Why Todd Bowles Isn’t Keen On Benching Rachaad White
September 26th, 2024
Rachaad White
Joe has been clear on the following for the better part of the year, maybe longer.
* Rachaad White stinks as a running back.
* Rachaad White is exceptional catching the ball out of the backfield.
Yes, both can be true — and are.
It seems the Bucs are nearing a crossroads of deciding whether to start Bucky Irving or White at running back.
The Bucs have no run game when White is lined up behind Baker Mayfield. The Bucs do have a running attack with Irving behind Mayfield.
But White is a true weapon in the passing game. Even Bowles has acknowledged this and Joe has a strong suspicion that if White wasn’t a top-shelf receiver out of the backfield, he’d already be benched.
Per the Twitter account of @NFL_Stats, White ranks fourth in the NFL in yards after catch (YAC) with 143. Yes, that is most on the Bucs and second for all running backs. Only De’Von Achane of the Dolphins has more.
So you can see why the Bucs want White on the field, specifically on passing downs. He’s just another Bucs chess piece defenses have to worry about.
Most yards after catch this season:
Rashee Rice – 186
De’Von Achane – 183
Dallas Goedert – 158
Rachaad White – 143
Chris Godwin – 138
Austin Ekeler – 136
Alvin Kamara – 128
Malik Nabers – 127
Bijan Robinson – 122
Tyreek Hill – 119 pic.twitter.com/6tkyvmqRsh— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) September 26, 2024
Bucky Irving forced more missed tackles in one play than Rachaad White possibly has as a running back since he was drafted. https://t.co/sb3hnMkuIK
— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) September 26, 2024
September 26th, 2024 at 10:38 am
You can’t teach Bucky’s feel for the game and elusiveness
September 26th, 2024 at 10:42 am
Bucs are stuck with Rachaad. Bucky didn’t practice today…
September 26th, 2024 at 10:42 am
White was not effective when targeted in the passing game last week and that was a problem that has been overlooked (because we had so many other problems).
September 26th, 2024 at 10:42 am
Watching the draft tape on Bucky and seeing him make a lot of college defenders miss, I naturally wondered if he could do the same to much better athletes.
Well, he can, and he is making NFL players miss.
We need more Bucky!
September 26th, 2024 at 10:51 am
Bucky was known for catching the ball in college, why not try throwing a few screens his way and see what happens?
September 26th, 2024 at 11:01 am
We need White if teams keep shutting down Mike Evans…Need to dump the ball off to White to avoid sacks.
September 26th, 2024 at 11:10 am
Yeah Bucky making players stay on the ground to gather themselves after losing there jockstrap.
September 26th, 2024 at 11:12 am
Love Bucky! Hope his hamstring gets better sooner than later.
Agree with Tampabaybucfan – We need Rachaad to play.
September 26th, 2024 at 11:12 am
White is able to pick up the blitz. Probably not sure about Bicky yet.
September 26th, 2024 at 11:15 am
Suspect Bucky will get more carries as the season progresses. Bowles might be reluctant bcause of White’s willingness to block in pass pro for Baker. He was even a lead blocker on one play for Bucky and chipped for Skule on another Skul whiffed on.
September 26th, 2024 at 11:24 am
Put them both in the same backfired. White can block and catch, bucky on stretch runs. Keep the defense guessing. Not like our third WR or TE are doing much of anything, anyways
September 26th, 2024 at 11:28 am
White should be third down and long guy. Plus he could start a podcast to quench his thirst for talking.
Problems solved!
September 26th, 2024 at 11:33 am
True Joe! But let’s see White get some of the same formations that Bucky has. I’m sure in time they will come.
September 26th, 2024 at 11:33 am
Bucs rushing attack is 27th in NFL averaging 4.0 per rush, but that is only due to Irvings’ big runs skewing the numbers , without those carries Bucs are dead last in rushing by a bunch. If Irving is healthy there is no reality where Bucky should not be the bellcow with White subbing in on passing downs or to give Bucky a breather. C’mon Todd , you have to see this.
September 26th, 2024 at 11:37 am
This is where my limited understanding of the game shows up. What’s the trade-off for having them both on the field?
September 26th, 2024 at 11:41 am
Bucky & Sean can both catch passes yet are better run threats. There’s no point playing your third down back (Rachaad) first & second down when those aren’t his speciality. Jason drafted Rich Man’s Charles Sims in Rachaad.
September 26th, 2024 at 11:43 am
It’s ironic Todd wants a great running game, yet insisting on Rachaad leading it may cost him his job.
September 26th, 2024 at 11:49 am
welp bucky has a hamstring. this is awful. white sucks!!
September 26th, 2024 at 11:57 am
Bowles has always been slow at making personal changes, this is nothing new. Yeah White is good at catching the ball, make him a receiver, a running back he’s not. Besides, how do we know Bucky isn’t just as good, or better if he isn’t given the chance? Todd has 2 years left on his deal, not exactly job security. We’ve seen the Glazers can Dungy with a better record in favor of a big name coach Gruden. Well there’s a 6 time SB coach out there who’s unemployed. If Todd didn’t does worse this season, then last, watch the Glazers go big game hunting. Tick, tick Todd, if I was you I wouldn’t wait to long giving other players a shot.
September 26th, 2024 at 12:07 pm
🙄here we g. Let’s not put the better back out there
September 26th, 2024 at 12:12 pm
It’s time to see if bucky can produce YAC. He’s obviously better at running the ball. If he can produce close to what white can, it’s game over for White as a starter.
September 26th, 2024 at 12:22 pm
There was a good analysis posted by a member of the media that directly compared White vs Bucky rep for rep from all the different formations excluding 3rd down runs. The author concluded that their numbers are very similar with Bucky having two explosive plays. They mainly point the finger at the Oline being very bad and inconsistent at run blocking so the holes are often smaller and because Bucky is a smaller back he can create more space in tighter spaces than Rachaad can.
TL;DR
Bucs Oline is the reason the run game is bad.
September 26th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
A real head coach would figure out the snap counts for the RBs to maximize both running and passing. One would think a genius could figure out how to do it.
September 26th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
Joe might get his wish Soon. Since the Commanders game where Quinn had his new Secondary playing very loose the White/Mayfield go to check down has become an opposing defense’s priority. White> Week 1 6-6 for 75 yds and a long of 32. Week 2 1-1 for 5 and long of 5. Week 3 5-6 for 18 with a long of 8.
So 98 total receiving yards in 3 games with 143 after the catch? Defenses will take a screen starting 5 yards behind the line resulting a 1 yard gain all day long. Top that off with defenses concentrating on shutting down Godwin’s 20 YAC on a 4 yard reception and Bucs offense is going to suffer. Coen will be desperate for the few additional yards Irving may provide although it seems like his best runs are on reverses or jet sweeps with White providing misdirection.
As far as the ‘Impressive Video” it had a lot of missed tackles but was still just a 4-5 yard gain. ls somebody eventually going to say Bucky looks a lot like Barry Sanders. Perhaps in Barry’s High School Highlights.
September 26th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
White is being given all the touches. Give Bucky some of those touches in the pass game, he can catch and he’s more elusive so could he not be just as effective in the pass game.
Todd Bowles can see a problem and still wait 8 weeks to fix it. Took him all year to bench Devin white, also to start rashaad white over Lenny. He did it with yaya he’s gonna do it with Dennis and Bucky no matter how much evidence he has he’ll make an excuse to sit on his hands.
September 26th, 2024 at 12:58 pm
The thing is.. how many YAC would Bucky have if he caught the same passes?
September 26th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
No Bucky this week?
Not good.
September 26th, 2024 at 1:09 pm
from this point forward, you never bench bucky irving, never. ok anon?
September 26th, 2024 at 1:14 pm
I’m a Duck and I can tell you that Bucky is every bit as good as White catching the ball. I can also tell you Tucker is an exception receiver, too. There is no reason to keep White in the offense with those two on the bench.
September 26th, 2024 at 1:41 pm
The Bucs need to throw to Irving to see if HE can handle the RB-as-receiver role that White does.
One + of White: he will stick a guy in pass blocking.
September 26th, 2024 at 2:38 pm
Classic Todd. No sense of urgency. He acts like this is a baseball season with 162 games. Wake up – you have 17 games, adjustments need to be made quickly. White is completely 1-dimensional and every coach in the league knows this, apparently except you.
September 26th, 2024 at 3:04 pm
Most teams now share the backfield to the point where it’s an even split. I can see the Bucs using Bucky more on first and second downs and White as the third down back. It would be nice to get more 3rd and shorts instead of 7 & 8 yards.
September 26th, 2024 at 3:13 pm
I think it’s probably more to do with pass protection on Bucky’s part. We don’t know what they are being asked.
September 26th, 2024 at 4:08 pm
Explosive plays count. Explosive plays are good.
September 26th, 2024 at 4:17 pm
White needs to be on the field and used like the patriots used James white. Probably a top 5 rb receiver in the league. He’s not a straight ahead running. Get him in space and that’s where the magic happens
September 26th, 2024 at 4:25 pm
Lmao so which is it is TB hands off of the offense or Not? We keep getting this narrative that TB doesn’t make the decisions for the offense. IF and that’s a big IF that’s truly the case then why is there even a discussion about who should be the starter? Bucky is simply better than White when the ball is in his hands weather it’s a pass or a handing him the ball. White honestly looks slow to me even in the past when he’s broke away he doesn’t look like he’s going to outrun anyone. Maybe given Bucky the start will light a fire under White and we’ll actually have a 2 headed monster. Heck it’s even time to see what our 3rd back can with some carries.