Best Run Game Of The Season
December 10th, 2023
“See, we can run!“
Boy, with the Bucs running the ball for only 38 yards in the first half, Joe never imagined typing the following sentence.
Was this the best Bucs game running the ball this season? It was.
They averaged a miserable 2.5 yards a carry in the first half. Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales seemed as if he was perfectly happy running Rachaad White between the tackles for next to nothing.
Joe was about to lose his mind. Bucs fans on Twitter damn near did lose their minds.
Bucs fans were screaming for the coaching staff’s scalps. And Joe couldn’t blame them. It seemed the Bucs were going to end their playoff hopes the way the season started: running to nowhere.
Then the second half came.
Joe doesn’t know what got into the Bucs but man did it change. It helped that Canales started calling for White to run outside at times, and the draw plays were working. Finally, Canales was beginning to learn White is more Warrick Dunn than Mike Alstott.
The Bucs ended the game with 148 yards rushing, their best output this season. In the second half the Bucs ran for 110 yards. They averaged five yards a carry, which for the Bucs, is incredible.
Joe really wants to believe Bucs coaches wised up and saw how diversifying the run game just a little may have made the biggest difference of all.
Sadly, Joe has seen this coaching staff enough to realize they don’t believe diversity of offense is an asset. Three more wins and this coaching staff probably returns.
In the meantime, the possibility of a home playoff game is very real.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:23 pm
Rachaad White had 25 carries, ran for 102 yards, 4.08 YPC, gained 135 total yards and one touchdown when used properly. And they said we needed a new running back 😏
December 10th, 2023 at 5:24 pm
The Bucs were only able to start running the ball after the Falcons’ two starting DTs had left the game injured
December 10th, 2023 at 5:25 pm
Thats the bad part about winning. The coaches will return.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:26 pm
Canales needs to find a way to use to run game to open up the pass more. Teams now know that Canales is addicted to forcing the run.
Canales needs to add more play action but he’s not scheming WRs open at all. Everybody wants to just blame Mayfield but this is not a QB friendly offense to play in by any means.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:26 pm
Listening to Bowles post game press conference the Falcons were playing two deep safeties daring us to run. So we did.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:28 pm
Even a blind pig.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Start trask
December 10th, 2023 at 5:32 pm
I’ve been ok with Baker but he’s definitely fading in effectiveness. Several missed throws, wrong reads, indecision….Atlanta is bad and Mayfield looked pedestrian.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:33 pm
The funniest part is the Falcons moved the ball 72 yards in under 30 seconds and the game ended mercifully on our 3. Turd Bowels tried his best to lose it and almost succeeded.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:34 pm
Some of the play calls just make it seem so bad, even though they end up having a decent offensive game
December 10th, 2023 at 5:36 pm
Tbbucs3 Says:
December 10th, 2023 at 5:26 pm
Everybody wants to just blame Mayfield but this is not a QB friendly offense to play in by any means.
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Baker was missing wide open receivers all day AND throwing the ball in the dirt numerous times
December 10th, 2023 at 5:38 pm
We won due to 2 turnovers and Koo just absolutely choking, which never happens. He’s money, but he sure wasn’t today. If see no way this team is capable of winning 3 more games, and I sure hope they don’t.
Bowels needs to be flushed on Black Monday.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:42 pm
Rachad White is soft and scared of contact. You can see it in his eyes. He has no heart and armadillos up when he sees someone in his path and the only cuts he makes is into tackles or into back of his own players. He needs a hole the size of a bus to run thru but because Cajones is so stubborn and has no vision keeps running him up the gut for 2 yards. Our other backs are more effective there and we all saw it for ourselves. It’s been said he’s a 3rd down back and I believe it. What sucks about a win like this is coaches will be like “see we fixed the run game!” And keep doing the same old insanity and if we go to playoffs they’ll be retained and try to retain Fakerboi
December 10th, 2023 at 5:46 pm
ATL Buc
I saw Baker miss some throws like in 2 minute the miss to Evans….but I certainly did not see Baker miss “wide open” throws. The Falcons were stuck to Bucs WRs all day.
Canales is year behind with his approach to the pass game. If the Bucs had an OC like Kyle Shannon or McVay Baker would be putting up much better numbers even though he’s been solid this year in spite of a 1st year OC.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:48 pm
Did we watch the same game??? They could have and should have ran the score up on the Falcons. The D would get them the ball and they would 3 and out over and over again all game. When they got down they finally pushed the ball down the field. All year and the offense can’t get any better. It’s the same garbage week after week. The only difference is they were ahead this time and it allowed them to run up the middle a few more times. The Bucs play to stay close and pray the D saves them. The South is a joke of a division and no one should go to the playoffs. Horrible coached teams. Has a division ever had all the head coaches fired in the same year???? It should be this one
December 10th, 2023 at 5:49 pm
The Bucs are relying on the improved running attack due to the declining passing game. Baker Mayfield continues to hold this offense back, he’s a horrid QB. Two of the best receivers in the game and every week dismal and downright embarrassing passing statistics.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:52 pm
ATL Buc
I saw Baker miss some throws like in 2 minute the miss to Evans….but I certainly did not see Baker miss “wide open” throws.
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Watch all 22
December 10th, 2023 at 5:55 pm
We need that 6-6, 6-7, or 7-6 QB josh Allen. Baker sucks at 6-7. Never should have come down to a last minute drive. Baker has never won a super bowl. Oh and neither has Josh Allen, Herbert, Burrows, Hurts…….
December 10th, 2023 at 5:56 pm
The Falcoholic blog is sooooo sad……
December 10th, 2023 at 5:57 pm
AtlBuc
I haven’t watched the all 22 so I appreciate your perspective. Just watching the regular broadcast it didn’t look like the Bucs had that many guys getting open.
Certainly Baker missed a couple both with bad tosses and missing where the open target was but overall I agreed with color guy Archuleta who praised Atlanta’s secondary bigtime showing example after example of Bucs targets being covered.
December 10th, 2023 at 5:58 pm
Mark, you prefer Mayfield over Allen, Hurts, Herbert and Burroughs?
December 10th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
Tbbucs3: Your detractors on this site are jealous of the way you break down the essence of the game. Me? I salute you for your insights! The Cult of Kyle is crying in their Kool-Aid tonight my friend. Today’s victory must really irritate them. Good!
December 10th, 2023 at 6:06 pm
Evans and Godwin opened up the running game.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:07 pm
I’m not part of the Trask cult as WyomingJoe has indicated. I am one that sees lousy QB play. Mayfield is not a good QB, I’m all for seeing what Trask can do, he’s not going to play much worse and if he does then we start over with a new QB either via free agency or the draft. Mayfield is a loser.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
WyomingJoe Says:
December 10th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
Today’s victory must really irritate them. Good!
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You think we don’t want to win? That’s not true. We just want more than 49 yards passing in the first half and a quarterback who can throw accurately to wide open receivers and spread the ball around. Baker can focus on only one receiver per game. He doesn’t know how to spread the ball around. He’s been reading the press and was forcing the ball to Chris! Pathetic!!
December 10th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
Yeah Grover I was just looking at the Falcoholic site, they are acting like the season is over. Given the number of players who got hurt in the game, Arthur Smith and Ridder; they could be right. That team is a bad team right now, yet Bowels’ prevent D in the 4th just about cost Tampa tge game. If the Bucs left the ATL 10 more seconds to work with, Bucs lose. Oh yeah, the ATL’s automatic kicker getting the yips helped too.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
The falcons were missing a key players on defense really doesn’t look like Dave is the answer at oc, like him as a person but his offensive plan week to week is hard to watch.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:10 pm
Mayfield is what he is- inconsistent. Can make some great throws and then just flat out miss over and over.
That said, that whole “receivers running wide arse open” we heard about in the off-season hasn’t really materialized. Evans is the only guy who gets open consistently (but Mayfield still misses him too often). That said, ALT did do a good job locking him down today. First game in a long time I didn’t see him constantly open.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:15 pm
Don’t let the numbers fool you. Raschaad White is not quick, fast, powerful or very elusive. Watch the backfield of the good teams in this league and White looks like a half-speed cardboard cutout of a real NFL running back
December 10th, 2023 at 6:26 pm
Brisket, Rashad White is a much better running back due to his pass catching abilities the Baker Mayfield is at the QB position. There are many teams that would love to have white as a third down back, there is not one team that would want Mayfield.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:51 pm
Just watched the All-22, and gotta say, I’m not seeing anyone “running wide open”. A lot of guys who look open on the broadcast are not when seen on the All-22 – there was usually a safety closing quickly – you can see it on All-22, but they were usually out of frame in broadcast view. I’m sure Baker saw them. Also seemed like the receivers were not getting clean releases off the LOS, and that was mucking up the timing on routes.
December 10th, 2023 at 6:52 pm
I can’t help but thinking that the Bucs offense would be much better with improved QB play. Baker Mayfield is not playing good football. This team can’t win meaningful games against decent opponents with Mayfield at the helm. If the Bucs want to compete, they need a better QB.
December 10th, 2023 at 7:00 pm
They scored 27 points. Thats all that matters in the nfl.
December 10th, 2023 at 7:00 pm
I thought the Mayfield haters would all be glued to their sets waiting for Taylor Swift sightings at the Chiefs game.
Multi-tasking, I guess.
December 10th, 2023 at 7:09 pm
white had a nice game…
but he still lacks some vision…definitely lacks quick cut ability, and no real burst…
if it was bijon in those spots for us, it would have been more like an 150 yard game…
he’s doing some good things and improving by the week – but next year i hope we add a back to pair up with him in the offense…
heck he just might squeak out a 1,000 yard season…go figure!
December 10th, 2023 at 7:25 pm
dave “i give good podium” canales just got 2 wins in a row…
give that man some buffalo wings tonight…
but starting get that master game plan in place for green bay…
it’s a must win next sunday – as the falcons and saints play the panthers and giants
December 10th, 2023 at 7:26 pm
It was all Todd Bowles!!! At half time he said “we need better 1st down runs” ! Of course this has been an issue since game 3 of last year!
December 10th, 2023 at 7:39 pm
This has to kill the Joe that hates White.
White is now on pace for 974 yard rushing, 548 receiving, and 10 TDs.
Despite all the whining, turns out the Bucs had the right RB the entire time.
December 10th, 2023 at 7:44 pm
Well, someone popped Canales in the head at the half. It was like ‘duh’ I have really good receivers. Yeah dummy, Atlanta’s D is starting to back off on R defense in the second half. Does he call any kind of QB bootleg option? No, even though Canales has 4 sure handed receivers. ME13 and CG14 probably felt like tearing their helmets off. When BM connected with Otton in the final seconds, I shook my head in relief.
December 10th, 2023 at 7:46 pm
Falcons had injured DTS and they played a lot of cover 2 shell. So running the ball makes sense.
But it was clear that Edmonds was better running between the tackles and using White as a utility RB.
December 10th, 2023 at 8:08 pm
How about some love for Chase Edmonds and his burst instead of tap dancing.
December 10th, 2023 at 8:21 pm
I will continue to profess two things-
1. The OC has to go if he absolutely insists on being a run first team. It is a passing league. You pass to set up the run, which in turn sets up the play action.
Not to mention, this O line is much better at pass blocking then is run blocking.
2. With a new center and guard that can run block and bring an attitude, White can be the guy at RB. He is a very patient runner, but to a fault. It works great in passing and would work great with a good run blocking O line. Unfortunately 50% of the time it gets the ball he’s met within +\- 1 yard of the line of scrimmage. So he’s patient and stalls in the backfield looking for a hole which is horrendous. With a better flocking interior that patients can work out great.
I also still think they should be running Tucker a handful of times a game. He’s the best pure runner they have.
December 10th, 2023 at 8:24 pm
I feel bad for coach Bowles. Such a good guy, and so afraid to win. What gives coach?
If I could say one thing to coach is this: ‘don’t be afraid man’ let that thing rip! Win lose or draw, you are in it to win it!
December 10th, 2023 at 8:25 pm
Chase is the Man!!
Dave C said it would take time to recognize the holes…and Stinnie #64
Go Bucs!
December 10th, 2023 at 8:34 pm
Chase Edmonds needs way more touches!!!
December 10th, 2023 at 9:50 pm
I wish I had some of the drugs Wyoming Joe is taking. I could use an Illegal Smile after that crud today.
Mayfield could not have hit the broadside of a barn, from inside that barn for most of the day.
There is no Cult of Trask, there are just fans that hope there is something better than an 85 yard first half.
The walking stiff named Joe Flacco had 330 yards and three touchdowns today. Compare Baker to that and them come to the realization that Flacco was on his couch three weeks ago.
December 10th, 2023 at 11:16 pm
The sad part about this is if the Bucs win to get in the playoffs then Bowles may be retained. But there doesnt really seem to be any growth by the team. Ok so we ran the ball a little better today, but I’m talking long term something you can bank on continuing to get better. It’s the same team as it was last year. Too poor to win and not sad enough to lose. Hopefully the Glazers have seen enough regardless of what happens.
December 10th, 2023 at 11:34 pm
Again, the Bucs accomplished something in quite sometime
December 11th, 2023 at 12:33 am
I feel like 🙏 and at the same time I feel like 🤮
December 11th, 2023 at 12:51 am
White is getting CMC in Carolina type of touches. He’s still quite average. The Oline is improving and white is tops in the league in touches. This offense is literally built around a third down back. It’s tough to watch