What Has Happened To LeGarrette Blount?
September 21st, 2012
Two years ago, Bucs running back LeGarrette Blount hurdled his way to being one of the best running backs in the NFL, averaging five yards a carry, a tremendous feat.
The following year, under the guidance of the next Don Coryell, Greg Olson, Blount was shelved while the Bucs went pass happy and crashed and burned in the process.
This season, after drafting running back Doug Martin, new Bucs coach Greg Schiano all but promised a two-headed monster of a running attack to punish opposing defenses into submission.
So far in the early weeks of the 2012 campaign, the running attack has been a lone-headed monster; Muscle Hamster, who is averaging 3.7 yards a carry.
After being shrouded in mystery and intrigue over what turned out to be a “stinger,” Blount only saw the field for a couple of plays in the Bucs collapse along the New Jersey Turnpike last Sunday.
This has led many Bucs fans to question what has happened to Blount, including peppering eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune about it.
Q: I thought LeGarrette Blount would be used in the second half of games this season to protect the lead. Tired defenses trying to tackle a fresh Blount will be a clock eater and a chain mover. Was he not heathly at New York or was that just a poor coaching decision not to play him?
A: Although he is only two years removed from a 1,000-yard season, it appears Blount is now an after thought in Mike Sullivan’s offense. He has three carries through two games, along with one reception. He is practicing every day, so health does not appear to be an issue.
~ eye-RAH! Kaufman, Tampa Tribune
“Afterthought” may be one way of looking at it. But Joe is starting to smell something different, say, “doghouse.”
This is a puzzle that Joe just finds striking: A guy goes from one of the top running backs in the league to rarely being used to being an ‘afterthought” two years later.
September 21st, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Well, I called this earlier in the week. I guess Blount’s preparation during the week is not up to NSO standards
September 21st, 2012 at 4:21 pm
Blount is one dimensional and Schiano, and most other people, see this. He doesn’t pass block well, doesn’t pick up the playbook well, dances at the hole, and so on.
He’s a big guy the can mow people over…as long as he’s in space. He can’t create things on his own. He’s not a one cut runner with quickness.
While he’s a big, strong guy – but it’s just not enough.
One trick pony.
He won’t be with the Bucs past this year.
September 21st, 2012 at 4:22 pm
I hate to see a team lose games just because the coaches don’t like their best hurdleback. LeGarrette Blount plays last Sunday, the Bucs are 2-0. It was that easy.
Two more games like last week, I may jump ship.
September 21st, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Who cares if he is a one-trick pony? He is a one-trick pony that averages better than 4 yards per carry, which is enough to win games.
Sometimes he goes backwards and the team has to punt. Maybe that is why Dominik picked up Koenen. When Blount goes forward, the team wins.
If if is crucial that the team go forward on a play, maybe you don’t run Blount on that play. Any other non-crucial down, where the chance of being in the end zone is a good result and the loss of a yard or two isn’t too damaging, hand the ball to Blount, or pass it to him, he has less dropped passes than Martin does this season.
September 21st, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Jump ship now then troll we don’t want any fake fans like u .
I believe in NSO…..
September 21st, 2012 at 4:35 pm
If everyone who was less of a fan than me jumped ship, the Buc’s attendance would be 500 + opponent’s fans.
How many clearly blown wins would it take for you to jump ship GABA?
September 21st, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Blount is in the doghouse….I’ve said it before and have no doubt about it. Schiano sees Martin as his “Ray Rice”. The only way Blount sees the field this year for anything more than a cameo would be an injury Martin- which I don’t want. Even then I picture D.J. Ware playing more than Blount.
September 21st, 2012 at 4:40 pm
@JOE
Did you hear Mason Foster got fined for his hits?
September 21st, 2012 at 4:42 pm
It’s really too bad. Blount will have his day again…either in Tampa or elsewhere. You can’t tell me the Steelers or Packers wouldn’t be falling all over each other to get him.
September 21st, 2012 at 4:52 pm
“Two more games like last week, I may jump ship.”
Just jump ship you sad act, no one gives a flying F. The Bucs will go on without you.
September 21st, 2012 at 4:52 pm
If only football coaches knew how simple the game was, right? Give the ball to Blount, we win. It doesn’t matter that we weren’t opening up any holes whatsoever for him to run through, just give him the ball. How many hours of footage did you go through to come up with that assessment?
Look, I agree Blount needs to run the ball. We can’t ride one back for the whole season, period. I suspect that he will get more touches this week, at least I hope so. However, we aren’t at One Buc Place every day. We don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors. I can almost guarantee there is more going on here than what we know. Really hope I’m wrong.
September 21st, 2012 at 4:58 pm
His legs should be fresh since he has not been used much in 2 years
September 21st, 2012 at 5:01 pm
If he is in the dog house, free him ! Coach, I have defended you but today’s yahoo report? Say it isn’t so.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Who gives a crap if Schiano didn’t make friends with NFL scouts when he was at Rutgers. Schianos job isn’t to be the nicest coach in the league, his job is to win. If he’s nasty along the way doing that I could care less.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Yeah seriously, who gives a crap about that article. Funny how there’s all these complaints that only came out now. Hmmmmmm, weird, don’t you think? Also, funny how it never stopped Rutgers from banging out NFL players. Don’t believe everything you read.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:15 pm
I’m with KH, sounds like a few people had their egos damaged and now Schiano is labeled a “bully”. C’mon…..
September 21st, 2012 at 5:17 pm
I’m pretty convinced we’re doing with Blount what the Pats are doing with Welker — keeping them on the shelf in preparation for a trade.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:19 pm
I like Schiano and his demeanor a lot. I don’t really care about Blount or anyone else. I just want to win. It’s up to Schiano and Dom to figure out how. This Buc fan is along for the rode and enjoying it do far.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Just win baby, that’s all that matter at the end of the day. This is a results driven business. Whatever Blount has done I trusts the staff to make the right personnel decisions to win.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Hawaiian,
That’s the problem with secrecy, no one knows how to react.
1. Blount got zero carries because he still needed to heal from his stinger? Good, keep him healthy.
2. Blount got zero carries because he is in the dog house? Lead better coaches or deactivate him, and don’t expect fans to put up with that.
3. Blount got zero carries because the matchups were poor? Okay, I can deal with that, but it better not be every week, and you better win.
4. Blount got zero carries because the other team can’t stop Doug Martin? Awesome, keep Blount on the bench.
5. Blount got zero carries because you were down and had to pass? Fine, start better.
6. Blount got zero carries because you think Martin is the next Ray Rice? You better win the game, or screw you coaches, because that is intolerable.
If only we knew what happened.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:21 pm
I just love autocorrect and I’ll never get it right.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:30 pm
They have made all the right moves so far. Let’s see how it plays out BEFORE we jump off the bridge!
September 21st, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Robbie G,
True, until 2 quarters ago. Until next week, I am sad.
September 21st, 2012 at 6:08 pm
@Optimis Troll,
I agree, I wish we all knew what was going on. However, in reality, it’s probably best for the team if we don’t. I certainly don’t want Schiano or the Bucs to leak to the media that Blount is being an arse hole. That can definitely start problems in the locker room. We also don’t want other teams to know if he’s hurt, nor do we want them to know our gameplan. If Dallas prepares all week for Doug Martin, then Blount gets 20 carries, I think that’s an advantage to us.
As fans, we want to know what is going on, but we don’t necessarily have the right to know. I can actually appreciate the fact that if there is problems with attitude, that Schiano keeps it in house. Consider the alternative and I think you would agree. I’m just going to take a stab at it and assume that Schiano and the coaches know the situation better than us, or anyone in the media. If not, we are in big trouble.
September 21st, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Great post Big Mac. You are a true fan in every sense of the word. Right there with you. I would cheer for Miguel Grande to score if he were playing RB for the Bucs. Just win baby.
September 21st, 2012 at 6:22 pm
Or maybe Blount is practicing every day, but not playing because they’re keeping him a secret for when we really need him… working on his pass blocking and receiving, pushing him in short yardage, spraying cases of Stick’Um on his hands and forearms…. When they reveal him next, you’ll see Blount, The Red Hulk unleashed!!!!
Seriously, I’d love to see them play Blount more, and honestly think he should have been in there in the second half against the Giants. I haven’t been sold on Martin since we drafted him, and he hasn’t really shown me anything yet. Hopefully he will, but until he does, I like seeing Blount carry 5 tacklers downfield for 5 yards. I like seeing Blount bowl over a LB and hurdle a Safety.
Whatever the issues (and I’ll probably never know) I want the team to win, but I do like seeing the individual players perform well in those wins too. I love seeing Barber get a pick and a sack. Or VJ or MW making a great sideline catch, juking a defender and taking it to the house. These are fun to watch.
September 21st, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Joe –
I haven’t read any of the comments lately on Blount, so if I’m repeating something here, forgive me.
But I’ve felt that Blount is on the verge of being cut, once they feel comfortable Ware can fully-compliment Martin.
I like Blount, but I’m sure the coaches know more than we do about his capabilities. Maybe they’re right about his pass-blocking? Just because he’s done it several times in front of our eyes during a game doesn’t mean they see him do it all the time in practice. Maybe I’m wrong.
But something has smelled fishy to me for a while and that’s just my guess.
I know you love him and will die in order to defend him, but maybe he’s not the player you (and most of us) thought he is. I could be way off.
Just my take.
September 21st, 2012 at 7:23 pm
…and I’ve never really liked the fact that he always seems to look for the big play, rather than pick up 3 yards when we need it.
Maybe he hasn’t learned to hit the hole as much as an NFL back should?
September 21st, 2012 at 7:57 pm
You know sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. We wanted a tough guy that would put some starch in the backs of this team and in the process bring discipline and a commitment to winning. I see those things happening, but I also see things that make me wonder and things that I am surprised by.
Schiano is a very principled man who believes in his way so much so that in his mind it is the only way, the Schiano Way! Could it be that he made his mind up about Blount way before the draft, hence the desire to get a bell cow back, Richardson it was said and then Martin. Perhaps he is the type of guy that once his mind is made up there is no changing it. Right or wrong, good or bad, it is what it is.
There is Schiano, there is the media, and there is us. I suspect this is going to be a delicate relationship to keep in balance from week to week as we move through the season. We want a winner and he’s trying to give us that. But be assured he’s going to do it his way or be damned. This will make some of us uncertain and at times uncomfortable.
Winning has a way of making things OK, even if they’re not. And losing makes things seem twice as bad as they are. In this case though, winning may be the only alternative for this relationship to work.
September 21st, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Winning is the best deodorant. Coach is going to need a lot of deodorant.
I see pitchforks and torches in the near future. The media, the fans, players, agents and his NFL peers will be on him like Frankenstein’s monster after he grabbed the little blond girl.
September 21st, 2012 at 9:35 pm
I am really hoping that Schiano is not just determined to prove in his new million dollar back. I don’t think the doghouse it the problem unless Coach point blank lied to the media. He stated he is a good worker and has a good attitude in press conferences. I’ve seen him practice and at games and there does not appear to be any issues. He was the first one off the sidelines and in the end zone last week on one of the TD’s to celebrate with the team. I played this game for many years and what I’ve seen he is an above average pass catcher and average blocker, go watch some tapes. He came into Tampa late his Rookie season, was held out of camp with the rest of the NFL his 2nd season so I still feel he is very coachable and hasn’t had a lot of “teaching” in the past. I think the up side to Blount could be huge and if we could work the 2 back in together they could be the best 2 back combo in the league…in a few years. There may still be some health concerns with the groin injury or stinger.
September 21st, 2012 at 9:57 pm
How many coaches does it take not using Blount before it sinks in.
He’s not good.
September 21st, 2012 at 10:13 pm
Eric, just what are you basing that statement on? Coach Fisher who said it was a mistake to try and sneak Blount onto the practice squad? His 1000+ yard rookie season in Tampa? Only the 2nd UFA in NFL history to do that btw. His 800 yard season last year with every team keying on him? With the int’s Freeman was throwing they were praying he would pass so they tried to shut down the run. I believe he still led the league in YAC’s. How many passes did he drop again? There is no basis for your statement.
September 22nd, 2012 at 8:14 am
I have Blount as a handcuff for Martin in my Fantasy league. Which is the same as how the Bucs are using him. If Martin goes down he’ll be the no1 guy again.
However i do think it’s strange he doesnt get 4th qtr carries. But they must just like Martin better in that role too.
September 22nd, 2012 at 11:20 am
” I certainly don’t want Schiano or the Bucs to leak to the media that Blount is being an arse hole. That can definitely start problems in the locker room.”
The main problem in the locker room is that the head coach is major asshole and stubborn too. He’s got a 5 year contract though.
Blount probably forgot to show up for work on his day off or put his hands on his hips or chewed gum or said a bad word or …………………….
September 22nd, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Schiano has not had a problem releasing players with attitude problems and that’s why a said what I did. I’m not in the locker room but have access to practices and games and there has never appeared to be any issues, only hard work as witnessed by this writer. My money is on the groin or stinger injury.
September 22nd, 2012 at 4:23 pm
I’ll be optimistic that this is a clever diversionary tactic to get D coordinators game planning soley for Martin, and then we hit them with some suprise Blount force trauma on game day. Whatever the real reason is, I’m with fellow Bucs fans who don’t care who gets the carries as long as the team is winning games.