Rachaad White Admits He Was So Frustrated He Cried On The Sidelines
February 9th, 2024
Badly wanted 1,000 yards rushing.
This story isn’t meant to throw shade on anyone. Rather, Joe brings this element because it shows the passion of players.
Bucs running back Rachaad White wants to win badly and perform to his best.
One benchmark for running back success, perhaps wildly outdated, is to run for 1,000-yards rushing. Now that the NFL plays a 17-game season, that averages out to 58 yards a game. That ain’t jack shiite. But our brains are wired like odometers. Fans like big, well-rounded numbers. So, 1,000-yards it is, rushing or receiving.
White finished the 2023 regular season with 990 yards. When the Bucs kneeled down to ice a close win over the Stinking Panthers for the Bucs to win the division in the season finale, White understood the big picture and was cool with it.
Still, he cried on the sidelines.
White, after having a rough rookie season running the ball, had a shot to finish the 2023 regular season with 1,000 yards. It didn’t happen.
White explained to CBS Radio personality Jim Rome this week in Las Vegas he dropped tears when he didn’t reach 1,000 yards.
“Against Carolina, I understood the coaches,” White said. “We wanted to run the clock out. We would win the division. So that was huge.
“It hurt me, honestly, it hurt me. But I understood what my coaches want. I shed some tears on that field. Shows how much you care, and the passion you have.”
Part of the reason White wanted 1,000 yards is he knows the Bucs have gone years without a 1,000-yard rusher and he wanted to be the guy that snapped that streak.
The last Bucs running back to eclipse 1,000-yards rushing was Muscle Hamster, Doug Martin who had 1,402 in 2015, Lousy Lovie Smith’s final season.
(Ronald Jones had 978 yards in 2020 — in only 14 games.)
When Rome asked White if he was peeved at the team for not getting the yards, White said absolutely not because icing the win gave the Bucs a third-straight division title.
It still frosted White, though.
“Lit a fire under me,” White said. “Got into the playoffs, I was rolling.”
White ran for 55 and 57 yards, respectively, against Philadelphia and Detroit in the playoffs.
Rome then asked if he was bummed that Baker Mayfield didn’t pull a Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston stunt and ignore the playcalls from the sidelines, go “rogue” and set up White to reach 1,000 yards. White said no, the playoffs were a much bigger goal.
February 9th, 2024 at 12:28 pm
No offense but 272 carries was more than enough opportunity to get there.
I like White but an elite runner he is not. We need to upgrade that position IMO. He can be our James White
February 9th, 2024 at 12:30 pm
I like that he’s honest. And had a good year. Better next year.
February 9th, 2024 at 12:30 pm
$h1t, I cried too…
February 9th, 2024 at 12:33 pm
…every time they run RW up the gut.
February 9th, 2024 at 12:34 pm
He probably would have hit 1000 yards if he didn’t go down on that long run that iced the game towards the end of the season, can’t remember who that was against.
February 9th, 2024 at 12:38 pm
I should have known Joe’s hating as wouldn’t post an article about how Rachaad White was ranked the #11th best running back in 2023 on the official NFL website.
Saquon Barkley was ranked #16 and Alvin Kamara was ranked 30th btw.
And technically Rachaad White did rush for over 1,000 yards if you include the playoffs so he should cheer up 🙂
February 9th, 2024 at 12:40 pm
Great receiving back but not a great runner. 1,000 yard rusher in 17 games is not impressive, 58 yards a game running is not great, maybe they upgrade the interior to help or get more creative in their scheme but I would add a back if I were the front office.
February 9th, 2024 at 12:42 pm
Well, think how many times he was caught at the handoff or trying to find a hole. It could have been but just didn’t happen.
February 9th, 2024 at 12:48 pm
White is good but not great at running the ball.
Buc’s need to draft another RB in like 2nd through 4th rounds.
Ray Davis / Kentucky would be good has run for Liam.
February 9th, 2024 at 12:54 pm
First of all enough shade guys! White finished 14th best in the league. Nobody says that’s elite but it’s not chump change.
McCaffery and Henry are better runners and got better results while running behind significantly better OL’s and not burdened by a first year OC still learning on the job. No shame in not matching them.
Meanwhile Raschad finished ahead of Bijon Robinson, Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs. Yes White had many more carries than Bijon or Jahmyr but not that many more than Barkley.
Bottom line. He didn’t have a GREAT season running the ball but clearly it was decent to good! Then mix in his pass receiving skills and open field running and he’s good guy to have in the backfield. Now mix in a “pure” runner (Corum) from the draft and along with Edmonds the Bucs have a very good RB room.
February 9th, 2024 at 1:11 pm
Really like white… although he is more of an open space type runner. We need a bruiser for the rare times we run up the gut.
February 9th, 2024 at 1:24 pm
Mr. White if would have gotten a mere 4 yards per carry sir you would be over 1,000 yards. Set your goals a little differently and you might just see the results.
February 9th, 2024 at 1:32 pm
Stop taking a knee at the end of games when you break off a long run, get those scores – or at the very least take the ball down inside the five before you take a knee. Had you done that, and you twice had a game ending run that could have been a long TD, you’d have easily eclipsed 1000 yards.
February 9th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
We need a RB1 who can run from scrimmage, and then use White as a third down back. White’s 3.6 yards/carry puts him way down the list of runners from scrimmage. He’s great catching the ball but not as a runner. Certainly our OL was bad this year at run blocking, but even late in the year where the OL and Otton blocked better, White didn’t impress me.
I like White’s character and effort, but he’s just not a very talented runner in my mind. Did White have a 1000 yd incentive in his contract?
February 9th, 2024 at 1:52 pm
Maurice Jones-Drew penned an interesting rank-ordering of 2023 RBs on NFL dot com a couple of days ago (for 72 RBs). Looking at the Top-25, he ranked Rachaad White as #11 on the list, even though several RBs below him had more yards.
McCaffrey ended the season ranked #1 with 1,459 rushing yards in 272 carries, with a 5.4 YPC average and 14 rushing TDs on the season.
White ended the season ranked #11 with 990 rushing yards in 272 carreis, with a 3.6 YPC average and 6 rushing TDs.
And BTW, of those Top-25, Rachaad had the LOWEST YPC (3.6) AND was tied with Christian McCaffrey for the MOST Rushing Attempts (272) in the season. I tend to think that quibbling over kneeldowns and sacrificing an extra carry or two kinda misses the point of why McCaffrey was #1 and White was #11 on that list.
February 9th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
DR
McCaffrey is a stud RB. Of that there is no doubt. Best in the league this year without question.
But do you think he might have had a bit of an advantage over White via the 49ers run blocking? Maybe? Just a little…. LOL
February 9th, 2024 at 2:09 pm
@Pickgrin They always forgot how a running back is only as good as his run blockers 😂
February 9th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
Ray Davis (KY), Braelon Allen (Wisc) or Audric Estime (ND). I would be happy with any of these 3 in the draft.
February 9th, 2024 at 2:25 pm
Maybe Trey Benson from FSU.
February 9th, 2024 at 2:27 pm
Jack Clark,
That’s interesting coming from you. Too bad you don’t think it also applies to QB’s and pass protection. Goff had all day to throw vs Bucs. Baker was squeezed all year by a lack of protection. Doesn’t matter if you are Baker Mayfield. You have to overcome a lack of a running game ( Tampa last in 2023) and mediocre pass protection.
February 9th, 2024 at 2:46 pm
Ain’t no shame in shedding a tear. Lord knows the Bucs have made my cry enough since 1976.
February 9th, 2024 at 3:09 pm
@Gripper I actually do think the same thing also applies to QB’s and pass protection. Tom Brady is trash when his offensive line can’t stop defenders from rushing up the middle. Pass blocking is the strength of our offensive line, not run blocking. I only call Baker Mayfield trash when he makes bad decisions or throws bad passes, the same way I do every other quarterback.
February 9th, 2024 at 3:45 pm
Give White a better Oline and he will easily surpass 1000 yards. Hopefully Jason gets a real center and some veteran guards.
February 9th, 2024 at 4:04 pm
Pickgrin … No question whatsoever that the run blocking advantage goes to McCaffrey. But you can buy a lot of groceries in the trenches when your starting QB made a whopping $889,552 for 2023.
San Fran had the most salary CAP space in 2023. They did it by doing what the Bucs did in 2020 & 2021 … kicking the can down the street. 49ers only had THREE players with CAP hits over $10 mil, but that increases to 10 players in 2024 and 2025. Their VOID YEARS start burning them in 2026 & 2027 (that’s when the bill comes due). Their SB window is 2023 & 2024, maybe 2025 if they play their cards right, but they might even be able to extend it a year or so beyond that. After that, time to pay the piper.
February 9th, 2024 at 4:13 pm
Boss … ‘We need a bruiser for the rare times we run up the gut’.
Oh ya. I think it’s all about keeping the defense honest. If you have a big bruiser back there (say like Derrick Henry), the defense has to honor that capability and can’t afford to ‘cheat’. I’m surely a throwback, but I love the 2-back sets, where each one truly complements the other (Dunn & Alstott for example). Pair a bruiser with Rachaad (who’s a good runner but a great receiver IMO), and you could blow a DC’s mind with the options you could create.
February 9th, 2024 at 5:57 pm
JimBobBuc – instead of looking at box scores, you should watch the games.
There wasn’t anyone playing today that was going to do much better when half the time you’re being hit 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage. White did an incredible job actually picking up yards.
The issue was a lot of people that have no idea what they’re watching saying dumb stuff like “HE NEEDS TO HIT THE HOLE HARDER” – when in reality, you watch the tape from behind the play, and you see the blocks (or lack of blocks) develop, you realize that he took a 3 yard loss and turned it into a 2 yard gain, over and over and over again.
Also the cries at the beginning of the year were “YOU CAN’T HAVE A RUNNING BACK AVERAGING LESS THAN 3 YARDS A CARRY” – then later “3.2 YARDS A CARRY” then 3.4 and 3.5 then 3.6… White didn’t change, the blocking just got better as guys started to figure out what they were doing.
Still the biggest improvements in the run game will come with Cody getting stronger, which I have no doubt will happen this offseason – along with upgrading the LG and possibly C – and I have little doubt that will happen.
February 9th, 2024 at 6:10 pm
Joe’s, did White have a bonus coming if he reached a thousand yds rushing?
February 9th, 2024 at 6:32 pm
I think White is an excellent pass catcher out of the backfield and in the open field can make big yardage. He is not nor probably ever will be a dynamic runner between the tackles. That’s ok though because what he does provide is a huge problem for the defense in trying to defend an excellent pass catching back out of the backfield. Hopefully the new OC can continue to put White in a position to have success and next year he could have even a better season.
February 9th, 2024 at 6:41 pm
Joe, I think you had a misspelling, It’s The Molly Hamster. That man could eat him some disco biscuits!!
February 9th, 2024 at 6:48 pm
Uhhhhhh…Hitting the hole with occasional vigor would’ve definitely helped, don’t you think?
February 9th, 2024 at 7:23 pm
I refuse to believe everytime he ran up the middle he was instructed to!! He could have broken ALOT of those runs to the outside!!
February 10th, 2024 at 3:05 am
Oline first, Audric Estime second.
February 10th, 2024 at 5:20 am
Crying?…There’s no crying in football!
Said in my best Tom Hanks voice.
Go Bucs!
February 10th, 2024 at 8:00 am
Joe is right when he says 1,000 yards in 17 games is no great accomplishment. White only has himself to blame. Had he learned to hit the hole with determination and stop passively dancing around looking for an opening he would have easily surpassed 1,000 yards. He definitely was given enough carries that he should have.
February 10th, 2024 at 10:05 pm
That’s ok. The fans were crying all season long when they kept trying to force White to run the ball up the middle over and over and over and over and over and over again with no luck because the blocking sucked or White would completely miss read the wide open hole you could have rolled through without being touched. White got better the last so many weeks, but I don’t think you can teach reading the holes and when to run through them. The Bucs really missed having A running back like Rojo the last couple of years. What I mean like Rojo is hitting the hole at full speed and an “angry run” and not just dancing and waiting. White can be that finesse runner, but they need a back that hits the hole fast and hard. That’s what she said….