“We Just Gotta Keep Choppin’ Away At It”
December 4th, 2023
Run, Bucs, run!
That’s what Todd Bowles wants to see on offense, he explained today.
Joe wants to see successful running. Bowles does, too. But the difference is Bowles seems willing to accept killing time with poor run plays.
Brace yourself; Joe has a stat from yesterday.
No. 1 Bucs running back Rachaad White had 10 runs of 2 yards or less against the lowly Panthers. In total, White ran 20 times for 84 yards, with the biggest chunk coming on the final real play of the game, a 30-yard scamper as Carolina sold out for the run on 3rd-and-1 with 2 minutes remaining.
“We just gotta keep choppin’ away at it,” Bowles told WFLA-TV sports chief Dan Lucas today. “We’re really making progress in that area.”
The Bucs are making progress in the run game, but at their current rate of improvement, they’ll have a good ground game just in time for Kyle Trask to make a meaningless start in Week 18.
Why the Bucs haven’t been good at scheming the run game and why the team doesn’t want to throw more remain mysteries at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters.
December 4th, 2023 at 4:24 pm
Baker gonna be a daddy š Congrats to you and your beautiful wife , Emily.
December 4th, 2023 at 4:24 pm
Boooooooooooooo!!! Booooooooo!!!! Get outta here with that junk.
December 4th, 2023 at 4:27 pm
I badly want the run game coordinator job under Todd – safest position in the building as long as Toddās in charge
Wow, how he settles for ineptitude is just amazing
December 4th, 2023 at 4:29 pm
Hopefully the new head coach can figure it out.
December 4th, 2023 at 4:32 pm
Take away the last run and where does it leave us? Bowles has to go man. PERIOD!
December 4th, 2023 at 4:40 pm
Agree…the whole staff should be on the chopping block. A chop here, a chop there, a chop everywhere. The time frame should be Chop Chop like yesterday.
December 4th, 2023 at 4:41 pm
My problem isnāt even how often we run, itās the same sorry run plays we call. We want to run through the A gaps when the strength of our line is at tackle and our back is much more a slasher than a north and south down hill bruiser. We never run misdirection or counters. Just straight said.
December 4th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
He’ll be preaching this crap at a Div III college eventually.
It only works in the NFL nowadays f you have a RB like a Jonathan Taylor type guy or a Nick Chubb type etc and we obv don’t.
December 4th, 2023 at 4:44 pm
Kicking the stool out from under your own feet
December 4th, 2023 at 4:45 pm
Joe I hear you loud and clear. Bowles with this chopping away at the run. With 5 games left the Bucs need to be focus on whatās gonna win games and pass first with sticking a run in hear and there work better at this time. If Bowles and his stubbornness kept this up heās gonna run the Bucs out of their very small chances to make the playoffs and run his self right out the door
December 4th, 2023 at 4:57 pm
Itās not so bad itās overblown
December 4th, 2023 at 5:06 pm
White up the middle for 1 will continue
December 4th, 2023 at 5:12 pm
WOw! i was really surprised Bucs won by 3 points against the worst team in the NFL….. amazing !!! Bowles for Head Coach of the Year !!!! YAY!!!! smh…
December 4th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Hey don’t try and think you joes don’t have a very small part but part nonetheless in this. You helped encourage the monster with all the heralding a week ago of how the run game was now improved as a fact ( not just a blip due to competition)
As I noted then – you really thought Bowles and Canales were going to change while you we telling them their master plan was slowly working?
Yes, it’s Joe’s fault. Sorry, but Joe couldn’t ignore an improved run day in Indy out of fear of influencing the coaching staff. Next you’ll pin a bad draft pick on Joe. –Joe
December 4th, 2023 at 5:21 pm
We as Bucs fans should take some time to acknowledge this incredible thing that we’re all witnessing:
Todd Bowles would prefer to not score points, lose games, and eventually get himself fired, all so that he can say they ran the offense he wanted.
Amazing.
December 4th, 2023 at 5:27 pm
Clueless Todd needs to coach better. Heās your classic smartest of all the idiots type coach.
December 4th, 2023 at 5:39 pm
Itās disgusting, as fans I know there are so many of us that are so frustrated because we know our offense is being wasted. This offense could be scoring so many more points. Put Godwin back in the slot and move Palmer to the outside and push the dang ball down the field throw on first and second downs and we wonāt have a third.
December 4th, 2023 at 5:47 pm
Mystery solved Joe! Bowles is stupid and stubborn. Kept Ya Ya on the bench for half the season because JTS was ready to break out. White up the middle was going to work one of these time. Just watch! D White makes the defense run. JJ came off the bench yesterday and put White to shame. (JJ will go back on the bench as soon as White is ready.) Bowles save timeouts every week like they are gift certificates to Bern Steakhouse.plays a soft zone, that gets torched every time they use it, because only two guys can press/man coverage. ( We play much better in man). There you have it Joe. Your mystery has been solved. Bowels is stupid and stubborn. Your welcome.
December 4th, 2023 at 5:56 pm
Iād like to know how they are going to stop the run. Our run defense is like a sieve. Even the Panthers ran over us yesterday. Sad defense, the Falcons are going to run wild against this defense.
December 4th, 2023 at 5:57 pm
Bowles truly is delusional. You rarely want to complain about a win but had The Bucs lost yesterdayā¦REAL changes may have begun. Nowā¦if The Riddler ( heās awful ) and Falcons win next weekā¦maybe some sense of reality will set in.
December 4th, 2023 at 5:59 pm
“No. 1 Bucs running back Rachaad White had 10 runs of 2 yards or less against the lowly Panthers.”
Of course Joe wants to discredit Rachaad White for averaging 4.2 YPC, gaining 84 rushing yards, 106 total yards, and 1 touchdown in a game we won š
December 4th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
The Eagles threw it 45 times vs 18 rushing attempts yesterday and got their ass kicked.
Really donāt see the point of Arena Football offense is the only way to go.
There are many factors involved with a winning team.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:10 pm
An observation: in watching the Chiefs/Packers game last night, the Chiefs’ RB, Isiah Pacheo, keeps his feet moving forward, almost always. Our guy, Rachad White, seems to shuffle his feet without gaining ground. Maybe its the blocking at fault, maybe both blocking and our RB, but we spend a lot of time searching for the right route to run.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:10 pm
BTW, Mayfield had 15 passes of 0 yards gained and 1 turnover
December 4th, 2023 at 6:15 pm
Funny how that 30 yard scamper was thanks to the original lane not having a chance to open up before the ball was snapped and White had to go back the other way and the announcers even spoke how one of the TEs sealed the edge which allowed him to get around the edge plus were kind of dl clowning Cajones on tv for not scheming his two best weapons Evans and Godwin open, priceless. Just as Cajones doesn’t know how to scheme receivers open he doesn’t know how to formulate a good blocking scheme nor figure out for himself that running up the gut 10-15 times a game isn’t cutting it because the interior line is too soft and weak and gets beat as soon as the ball is snapped. Really pathetic it’s taking 10 games to see any kind of improvement in their super exciting run game. Glad he doesn’t try any rpos with inch high private eye Baker who runs slower than Brad Johnson and Tom Brady because he’d get wiped out like toilet paper!
December 4th, 2023 at 6:17 pm
Look stop drinking the kool aid. We are not good. Below average qb, defense that refuses to adjust, run gameā¦.. what run game. I chuckle inside when I read that our running game is closeš. When baker doesnāt turn the ball over(rarely) he averages 1.5 td and 200 yards passing. And people here (Wyoming Joe) think that is good enough. You are all blinded by the mediocrity and just grasping for straws. Iāll be at the game next week and Iām sure Iāll be disappointed as usual. We barely beat the worst team in the league and we are excited šš. Just one last stat for Wyomings boy baker. He threw for 200 yards and 162 was to Evans ( who ran 70 yards). Not 1 pass to our TE?? Just disgusting. Baker missed a dozen throws that most nfl qbs make. Even heās checked out sitting by himself on the bench pouting. Time to play Trask to see if just maybe he wasnāt a wasted pick. You need to play him a few games to see. So what if you win your division with another losing record and get blown out in the 1st rnd hopefully a new future coach can evaluate and possibly develop our qb
December 4th, 2023 at 6:17 pm
Another thing is, Bowles is so into run run run that heās not looking at QB play. I am not sure weather the Bucs a a better QB coach, another QB, or both. The play at position hasnāt been that good
December 4th, 2023 at 6:19 pm
Bowles is a delusional idiot.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:23 pm
Toilet Bowl knows he can’t rely on the passing games with an inaccurate qb. Baker completed 48% of his passes yesterday. The bucs would have been blown out if they played against any other team.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:24 pm
Titans lost to the Colts in TO yesterday 31-28. Derrick Henry rushed 21 times for 102 yards, a mere 4.9 YPC average. Of those 21 rushes, 10 of them were for 2 yards or less … same as Rachaad. Yup, couple of bums.
Does anyone aspire to have the Titans’ offense? –Joe
I think that’s how most RBs get their yards … a number of meh rushes with a few ‘Wow, look at that rabbit go’ runs thrown in that up their average considerably.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:30 pm
You want to know how bad our run game is?
During the 3rd quarter- the Bucs had 71 yards of total offense… AFTER Mike Evans scored a 75 yard touchdown.
Read that again and then let it sink in.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:34 pm
Bucsmarley … ‘defense that refuses to adjust’.
Interesting observation. No question in my mind that Todd Bowles is hard-headed & slow to embrace change, but there was a LOT of adjusting going on yesterday. We started the day with TWO healthy ILBs, and promptly lost 1 of those in the 1st half. So that required passing the leadership role (green dot) to JJ Russell, a guy who’d been on the Practice Squad for most of the year (just called up a week or so prior). Then, oh ya, filling the 2nd ILB slot with Ryan Neal who’d probably never played the position before.
Of our starting 11, FIVE of them were backups, and 3 of them were rookies. And that’s BEFORE KJ Britt got injured & left the game. The fact that we even won that game is a testament to how poorly Carolina is playing this season. Still though, Bowles would’ve had to do a ton of adjusting just to get 11 defenders on the field.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:43 pm
Did any one notice the Bucs played the 49ers closer than the Iggles? And the team formerly known as the Cleveland Rams who won an NFL championship in Cleveland beat the Cleveland Browns?
December 4th, 2023 at 6:43 pm
āChoppingā. You canāt make that stuff up.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:48 pm
David Says:
The bucs would have been blown out if they played against any other team.
—–
What a dumb statement Given we actually HAVE Played 11 other teams and only two teams have beat us by two or more scores.
and before you try to save yourself by saying you were talking about this game only – remember your entire thesis is that the passing game has been bad all season
Every other day Traskies show why they are Traskies. The Cult of Kyle requires no IQ test.
December 4th, 2023 at 7:03 pm
Todd is very out of touch with the current quality of NFL defenses. He is living in the past and fancies that he has the Hogs blocking for John Riggins or Larry Csonka. Maybe he thinks he Rachad White is the next Earl Campbell.
That kind of football worked for Don Shula and Joe Gibbs when football players sold out their bodies and offensive linemen were nasty.
Football players on offense are more protective of their bodies and will lose interest running up the gut when there is no daylight.
Bowles has an offense of superstars like Evans and Godwin but Baker isnāt polished enough to get the ball out on time. Slow release and bad vision. He is what he is, a rough and ready football player who leaves it all on the field but lacks the talents required to be a better than average quarterback.
Bucs offense reflects Bowles dreams of thinking he can win games by kicking field goals and running time off the clock. The volume of punting yesterday was sickening.
December 4th, 2023 at 7:15 pm
White is not a good Runner at all and Iām not sure he can run a 4.8 on the field ā¦ā¦ā¦ heās got a nice cut or two , here or there but itās a stop cut which makes him play slower and he already plays slow , really slow !!
December 4th, 2023 at 7:19 pm
@Tony
The Eagles beat the Bucs 25-11. Thatās 2 scores that they beat the Bucs by.
The Lions beat the Bucs 20-6. Thatās 2 scores that they beat the Bucs by.
The 49ers beat the Bucs 27-14. Thatās 2 scores that they beat the Bucs by.
All of those teams are good teams, with winning records and who will all make the playoffs. All 3 of them you could reasonably make the case that they could make the NFC Championship Game.
The same can not be said for the Bucs.
The Texans are the only other above .500/winning team who the Bucs played well against, but unfortunately lost to.
If you wager money, when the Bucs face off against an above .500/winning team you would take their opponents and the points as the Bucs have only covered one out of 4 times in games against teams with an above .500 record.
These facts are why reasonable Bucs fans are not optimistic about the Bucs making the playoffs, or if they make the playoffs that they will just be one and done.
December 4th, 2023 at 7:24 pm
Saw some stats tonight and the Bucs offense statistically is a carbon copy of last year at this point in the season. It ALMOST made me feel bad for Byron. Bowles = mediocre football. Theyāll never win unless Licht drafts pro bowlers with every selection which is impossible.
December 4th, 2023 at 7:28 pm
@Tony Marks (seems I am only allowed one post per article. IDK why. this is a response from the last article.) Trust me, I am not Rod. Him and I have been around since day one of JBF.
Unfortunately, my previous username (CrackWise) was band from JBF and my IP was put in the cooler soon after we signed the Baker. Who was hired based on his resume and not his product. Certainly, you have been out to eat, and the food has sucked. Thats probably over your midget head so I will leave it at that.
None the less, Rod and I have gone back and forth disagreeing and calling one another toothless Joes. However, this one, he/she and I agree.
BAKER sucks at making eatable “W’s”!!! At least JW had the excuse of a HISTORICLY BAD D.
Still he is the only QB to throw for 30 tds 30 ints AND 5,000 yards…. Let that sink in FIVE FREAKING THOUSAND YARDS.
Kyle should easy fall somewhere between JW and BM.
#StartKyleNow
December 4th, 2023 at 7:47 pm
Bucsmarley says he’ll be at the game on Sunday. I’m sure he’ll have his Falcons jersey on. Buy unbelievable a beer while the two of you cheer on the Dirty Birds.
Go away and leave this site for Bucs fans!
December 4th, 2023 at 7:48 pm
Keep hearing rumors of Jim Harbaugh to Bears…. UGH!
A proven WINNER everywhere he goes….
Bucs need Jim, NOT a shot in the dark, luck of the draw, highly probable BUST at HC for another 3 years…
December 4th, 2023 at 8:12 pm
Really tired of this we gotta run the ball š©. We are built for passing. We have to studs WRs prob top 3 duo in a he nfl. Stats wonāt show it this year cause they donāt throw the dam ball to CG14. They barely use ME13 at times. Add in stud receiving back RW1 and we could legit have a top 10 offense. Our oline is above average in pass blocking actually they are pretty dam good. The canāt run block to save their lives but they can pass block. Otton gets open Palmer will get better this offense can be elite under the right coaching
December 4th, 2023 at 8:24 pm
Joe Trask will be starting for more than 1 game.
After the Jax game Bucs will be elimination from the playoffs.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:31 pm
That last run solidified Bowles ground & pound philosophy. To all you Baker boys, he just dropped to #19, chasing the bottom third of the league.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:55 pm
Getting the most out of a dead cap hell year. All the pundits had this squad dead last, maybe a 3 win team. Is it possible theyāre over performing ? To actually be in the conversation this late for division winner is a good thing. Perhaps the 3ā1 start gave many ( myself included) a false sense of expectations? This is the youngest team in the nfl. Translation.. growing pains. Perhaps Bowles has been instructed to make this an āextended camp ā season, developing schemes,players, regardless of result. I know many disagree, but give a journeyman qb an average defensive, solid running game, and deep playbook, good things can happenā¦. Next season. Two years, not two games.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:56 pm
watching MNF–Troy Aikman is going off on Tanner Hudson–I mean they (Bengals) love that kid–he is a star now! awesome–glad for hime wtf happened we let this kid walk?
December 4th, 2023 at 9:08 pm
He was a No. 4 TE here and he struggled to catch the ball. Arians was all over his tail for that. A bubble tight end who couldn’t block and struggles to catch is an endangered species.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:09 pm
Bozo got out blunered
December 4th, 2023 at 9:16 pm
Thanks Joe, I know I kind of remember he had to compete with OJ Howard and Brate, once Gronk came he was done–anyway glad for him, not unusual for a player that was a Buc to explode someplace else. on and on about how much they love him over in Cincinatti
December 4th, 2023 at 9:23 pm
Todd will be running all the way to the unemployment line come end of the season.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:31 pm
Some fun facts…
White has 386 yards receiving, yet he has 451 YAC! How is that even possible? Oh right, it’s Baker dumping off the ball, which helps his stats (the other guy doing the same thing is Carr, where Kamara has more YAC than receiving yards as well – although still behind both numbers compared to White).
Also, over the last 5 games, White is averaging 4.1 yards per carry. So those who think 4.0 is a magical number that everyone must hit no matter the blocking and scheme, there you go.
Finally, White is on pace for 911 rushing and 547 receiving, or 1458 total yards, along with 8 TDs. That’s a very productive RB for those that don’t know.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:39 pm
Chop Chop Choppin on GHeavens door
December 4th, 2023 at 9:41 pm
Canāt wait till Bowles is fired and we get Jim Harbough
December 4th, 2023 at 9:45 pm
CHOPPIN’ GOT MY CHIPS CASHED IN
KEEP CHOPPIM’, LIKE THE DOO DAH MAN
Together, morore or less in line
Just keep Choppin’ on
December 4th, 2023 at 10:02 pm
WHY CAN’T THE BUCS WEAR THEIR “RED” and “PEWTER” uniforms when they are at HOME???? I hope BUCS OWNERS read this comment. YOU HAVE ONE OF THE BEST “HOME” “RED” and PEWTER UNIFORMS, if not the BEST in the NFL and still CHOOSE NOT to wear RED and PEWTER when playing at HOME???? WHY????
December 4th, 2023 at 10:24 pm
Well Tony, I tried to reply to you in the other thread on Baker, but it kept failing, though part came in, but the point to make about how Baker shouldn’t be starting, as you keep on with the “Trask cult” crap.
Baker is at the bottom of the league in deep ball accuracy, yards per attempt and yards per reception. Pretty much two of the most telling stats of a QB’s play. He’s also at 51.9 in QBR which places him 19th and in mediocre land. He’s 18th in PAA at a bad 4.9 points (top 4 are in the 30’s and higher), and he’s 17th in EPA at 47.4 (top 4 QB’s are in the 70’s and up). He’s not the answer. Us “Trask cultists” only want to see if Trask can be the answer or not before we run out of time and need to draft another QB.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:51 pm
The Bucs should have lost more games with two scores or more. Why ? Toilet Bowl with his son, Baker scored mostly in garbage time to keep those games closer than they should have been. Bucs were out most of the losing games by the half times by the offense scoring single digits or 10 points the most.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:59 pm
Man. Josh allen should be a Bucs. Wanted that dude so bad in 2019
December 4th, 2023 at 11:07 pm
How can the Bucs get Mayfield off the field? I know Trask canāt be worse, and Iāll hedge to bet he will perform better. He certainly canāt do much worse.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:10 pm
Well, Bucs just got an unfortunate break. Lawrence torn acl. Done.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:12 pm
Can we please get coach TODD TOILET BOWLES OUT OF HERE!!!!
December 4th, 2023 at 11:23 pm
Todd canāt take feedback or criticism. Heās so sure heās a genius, he keeps using the brain surgery tool in Neanderthals.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:29 pm
Trevor hurt. Could be serious.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:34 pm
Todd. Successful in the next world. Not in this world.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:39 pm
The Bucs donāt have a stellar running game so we have to rely on a competent Quarterback, Mayfield is not getting it done and we all certainly hope he will. Itās not gonna happening. Heās not up to the task. The Bucs need to bench him and see if Trask can make a difference. We are beating a dead horse with Mayfield.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:43 pm
After this season I believe Mayfield will never again be a starter in the NFL.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:54 pm
“Bucsmarley Says:
December 4th, 2023 at 6:17 pm
Look stop drinking the kool aid. We are not good. Below average qb, defense that refuses to adjust, run gameā¦.. what run game. I chuckle inside when I read that our running game is closeš. When baker doesnāt turn the ball over(rarely) he averages 1.5 td and 200 yards passing”
Look at $4 million Baker stats, THEN look at $50 million Mahomes stats, or $44 million Stafford stats
December 4th, 2023 at 11:56 pm
Is why Bowles needs to be fired. Dumbest coaches in the league.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:04 am
Bucs n bucks
Obviously donāt pay attention to comments you read. Yes Iāll be at the game. You probably not and question my attire. ( not that itās your business but Iāll be wearing my salmon jersey and my wife her Evans jersey. Look for me. Been a fan since year 1. If you saw something in my post that says Iām not a fan your illiterate. I simply told facts. Obviously youāre a keyboard warrior that gets huffed up when you see the truth or an opinion you disagree with. And btw probably been on this site before you also so please go praise baker and let us true loyal fans that arenāt afraid to speak out about us not being a good football team
Cheers
December 5th, 2023 at 12:17 am
They posted acl, then quickly took it down. Now saying ankle. Weāll seeā¦..
December 5th, 2023 at 12:56 am
āWe gotta just keep pounding the rock.ā
ā Rod Marinelli, 2008 Detroit Lions. 4-0 preseason. 0-16 regular season.
Todd could take the Bucs to oh-fer if he is retained.
December 5th, 2023 at 6:57 am
RGA@ you could be right, Brady never started again.
December 5th, 2023 at 7:00 am
Maybe all we need is a good running back. That would solve problems and then the entire team doesn’t have to learn a new system. Bowles has been a dumbass a lot and Canales calls plays like we have Marshon Lynch in the back field
December 5th, 2023 at 7:29 am
Vincent Jackson! Then Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans then Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson now Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin. This team invests in receivers and are good at it.
They donāt value the running back so why such an emphasis on running the ball when you suck at it? Itās the defensive dinosaur lovie com clone! Canāt wait for black Monday Bowles I canāt say Iāll miss you.
December 5th, 2023 at 6:15 pm
Keep choppin away is vague loser talk. Why donāt we hear every Bucs coach talking about āexplosive playsā? Todayās NFL fans donāt want to watch choppin – they want to see explosive plays and if you donāt coach it, then it wonāt happen. Thatās why we suck under this regime. Next.
December 5th, 2023 at 7:47 pm
Read Joe’s article from earlier today on the offense and it’s goal set by the team’s coach. Bowles doesn’t want explosive plays unless it’s his defense getting a turnover.