Heroic Effort By Jacquizz Rodgers
October 11th, 2016
Jacquizz Rodgers is mobbed after being awarded the game ball last night. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
At the start of the season, only your hardest of hardcore football fans, neurotic fantasy football players or the 38 fans of Oregon State football knew who Jacquizz Rodgers was.
That is, except for Dirk Koetter, who Rodgers played for with the Dixie Chicks.
With a lack of depth at running back and the need for a blocking back to backup Doug Martin and Charles Sims, Rodgers was signed before opening day. Last night, he went Ricky Williams, and no, it has nothing to do with left-handed cigarettes.
It’s not often that a 5-6 (or shorter) running back gets handed the rock 30 times. Some stat geek needs to look up that history.
That was the case Monday for Rodgers, who grinded out 101 yards on 30 carries. Plus, he caught five of the six balls thrown in his direction for 28 yards receiving.
Stats aside, Rodgers was consistent in delivering what Dirk Koetter calls “efficient runs,” which translate to four yards or more. And that’s what made life a lot easier on America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston.
Joe has to look at the film, but it sure seemed like the Panthers often were playing the run and simply lost plenty of 1-on-1 battles in the trenches. Rodgers hit the holes hard, unlike out-for-the-year Charles Sims. In many ways, Rodgers looked like Martin out there with his toughness and decisiveness with the ball.
It was a career high in carries for Rodgers, who might welcome this bye week with open arms.
When Rodgers first arrived with the Bucs, he told reporters he always prepares to be the starter every single week. Last night, he got that shot and made the most of it. The Bucs don’t win that game without him.
October 11th, 2016 at 6:09 am
Jacquizz really stepped up, they needed him and he responded….game ball well deserved!
October 11th, 2016 at 6:24 am
Quezzi was the only “pop your eyes out” bright spot in that game. I really hope they get their collective heads together during the bye week.
October 11th, 2016 at 6:25 am
Too bad Dirk didn’t see that last few weeks, maybe he had to get up to speed, but I think Dirk was just stubborn and tried to ft a square peg in a round hole by starting Chuck Sims
October 11th, 2016 at 6:29 am
I remember him from the days we faced him in ATL.
Actually posted on FB that Koetter would have him carry the load yesterday cause he has confidence in him and wanted to take the amount of passes way down. To bring the chance of turnover down and take pressure off Jameis.
Even went and started him in my fantasy league lol. Glad I was spot on.
October 11th, 2016 at 6:38 am
Wow, I did NOT agree with the game plan and was calling for Dirk, Mike S. and Aguayo’s head until Grimes made the superhuman leap to pick off a for sure dagger touchdown mid fourth quarter. Way to execute and stay with it… I was so taken back by what we were trying to do after last week when Atlanta put up 500yrds passing. Compliments to the OL, especially Hawley and J.Rodgers. I hope he isn’t hurt too bad as I love his tenacity and he inspires those younger linemen. On D I think our corners did a decent job with their receivers but we have got to fix the TE cover on D. Hope we start playing more man. Also, the make shift D line…..way to hold down the fort until after the bye week.
October 11th, 2016 at 6:44 am
The difference between ATL and us is that our passing attack was really struggling coming into the game and the turnovers were losing us games. Koetter could not risk putting us in that type of hole again by coming out attempting to air raid the panthers like ATL did. The game plan was the only logical plan to try and eliminate the turnover problem we have been having.
October 11th, 2016 at 6:51 am
This proves what Joe has said for years, no need to draft a rb high bc with a good run blocking oline u can get a guy off the street to run through the holes.
What in the world was wrong with the game plan? The first quarter running set the tone for the game. Kept the wolves off Jameis and defense off the field.
Exactly what was needed.
October 11th, 2016 at 6:53 am
Rodgers played the way anyone who watched him in Atlanta would HD save expected. He is like a poor man’s Doug Martin, but a better blocker and receiver. His type of running will allow us to rest Doug once he is back without changing the plays.
October 11th, 2016 at 6:54 am
Except he really displayed great vision, run after contact, and ability to make people miss today. He provided a lot apart from what the o-line provided him.
October 11th, 2016 at 6:57 am
It s still so funny that koetter is getting ripped. What a game. He called. He has to call the game based on if Jameis is cool calm collected or overthrowing guys by 10 yards. He
Can’t let Jameis be Jameis right now and turn the ball over. Buc fans don’t get it like usual. Along comes Rodgers. For some reason and don’t know if oline not fast enough to run outside. But we need and run better up the middle. Usual martin did that. Sims clearly cannot as he likes to dance. Rodgers and Martin can provide that one two punch better I think. Rodgers can catch too. I like sims but he has to be in space to get
Feet going. And you can predict what the bucs will do when sims is in the game. Now you have doug Martin x 2. Meaning this type of runner will always be in the game. Huge win cause honestly who didn’t think they would be 2 -3 or 3-2 at best when schedule came out. The little guys running like beasts
October 11th, 2016 at 7:12 am
Eirc I don’t think your giving Jacquizz enough credit for what he did last night. You can’t just grab anyone off the street, Koetter and team did a great job in getting that guy in here. If it was just a matter of having some schmo off the street run through the holes, then Payton Barber would have been just as successful as Jacquizz was. That was clearly not the case. I fact, I think If Sims was not hurt and played last night, we would not have won the game.
October 11th, 2016 at 7:30 am
First off, Great push by the O-line most of the game!!! They were even getting the Panthers LB caught in the push!!!! Also JR32 had some great check down catches as well!!!!
But maybe the best about the Play calling and the run game is how they protected the defense!!!! The D-line has almost no rotation and the time of possession really help them stay in the game late into the game!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!
October 11th, 2016 at 7:35 am
I’m glad they won that game, and I’m glad they won it playing offense the way they did. Carolina only ran three plays in the first quarter and were unable to move the ball late in the fourth when it counted, that’s not a coincidence.
I hope Dirk Koetter learned a lot from the last five weeks, about his football team specifically as well as being an NFL head coach.
I’m excited for a better performance in the next leg of the season. Let’s Take this week tet healthy and get ready to rip off a four game winning streak! Go BUCS!!!
October 11th, 2016 at 8:08 am
It looked like they had some trouble locating him behind the offensive line . I think his size was an advantage for us, and what a hell of a play by grimes . That was the biggest play of the game
October 11th, 2016 at 8:14 am
Who was the first one who said to use jacquizz before all these paid captain obvious clowns
Me, kobe faker
If koetter didnt have part having sims injured by running the ball in the middle, we would have blownout carolina with sims automatic 3 explosive catches per game
Jameis didnt and couldnt use sims playmaking plays last night like last year
2016 jacquizz is better than 2016 doug martin with hammy. He should be the feature back all year
Giess what our clown is going to do? Koetter is going to replace an ineffective fat doug with jacquizz
You guys should respect me alittle more i give and ask nothing in return
October 11th, 2016 at 8:30 am
Jacquizz earners himself some carries on this team even when the muscle hamster comes back… Seen alotta of positives from our defense. As long as we are not turning the ball over and shooting ourself in the foot, we can beat anybody… Glad we got the toughest stretch of our season out the way.. We have key pieces coming back after the bye and our arrow is pointing up… Good win Jaboo and company #Go Bucs
October 11th, 2016 at 8:52 am
it’s funny how the littlest guys and underpaid players on this team are the toughest in Green and Humphries…while the soft millionaires hang out on the sidelines…
*note to Licht…Draft mentally and physically tough men..
October 11th, 2016 at 9:05 am
I was at this game last night on the 1st row and I can tell you that Quiz is a beast. Many times he created runs out of nothing. He has great vision and usually he makes the first guy miss.
October 11th, 2016 at 9:16 am
JR32 is the MAN! So glad we picked him up!
October 11th, 2016 at 9:50 am
great team win….great game planning by the coaches…great execution by the players….GO BUCS!!!!
October 11th, 2016 at 9:54 am
Who else damn near lost it when you seen mike evans limping after the reception early on. And no one is lauding koetter for giving Shepard some of Vincent Jackson’s snaps last night.
October 11th, 2016 at 11:02 am
As an official Buc Critic, I really like what I saw in Rodgers last night. Gutsy performance and his running reminded me a little od Alstott. HE just kept grinding and churning. One things for sure, he has earned more playing time. And I hope Koetter finds a way to give it to him.
October 11th, 2016 at 12:00 pm
One of the 38 OSU fans, maybe the only Bucs fan among them. Rogers carried the Beavers for 3 years, handed Sean (happy feet) Mannion pac12 records, and took us to bowl games. Want to rate how good he is, take a look at the year we had after he left early for the NFL… it was like Atlanta drafted our entire team. Seriously, Quizz can carry a team.
October 11th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Jamie Morris of the Washington Redskins carried something like 42 times against the Cincinatti Bengals way back in the late 80’s or early 90’s. Morris was under 5’8 for sure.
October 13th, 2016 at 8:12 am
I used to watch him run for ATL and thought he was awesome!
He really is a GREAT running back.
He looks like Lil Wayne in that picture. by the way.