A Confidence Step Back For Ronald Jones?

October 17th, 2019

The Ronald Jones second-quarter touchdown run against Carolina was a thing of beauty on Sunday, raw talent, poise and strength on display.

And what was his reward?

He got one more second-quarter carry. That was it. Jones finished the game with four carries.

This stunned Joe considering all the effort Bucco Bruce Arians made this offseason to build up the confidence of Jones. Joe surely would have thought that great, shifty TD run would have gotten Jones the next series at running back, but it didn’t.

Even Derrick Brooks, who isn’t one to speak up about personnel decisions, said he believes Jones should get the ball more in the latest edition of TAMPA TWO. And Brooks was disappointed Jones wasn’t seen more against the panthers. You can watch that below in its entirety.

Obviously, Arians and his team have done a good job developing Jones from a scared rookie to a productive rusher at 4.4 yards per carry and two touchdowns this season. Joe gives coaching a load of credit. Joe just hopes the Bucs make the move soon to give Jones as a game as the bellcow back. It would be nice to know how he responds.

Can he be effective in that role? Can he break one? Can he take the punishment? All good questions to answer before 2020.

For now, hopefully Jones’ confidence remains high after so little use following his special touchdown.


Hall of Fame Bucs legend Derrick Brooks dives deep on the Bucs’ loss to the Panthers with Tampa Bay’s only Hall of Fame voter, JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman. Presented by Caldeco Air Conditioning & Heating. Another stellar production from The Identity Tampa Bay and Joe.

34 Responses to “A Confidence Step Back For Ronald Jones?”

  1. JP_09 Says:

    I said it before the Carolina game, Rojo needs to be RB1 getting
    20-25 touches a game.

  2. Go Bucs 72 Says:

    He is clearly our most improved player from last season. Godwin is tearing it up, but he has been good from the beginning. I agree that Ronald should be the RB1.

  3. 813bucboi Says:

    hard to continue to run the ball when the QB has 5INTS and 1 fumble…..

    first play was an INT and we were playing from behind ever since….

    GO BUCS!!!!!

  4. Lamarcus Says:

    We can’t run the backs. Are you kidding? They are being used for blocking as well. 3 receivers and everyone else needs block.

  5. down in the dirt doug Says:

    Jones makes the most yards per carry and is faster than Barber.Yet he gets less chances to succeed.Sounds perfect to me in “Our Bucs World”.

  6. TheDood Says:

    Rojo is great. The problem is having Josh Freeman 2.0 back there tossing interceptions. Even rookie Kyler Murray knows how to just the ball away…

  7. Lamarcus Says:

    813

    5 ints waaahaaa. You sound like we have a mentally weak team. 1 pick and we are done?

    I wish Vh3 can make a pick like that tho. It will be awesome. Read and react and runs thru the receiver and steal his cookies

  8. Pete I Says:

    He plays with Winston who doubled clutched a wide open screen pass, how high can his confidence be?

  9. Erick Says:

    I don’t dislike Dare, but he shouldn’t be in the game for more than a few snaps a game. It seemed like he played the entire 2nd half, which I know is because they consider him a better pass blocker, but I don’t see it. Get Jones in there more.

  10. adam from ny Says:

    it was all hands on deck to help the pathetic josh wells…dude was really bad in replacing dotson

  11. Dusthty Rhothdes Says:

    Could he just not be able to comprehend the playbook? Also why can’t the bucs give him some toss sweeps if he is that fast. Leftwich/Arians playbook isn’t groundbreaking

  12. TheDood Says:

    Through the 2018 NFL Season)
    Name Comp Att % Yds TD Int
    Jameis Winston 1,183 1,922 61.6 14,628 88 58
    Josh Freeman 1,144 1,967 58.2 13,534 80 66

  13. NPRSageBoy Says:

    I’d rather give RJ the ball on every down instead of having JayMiss give it away.

    Can Jones pass?

  14. LordCornelius Says:

    Not sure why they like Barber so much at this point. ROJO has looked 5X more explosive and still can get the same short yardage if the play isn’t there.

  15. Buczilla Says:

    I’m really happy for this kid and happy for us fans that get to see him starting to do good things on the field. This guy is fun to watch and I agree that he needs to get the ball more.

  16. Billy_45 Says:

    Annnnd ROJO doesn’t look for contact and put his head down EVERY FREAKIN PLAY.

    He actually cuts to AVOID contact.

    Novel!!!

  17. fernando diaz Says:

    Joe come on they got behind.
    He should be the starter

  18. doctor_berto Says:

    This team is a joke and that includes Arians and Leftwich.

  19. Defense Rules Says:

    Wow, face facts Joe, that was a LOUSY GAME-PLAN on the part of of Leftwich. Panthers aren’t all that stout against the run, and that’s what we should’ve exploited early. Instead we come out throwing & Jameis gets picked. After the Panthers short FG (of course blamed on our DEFENSE), Bucs go Barber (run), Barber (run), Bobo (short pass incomplete) … PUNT. Not a good way to open the ballgame.

    Our defense holds (THREE incomplete passes) & forces a PUNT. Jameis throws a short pass to Godwin for 17 yds, then proceeds to get sacked TWICE, followed by a completed short pass to Godwin then … PUNT. Our defense gives up a long TD next … Panthers rush 7 times & pass 5 times (good mix). Bucs offense returns undaunted … run, pass, sack, PUNT. Fortunately the Panthers fumble, we recove on the CAR37, and score a TD (short field) 3 plays later.

    Defense holds Panthers to a 3-and-out-PUNT. A pass, a run, a sack & a pass later, Jameis is intercepted again at the TD36. Panthers score 4 plays later (short field again?).

    Same thing went on all game. Bucs never got into any rhythm. Drives were killed by turnovers (7) & sacks (7) & penalties (9). It also didn’t help that we only ran the ball 14 times and threw it deep NINE times (completing 2). We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot. Stats-wise we won the game; score-wise we lost big-time.

  20. Clean House Says:

    Leftwhich is Trash

  21. Bucamania Says:

    Dare got 3X more snaps than Rojo?!! Pure genius. And don’t tell me Dare is a better blocker. He’s terrible at pass pro.

  22. BigHog Says:

    Dare is a better all-around third down back, than the rest because he can catch the ball with consistency! You guys continue to berate this team…feel free to find another. CONTINUE TO BUILD, as we enter the
    Second quarter of this long season! GO BUCS!

  23. Pewter power Says:

    Dare is garbage…dude gets trucked every week and has shown nothing special outside of the preseason . This is on coaching, Dirk koetter had the same idiotic approach and we all know if you have three running backs then you have none. Jones is by far the best most elusive back they have. But can ask this question after they ran the ball a total of like 14 times in a game

  24. 813bucboi Says:

    lamarcus

    you must have missed week1….

    VHG had a pick6….lol…

    GO BUCS!!!!!!

  25. Bucsfanman Says:

    See, this is what I don’t understand. You’re starting QB simply doesn’t have his ‘A’ game that day. So, as opposed to benching him, or changing the gameplan, you have him hurl the ball 50+ times?!
    I cannot wrap my mind around this rationale. The simple FACTS are that Jameis Winston turns the ball over more frequently AND we lose most of the time when he attempts 35+passes. Why continue to drop back and put your QB in that situation when the other team KNOWS that’s what you’re going to do?!
    I will never comprehend why teams abandon the run game like it’s the Ebola virus when they go down by a couple of scores. There was plenty of time in this game.
    You want to protect the QB? Don’t have him drop back 50+ times.

  26. rrsrq Says:

    ROJO needs to be RB1, I hope Leftwich hasn’t become Dirk, even when the running game was working under DK, he would often abandon it too soon.

  27. Rob Tanner Says:

    @Joebucsfan you realize when your behind you have to throw? Is he a better blocker then the other no name running back?

  28. RODNEY ALLEN Says:

    PB needs to be the change of pace Rojo should be rb1. I just dont get why that hasnt happened yet

  29. THETRUTH Says:

    Gotta love it !!!

    last year fans (JBF ALSO)were demanding to cut ROJO this bust AFTER 20 carries , now they want him to start?

    Vita Vea you heard the same calls , though he had been injured people still said bust..

    YOU MEAN ALL THESE GM’s on their couch got it wrong ? JBF got it wrong , can’t be.

  30. Hodad Says:

    The QB whisper would rather have Mr. Magoo throw 50 times then have Rojo run the ball. Any wonder we’re not going anywhere? I think Dare Owhatshisname got more touches then Jones in the second half. What a joke Arains is turning out to be. Fits right in to what we’ve been used to. The secondary is fixed!! LoL! Sir what we’ve got here is a cluster f#%k!

  31. Tc Says:

    Arians must have taken barber for his fantasy league.

  32. Big Cousin Ced from Long Beach Ca Says:

    ROJO is the best RB on the team and he should be given the ball for at least 20 snaps plus they should give home plays to run down the side line instead of up the middle. Once he gets in the open field he can shake any defense with his speed especially one on one. His USC highlights shows exactly what he’s capable of doing. He just needs the ball more. Play this man!

  33. Bucsfanman Says:

    THETRUTH- That’s the beauty of hindsight. Now, point to a single play last season that remotely looks like anything we’ve seen this year.
    There’s no need for me to wait because there were none.
    It is completely night and day from last year. You have to hand it to the kid for putting in the work.

  34. THETRUTH Says:

    Bucsfanman:

    My point is you don’t call for someone to be cut after a year or maybe 2 in the league. Especially with Rojo ago had 20 carries but there was an outcry for this guy to be cut. We as Buc supports have to give time for some players to develop. We see and hear of other rookies making a splash but check that’s teams draft roster many aren’t.

    I’m tired of losing but we have to be patient with new regime and real coaches we have now.

    Yes it did help with his work he out in but Vita was working and got injured and people called him a bust before even allowing the guy to play a season.