A Test For Ronald Jones
September 16th, 2019
Bucs coaches and officials spent a lot of time this offseason building the confidence of second-year running back Ronald Jones.
He needed it after a brutal rookie year, they said, and his spring and summer effort and improvement was deserving of their attention and public praise.
Given Jones’ history, Joe believes it’s fair to say Jones now could be at a minor crossroads of his young career. He injured his toe against the Panthers and finished the night with a very 2018-like four carries for nine yards.
It’s not Jones’ first minor injury this year, and his kick returner tryout in preseason didn’t go well. For now, Peyton Barber is the clear No. 1 running back and Joe is hoping Jones’ is mature enough to handle all this after the high of his stunning opening day performance against the 49ers.
Joe’s not down on Jones, only noting that a little early-season adversity could drag him down if his maturity isn’t as complete as Bucs officials made it out to be this summer.
September 16th, 2019 at 10:03 am
Didn’t realize he injured his toe. Was wondering why they were just feeding Barber and not mixing it up. I know Ariana said he’ll go with the hot hand though. If Bree’s is indeed gone for sometime, this could be a golden opportunity for the Bucs to shine. Still in show me mode
September 16th, 2019 at 10:08 am
Toe injuries are a biitch !….I read after the first game it was a toe then saw him come out of the game limping keeping weight off that foot…
September 16th, 2019 at 10:16 am
Barber’s once again were so average at best. He’s not the solution. If rojo doesn’t step up, we will struggle in meaningful games.
September 16th, 2019 at 10:18 am
I hope you’re writing that article on how Lombardi said McCoy is “stealing $” and is done.
September 16th, 2019 at 10:18 am
Sure isn’t. But outside of trading for Melvin Gordon, not much you can do until the offseason. And the Bucs have made it clear they don’t believe in good running backs. smh
September 16th, 2019 at 10:19 am
toe injury on a running back… not good
September 16th, 2019 at 10:20 am
I repeatedly said during the game he must have gotten hurt. I’d like a more specific update on the injury
September 16th, 2019 at 10:32 am
Looks like RoJo is yawning in that photo Joe. Is that because he only had 4 carries Thursday night and 0 targets?
And you know looking at his stats Thursday I noticed something strange. RoJo had 4 carries for 9 yards, but his longest run was 12 yards. Ouch! And BA only let him in for 12 snaps TOTAL. Ouch again!
Noticed something else strange in Thursday’s stats also. Our defense was on the field for 73 snaps (covering 13 Panthers drives). EIGHT of our defenders had OVER 85% snaps (LVD, Whitehead, Davis, VHIII, Minter, Edwards, Suh & Nassib). Another THREE had between 70%-80% (Barrett, Vea & MJ Stewart). Only THREE others had over 25%-41% (Gholston, Nelson & Nunez-Roches). Even Beau Allen only got 10 snaps (13%). Doesn’t look like TB is rotating guys in-and-out all that much (maybe because it was cooler up in Charlotte?). We’ve got several beasts on this defense who obviously don’t want to come off of the field.
September 16th, 2019 at 10:34 am
Joe,
Please don’t put “test” and “Ronald Jones in the same sentence! 😂
September 16th, 2019 at 10:38 am
Drew Beees to have thumb surgery. Out a minimum of 6 weeks.
September 16th, 2019 at 10:52 am
“My Dad said
There will be a time when Dare Ogunbowale becomes the starter
His skillset of receiving and vision to hit the hole won’t be denied and will be starter end of the year”
Son of Kobe Faker
September 16th, 2019 at 10:54 am
Barber would be a great back, if he was a little bit faster
September 16th, 2019 at 11:04 am
we still ran effectively…..
GO BUCS!!!!
September 16th, 2019 at 11:06 am
The play Jones injured his toe on was a good run. Quite good. Arians said he came limping out and Barber had the hot hand — witnessing his 16 yard TD run a play or two later. Nothing to aorry about on Ronald.
The guy I want to see get more touches is Ogunbawale.
September 16th, 2019 at 11:06 am
I would also like to see more Dare O. in the gameplan. He seems like he has the better pass catching ability of our backs.
September 16th, 2019 at 11:22 am
If Jones is as mentally fragile as Joe thinks he might be OVER A TOE INJURY and only getting 4 carries, someone go remove all of the sharp objects from his house.
September 16th, 2019 at 11:33 am
I think Bruce mentioned a toe injury for Jones in the week leading up to the Panthers game as well
September 16th, 2019 at 11:58 am
I believe Ronald Jones is a superstar in the making and in my opinion, he was the best running back we had on Thursday night’s win over the Panthers! It’s no knock on Barber but he looks very slow and he does too much dancing for me just hit the hole! If he just hit the hole on the one play that led to a safety he would have got a yard or two!
September 16th, 2019 at 11:58 am
Kobe. You also said Ronald Jones wouldnt have 50 yards rushing in a game all year. It took you all of one game to be dead wrong. Dare averaged like 3 yards a carry in preseason. You’re overhyping the piss out of him.
September 16th, 2019 at 12:24 pm
He’s fine they went with hot. And just like week 2 Jones had hot hand An Barber got minimal carries fake news come on joe
September 16th, 2019 at 12:45 pm
this is a non-story with a very compelling takeaway. Does Joe know something we don’t about RonJon’s injury status? Is he hampered too much to be effective, and blaming it on some mental stuff is a way to subtly tell us to watch out? I smell that Joe knows more than he’s letting onto here…
September 16th, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Last year Miami RB Ballage was flashing like he was gonna be really good…He struggled mightily yesterday though.
I think we should be picking over the dying carcass that is the Dolphins and see if we could get a steal or two..Minkah Fo Sho..and take a flyer on Ballage if they wanna let him go…
September 16th, 2019 at 2:19 pm
See this is where Joe annoys me because he reads a box score and pretends he didn’t watch the game – the exact same nonsense he’d do with Martin.
Ronnie look good, and quick, when he was in the game – albeit it only for a handful of plays. If memory serves me right his stats were tanked on a pitch wide that was blown-up. But he also had a really good carry where he looked like a star.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:42 pm
Dare needs the carries!
Former Walk-On at Wisconsin.
Undrafted free agent. Cut multiple times.
He runs like a man possessed!
Thats what we need!
September 16th, 2019 at 2:45 pm
I also would like to see Ogunbawale get some time.
Most of the time break out candidates appear because of injury.
Please don’t wait until then BA.
September 16th, 2019 at 5:31 pm
Jury is still out on RoJo, but he has a nice start at proving me wrong and Licht right. Hope this toe thing is minor and he’s at full speed against the G-Men. I would be overjoyed if my perception that the Bucs had/have a weak stable of RB’s is misguided.
September 17th, 2019 at 10:11 am
This is a non-story. RoJo will get his carries so long as he’s healthy. Both him and Barber know the drill…both RBs will get touches and whoever is running best will get a few extra. If not for the toe injury, Jones would’ve seen some more time Thursday too. Hopefully he’s 100% this week and we’ll see some more opportunities for him, similar to week 1. But this isn’t really a “test” any more than any minor injury is. Once he’s healthy he will have the same role as he was always going to have in this offense.
September 17th, 2019 at 6:39 pm
The way Jones was running with authority against the Niners makes me believe that he is over the hump.