Enough Of Rachaad White Up The Middle On First Down!
September 22nd, 2024
Bolts locker room to avoid reporters.
Joe thought Dave Caneles was gone.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles said after the game today the Bucs offense shot themselves in the foot with paltry production on first downs. Well, Joe has a real simple solution:
Quit running Rachaad White up the middle on first downs!
Dang, Joe thought Dave Canales was gone.
In the first half when today’s Bucs loss was still a little in doubt, the ghost of Canales was on a headset on the Bucs sidelines calling his favorite play.
White up the middle.
The results were predictable. He was lucky to get a yard. And that didn’t stop the Bucs from going to the well again and again.
White entered the game with 426 carries in just over two years. Joe is going to guess 200 of those runs came on first downs. White entered the game with a career average of 3.6 yards per carry. This year, before today’s game began, he averaged 2.0 yards a carry.
Yet the Bucs still try to get White to run up the middle. What exactly do the Bucs see in this guy that he hasn’t already displayed in his first 200 or 400 carries?
When the Bucs give the ball to White on first downs, the Bucs are basically playing Canadian ball with one less down. Because giving White the ball to run up the middle on first down is too often a waste of a down. Giving White the ball on first down means the Bucs have but two snaps for a conversion.
You know, like in Canada.
It’s one thing to do this when you have a lead. It’s quite another when you spot a team 17 points and you have to play catch-up the rest of the game.
Even White himself appeared embarrassed. He bolted the locker room before it was open for the fourth estate to avoid talking. This from a guy who previously, thankfully, never met a microphone or voice recorder he didn’t like.
From here on out, Joe will equate a White run up the middle on first down to throwing away a snap. It’s almost spitting in fans’ faces.
White had 5 carries for 13 yards on first down today in the first half.
In the immortal words of Chucky, “KNOCK IT OFF!”
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:34 pm
Pass on first down and bench Rashaad White.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:35 pm
Barry Sanders wouldn’t do much behind our 0-Line
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:36 pm
Why can’t we just GET CREATIVE like on the pitch play that had all the different motion and produced a big run?
Predictable runs up the gut don’t work.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:36 pm
Running game is horrific.
What’s the common factor?
Todd Bowles.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:38 pm
also:
o-line looking very “un-behemoth-like” at the moment
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:38 pm
At 2-1, they’re going to laugh at us. But most of us know the history. Same team / different year.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:39 pm
OK this is the THIRD OC running the ball on 1st down up the gut is TOTALLY a Bowels thing. That’s where he has his thumb print on the offense. Stay out of the OCs ear you’ve got enough issues with that lack of pressure getting defensive scheme he’s running.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:40 pm
Sooo tired of watching whites 2 yards a carry. Bucky needs to be RB1 it’s clear he’s way better
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:40 pm
💯 Exactly. I said the exact SAME THING first play of the GAME. I’m thinking this is just flat out comical, at this point. It’s 💯 intentional, just in spite. Pure negligence. Incompetent. All of it. And, let’s not forget STUPIDITY.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:40 pm
5 post-game articles by Joe so far and, looking at the headlines, no mention of Baker’s 7-point performance.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:41 pm
Loss like this is why the Bucs don’t deserve any national credit.
Posers
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:42 pm
All hope is gone. This team sucks. Awful….
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:43 pm
Watching Bucky “mustwatchBuckyTV” make guys miss even though our offensive line including Wirfs, is an open gate at times, is enough for me to give Tucker an opportunity for the #2 behind Bucky
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:43 pm
Bucky didn’t have any issues. He doesn’t just run straight into a WALLLLLLL. He actually SEES IT and has INSTINCTS, then bounces it outside immediately, for a 4-yard GAIN. HE has vision.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:46 pm
This has been going on for 3 years….yes, even Byron be doing it.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:46 pm
I’m ready for an ownership/management/coaching staff that changes something….anything….that will stop the consistently inconsistent performance from week to week. McCollum said it best after the game. Broncos came here after a pissed off week of practice and carried that attitude into the game. The Bucs came off a happy week of practice and came out flat expecting the Broncos to just lay down. That goes back to leadership in my opinion. But I give McCollum credit for saying it.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:46 pm
Why did white go from WR to RB anyway? It makes no sense for a career move.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:49 pm
This was a let down by the entire team, we came out flat and uninspired. Sean Payton vs Bowles is like Vita Via against a Jr high school olineman. He kills us every time. It’s a chess match Bowles is not capable of winning.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:50 pm
M E M O RA ND U M
September 22, 2024
To: Liam Dave Canales Coen
Subj: First Down
Liam,
Running Rachaad White up the middle on first down has never worked. It is not working now. It will never work.
Change.
With Kind Regards,
Vanessa Anne
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:50 pm
Agreed. Rachaad started out strong and then it all seemed to unravel. But it’s not all on him. Coen seemed to stay the same as Canales playbook. Disappointed.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:55 pm
Very concerning that we keep trying to make the run game work, when we aren’t opening holes in the middle and right side of the line for the last two games.
Bucky looks ok, but we’ve only seen him inserted late in games.
We have to get Goedeke back – and then see what Bucky can do – on some other down than 1st…every. Single. Week.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:56 pm
I was thinking the same thing the other day when I said to start using White like Deebo, Leopold… As a Slash/WR. He is NOT an every down, bell cow, feature typa Back. PERIOD. End of Story. We’ve seen it now, for 3-YEARS. It just is what it is. I just didn’t add at the time, but was thinking it, that it would only make sense TO HIM to do it, cause WR’s make A LOT MORE $$$ and have much longer careers, etc.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:58 pm
The common denominator for the 1st down runs is tje head coach. Too bad there’s not a reporter that will ask him point blank about it during a press conference. I’ll admit Joe I do remember the look Byron gave you when you asked about it. Lol
Now it’s time to lay the question on the person who has been here the entire time it’s been happening. I only watched the 1st half but there was only ONE drive where the offense looked to have any creativeness. Everything else was totally vanilla.
September 22nd, 2024 at 4:58 pm
Relax,,,,, if you are going to lose , lose to AFC team,, beat eagles next week,,, the NFL is hard! We all thought 2-1 to start the year and we are!
Also remember SB year we were 7-5,,
Did I love today ,, no ,,,, but my buddy next to me was Brown fan , didn’t enjoy losing to Giants ,,, we will be fine ,,, get off the ledge ,,,
Beat Eagles and world will be fine again
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:02 pm
For real. So predictable and awful. It’s like Bowles won’t let the OC call their own plays on 1st down. If you can’t run the ball don’t.
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:11 pm
The bucs is an ordinary team, they don’t try trick plays, there’s no motion to disguise a run. Payton destroyed them because he knew they were the sane team nothing ever CHANGES, Nothing.
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:14 pm
And for those Buc Players…….Let no team come in your house and dominate. Protect the house.
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:15 pm
I’m thinking that Todd Bowels has a mentality that physically beating the defense of the opponent will wear them out to open the pass game. But the reality is that 1 yard runs that go no where don’t do any of that. What we need to do is run to the edges and wear them out chasing White the whole time.
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:24 pm
People saying to bench White are not paying attention.
Do you know when all our biggest runs came today? When both White and Bucky were in the field at the same time! Dual RB formations! Super effective. Some of us have been calling for this all offseason.
That said, I wouldn’t mind if Bucky got the start to light a fire under White’s arse. He hasn’t seemed as explosive this season in the passing game either. Doubt he gets a 2nd contract with us. Then again, it’s hard to take away much from this game since literally every single player besides Bucky had a lousy, pathetic game today.
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:24 pm
Not Canadian football. Lol exactly what they been doing
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:07 pm
@Sir Fresh… great point, I saw so little creativity from the offense, it’s like the Broncos came in and punched us in the mouth early and threw us off our game entirely. Man, where is Canales to blame the lack of offensive on? Pass rush wasn’t great, and we can’t tackle for sh!t. And our man Baker? Really showed his kryptonite today, I didn’t know what it was until today. If he doesn’t get that foot planted and throw on his first read and has to resort to double clutching looking for the next guy, he’s not good in that department, especially the way our Oline was playing today. At some point we can circle back to Mike Glennon’s elite conversation and perhaps this is example of why Baker is a good starter, but no one should ever confuse him for being “elite”. I know it’s one game, but this was so bad.
I know we’re beat up but damn I wasn’t expecting this poor of a performance.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:34 pm
3 offensive coordinators can’t figure out what I see every game.
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:08 pm
Stop blaming RW and blame the HC
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:19 pm
I think white up the middle is what bowles wants to do ! Same with cannels and now are new coordinator. It is a waste ! Keep beating your head against the wall with that play .you don’t have the horses to do it ! Scrap it and get a new play ! Bowles never had this team ready to play . Living off the last win. Sad
September 23rd, 2024 at 10:35 am
Rachaad gained 5, 3, & 4 yards in his first three carries. And, played hurt,so Bowles started running him “up the middle.” It was an order by Bowles. Bowles didn’t order Bucky up the middle; much, that is. When he did send Bucky up the middle, Bucky was stopped in his tracks, too
Wake up: “It’s Bowles.” The upgrade was getting rid of Canales, ya,, but now, in this game, he sandbagged Coen.
On the “bright side,” remember that game at the end of last year during the win-streak where both teams were flat; in Sunday’s game, only one team was flat and unprepared.
Take the mulligan.
With starters back, the team itself will turn things around. like last year.