield. White has zero vision as a runner.
He’s a misplaced slot receiver. Starting to seriously believe White would be an upgrade from Deven Thompkins at receiver.
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:03 am
Remember in the recent past when this team was looking for an RB that could pick up the blitz? White has good hands, and has some running skill in space. He is likely the wr3 we are looking for. We are still setting Traskerfield up for failure by having to dink and dunk 40 times a game.
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:07 am
I have been thinking the same as Joe for some time. White is far more dangerous, if that word can be attributed, as a receiver. than a running back. take an established back before the trade deadline and put White in the slot,
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:15 am
The pass to run was 2 to 1
They are throwing the ball. Baker ain’t the guy.
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:23 am
I think White had a 3 yard run once by accident.
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:33 am
Hahahaha!
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:36 am
LOL Bucn Enough!
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:45 am
Both RBs did put more effort into this game, but they still don’t have any talent to work with.
After Buffalo they might as well throw Trask in and see if his arm is a cannon. It won’t look any worse than what we have seen so far.
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:46 am
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
1. We’re not “Collapsing for Caleb”. We’re simply going to lose … a lot. Our draft picks will be top 10, maybe top 5. Keep them.
2. Licht has never made a trade midseason. It’s not his MO.
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:53 am
I will say it again. BRING. BACK. LOMBARDI. LENNY. Call him. Apologize. Eat crow. Tell him you were wrong. Pay him 4 million. As RB2 Ronald Jobes. Remember his 97 yard TD run?? They’re both available so drop White and Vaughn NOW.
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:59 am
Koetter running Doug Martin into a brick wall all the time was a fun back-to-back 5-11 seasons.
October 23rd, 2023 at 12:00 pm
“ I think White had a 3 yard run once by accident.“
Surely it was called back by a 10 yd holding penalty.
October 23rd, 2023 at 12:08 pm
Leave the roster alone and we have a chance at the 1st pick.
October 23rd, 2023 at 12:09 pm
At this rate, the NFL’s defenses will learn our running game before our offense does.
October 23rd, 2023 at 12:17 pm
1. Move White to slot WR
2. Let Sneak find another team
3. Stop running and pass more
4. Sign someone to play RB
5. More screens and end arounds
October 23rd, 2023 at 12:21 pm
I say hire a HC right now. Leave everything else as is unless he wants to make a change. Bowles can not be allowed to wear 2 hats HC/DC. Maybe Harbough? Semeone could straighten out Bowles mess in a couple weeks or so.
October 23rd, 2023 at 12:35 pm
Honestly we need a slot wr. At this point I’m ready to see Ko Kieft get carries at least he might fall forward.
October 23rd, 2023 at 12:42 pm
Read in another forum that White might be better as a slot receiver/3rd down pass catching back. After watching him yesterday, he could really be that 3rd receiver for us. Think Boyd for Cincy, QB to WR.
October 23rd, 2023 at 1:12 pm
3rd down back zero vision and no burst runs too high that’s why he can’t break tackles the koetter regime moved marpet to C and then his regime moved wirfs to LT least experiment with him at the slot tired of seeing Thompkins get touches he is a best a 5th wr and a gadget guy
October 23rd, 2023 at 1:13 pm
@Statguy let Kieft get some carries up the middle hell we might have a chance at 3rd and short. Kieft might be a hair slower than Snow White
October 23rd, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Duane in Sanford … ‘We are still setting Traskerfield up for failure by having to dink and dunk 40 times a game.’
BINGO! The short stuff is fine, but you can’t make a meal out of it. Need more intermediate & deep passing to spread the defense out more. And please use more rollouts (Baker looks to be more comfortable on the move IMO).
October 23rd, 2023 at 2:02 pm
He stinks. He’s slow. He’s got bad vision. He goes down easy.
He’s an OK third-down back. NEXT
October 23rd, 2023 at 3:12 pm
Need to trade for Javonte Williams, I hoped they would have drafted him coming out of Maryland. Then I just read Dalvin Cook is looking to get traded, he may be washed up, not sure.
October 23rd, 2023 at 3:37 pm
Maybe Mayfield could play RB?
October 23rd, 2023 at 5:09 pm
Get off White’s case. He can make people miss in space. And what happened to the rookie? Vaughn doesn’t need to be getting touches.
October 23rd, 2023 at 5:53 pm
“This is like over the course of two seasons throwing the ball to a receiver who cannot catch a cold yet has coaches have a twisted delusion that the guy will suddenly turn into Steve Largent.”
So funny Joe typed this. The Bucs have done this before… with Michael Clayton. They even re-signed him!!
October 23rd, 2023 at 7:56 pm
Get White the short passes. He does well catching the ball.
October 23rd, 2023 at 11:12 pm
Well considering that Christian McCaffrey ran for all of three yards per carry against Minnesota Vikings. Maybe there is something to the fact that the box have played four games out of six against top six run defenses in the NFL. Add to the fact that we have a poor run blocking offense of line that have not been opening holes which can be illustrated by the fact that none of our other running backs have run for much more than two yards per carry in this offense.
Maybe the problem is our offensive line personnel and the blocking scheme they are using.
October 24th, 2023 at 9:03 am
Last year Bucs would hardly run, this year we run too much. Not sure why they can’t see Rashad white is the Charles sims. He’s going to be a backup eventually. Licht doesn’t want to win this year