Run Game Finally Arrives; Bucs Still Lose
January 21st, 2024
Joe was in stunned disbelief. The mighty Lions’ run defense, third-best in the NFL, was little match for the Bucs’ consistently sad running game today.
Strip away Baker Mayfield’s two good scrambles, and the Bucs ran the ball 13 times for 74 yards. That’s 5.7 yards per carry — on the road in the playoffs.
Rachaad White had 9 carries for 55 yards, and Chase Edmonds complemented him with 4 carries for 19 yards.
Joe said repeatedly this summer that if the Bucs could manage a below average rushing attack, they should be able to cobble together a very good offense if Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Baker Mayfield stayed healthy. Sadly, the Bucs were last in the NFL in yards per carry and the offense was below average.
Today showed Joe what the Bucs offense could be. Tampa Bay’s throw-first attack racked up 349 yards through the air and 89 yards on the ground, outgaining the Lions.
Turnovers buried the Bucs, of course, as did a dropped interception by cornerback Jamel Dean.
Joe still can’t believe the run game showed up like it did in a huge, high-pressure situation. It was decent Monday against the Eagles, too. Joe has to look at the film, but maybe the young offensive line has finally figured out the rushing attack.
That could bode extremely well for next season, especially if the Bucs draft a talented running back.
January 21st, 2024 at 7:16 pm
Running out of lipstik for the Pig?
January 21st, 2024 at 7:17 pm
Need to get a left guard and maybe a center in the offseason.
January 21st, 2024 at 7:18 pm
Attn Bucs Fans….The LOST!
January 21st, 2024 at 7:22 pm
You’re a little too happy with this loss today.
January 21st, 2024 at 7:22 pm
need to get a better Offensive line–center and guard.
January 21st, 2024 at 7:23 pm
Funny how Dean gets a contract and now he is always hurt! D sucked
January 21st, 2024 at 7:23 pm
OL needs improvement in talent, the rest will follow
January 21st, 2024 at 7:23 pm
The team needs to return to the “no risk it – no biscuit” mentality. It played its best games when it was aggressive on both sides of the ball. Blitz fast and often and let your secondary cover. Throw to set up the run and let the stud receivers be the focus of the offense. When they let up on the throttle – and it seems they did way too often today on defense – they lose rhythm and efficiency.
January 21st, 2024 at 7:24 pm
Please draft a new left guard and center please.
January 21st, 2024 at 7:25 pm
I would take Baker (0 Super Bowls) over Brady (10 Super Bowls) any day of the week. Joe, I agree, Baker (28 yrs) played much better than Brady (46 yrs). It was a good comparison (boring) all season long. I pick the Bucs to win it all next year and Baker Mayfield will be league MVP. Mark it down. Keeping it real in Ireland.
January 21st, 2024 at 7:32 pm
Left guard n center will be replaced in off season I think. Another good draft man sign our guys Bucs should be rolling. Bowels earned another year n I been dogging him for 2 years
January 21st, 2024 at 7:32 pm
The run game was better because Bowles finally learned that you can use the pass to set up the run instead of coming into each game with your main purpose being to establish the run.
Hopefully Bowles really has learned that lesson instead of reverting back to his old terrible ways and not ruining the first 3/4 of next season like he did this season, that is if he is still here
January 21st, 2024 at 7:35 pm
Grover, it was a good season, why don’t you put away the angry little man bit. We are all sick of it.
January 21st, 2024 at 7:36 pm
Should we have taken that last timeout when the lions were kneeling the ball at the end ?
January 21st, 2024 at 7:37 pm
What happened to the rookie RB with a medical issue pre draft ? He played in the preseason.
Lions have speed at RB and WR and it really showed in big play ability
January 21st, 2024 at 7:41 pm
Proud of those young men. They fought through a bunch of adversity and did a $hit ton more than the bright boys predicted preseason. Never had to hang my head and say, yeah I’m rooting for them. Thank you Buccaneers, you made my winter a lot brighter. God bless them
January 21st, 2024 at 7:42 pm
Not Says:
January 21st, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Well , the lions line left some holes as wide as Munch’s mom’s hole.
His mom’s hole is not that big. I been there and it was tight on me.
January 21st, 2024 at 7:45 pm
Watching Gibbs for DET made me wish for a back like that. I think Rachaad has improved as a runner, but we need an electric guy. We also need more beef at C and LG to hold up better. Baker was under siege much of the time.
January 21st, 2024 at 8:06 pm
We had 2 good runs back to back in the 3rd Q..
I felt like our OC went all Seattle and feel in love with it…cost us 2 possessions.
We are a passing team, adjust to it or change the personal.
January 21st, 2024 at 8:44 pm
NO PASS RUSH. Baker was on his back 5 or 6 times. Goff was makin sandwiches in the pocket. We didn’t even touch the guy.
January 21st, 2024 at 10:00 pm
i thought we should have pounded the rock for another 10 carries
January 21st, 2024 at 10:12 pm
Did anybody actually watch this his game, or you already have this “ why are we running the ball, we’re a passing team “ in your response, …. Our best running game all year and we stopped…. SMH
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:00 am
Joe! we do not want to waste our draft picks. Buy a running back–they come cheap. Do not waste our precious draft picks on that. We need a pass rush–we need to buy a pass rush and draft a pass rush. We also need a new interior O-line. Keep cody Mauch but he needs to bulk up and get in the weight room all off season.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:11 am
I stated all week long our D-line was the key to this game, and it was. I’m sure some will claim that after Dean went out, our D fell to pieces, and it did.
Offense played a mostly good game, and were competitive. The defense folded in the second half, yet again.
Good game, OK loss, but it could have been very close at the end. When Bowles decided to go for 2 and it failed, it was over.
Better than expected season, though.
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:35 am
At the end of the day our defense as a whole didn’t show up, if dean picks that ball off that would’ve set the tone but he couldn’t hang on to it. Vea wasn’t even getting doubled block either smh
January 22nd, 2024 at 6:35 am
Seven yards a crack and they stopped running the ball. Baffling.
January 22nd, 2024 at 10:04 am
The Lions O and D lines are and were far superior to ours. I don’t think Goff was touched all day By the Bucs Defense. And their O line was stout. Thats the difference in the game right there. I salute and congratulate them. Sounds like a broken record but next year, we need a pass rush guys.
January 22nd, 2024 at 11:22 am
Drafting a talented runner and bringing one in during free agency. Don’t forget the better your team is the more free agents would like to play for us. We are surrounded by talent, putting players in the right place to succeed is vital. We had our chances yesterday but the reality is we ran into a team that knew how to take advantage of opportunities at the right time.