Warren Moon: Dead Running Game Will Stall A Bucs Playoff Run
January 10th, 2023
The Bucs reached the playoffs with the worst NFL rushing attack (by every reasonable metric) and can win on Monday night against Dallas without one.
That was the mindset of Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon during his recent chat with TMZ Sports. Moon thinks the Bucs are putting a ton on Tom Brady, who can handle it, he said. But that won’t get the Bucs much past wild card weekend.
“It’s going to be hard [to advance to the Super Bowl] if they’re going to be one-dimensional. I think they have to be able to find a running game somehow, some way, not put it all on his shoulders because now you’re talking about playing some of the best pass rushers in the league,” Moon said.
Moon referenced the Eagles and 49ers specifically, and he added that Brady’s lack of mobility with the Bucs’ offensive line challenges would lead him to endure too much punishment to realistically land in the Super Bowl throwing 50 times a game.
Joe agrees with Moon. The Bucs’ odds of reaching the promised land would improve significantly if shots on Brady are limited. And Brady’s QB life would be lot easier if the Bucs could stay out of 3rd-and-long with the help of a run game.
How bout shocking the NFL with an average running game this month, Bucs?
January 10th, 2023 at 2:02 pm
We need to run the tunnel screen/lateral play that the Lions used Sunday night.
We run so many screens to Godwin any. Rachaad with a running start…
January 10th, 2023 at 2:03 pm
*anyway.
January 10th, 2023 at 2:07 pm
Brady has to show some mobility in the playoffs, even if it is a two yard run for a first down. Maybe the Bucs can also design some running plays that are all not up the middle and not always run on first down?
January 10th, 2023 at 2:28 pm
Can’t be done. Bloweswich will try, and we will see every failed demoralizing one yard loss up the left middle they’ve tried all year. Many others have said, the Bucs need to pass to set up the run. Not Bloweswich, though. Not the Toadster.
January 10th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
Agree with moon overall, but Dallas has a bad run D. They give up almost 130 ypg. I think they can run enough to keep some pressure off Brady. In the end, it all comes down to QB play. I trust the goat, not Dak. A herculean effort by our defense would hurt either. I’m betting Tampa in this game. Redeemer is back to his old take, out of necessity. Brady will have the ball in his hands, tied or behind, with a shot to go to the NFC title game. What’s left but to be optimistic? In the end we’re all fans. We beat Dallas. Go Bucs!!!!!!!!
January 10th, 2023 at 2:40 pm
Yes, i’m one that says pass to set up the run but dear Lord if it doesn’t work, change to something else. To the very large majority of teams it’s run to set up the pass but we’re talking bout Cletus Stonehenge Bowles
January 10th, 2023 at 2:41 pm
Turn up RBs! empty the tank on these runs! open your eyes 👀 look for the hole. 😏
January 10th, 2023 at 3:10 pm
Leftwich ain’t shocking the world with anything competent.
January 10th, 2023 at 3:18 pm
They can run it against the cowboys. I hope they try and established a running game. I think they can also run it against a team like the eagles. The only team that’s tough to run it on is the 49ers.
January 10th, 2023 at 3:20 pm
Third and 7, rinse and repeat
January 10th, 2023 at 3:23 pm
They’re not going to the Superbowl. They probably won’t even get past Dallas. I really can’t understand why so many people are picking the Bucs against the Cowpokes. Did they not watch how awful this team was all year?
January 10th, 2023 at 3:26 pm
Sasquatch
It’s loser go home from here on out. No law against being a fan.
January 10th, 2023 at 3:33 pm
It’s past the point of hoping/wishing the coaches would devise a good/great game-plan. Now, it’s all on the players to execute much better. If they do and minimize mistakes, I’m optimistic about our chances against Dallas.
If they beat Dallas, then we’ll reset and see whom we play next, and go from there.
Let’s GO BUCS!!!
January 10th, 2023 at 3:43 pm
Say it with me. 1st play Brady under center dive or off tackle left. Isn’t Parsons one if those great rushing LB’s Moons talking about? He sacked Brady 2 or 3 times in the first game.
January 10th, 2023 at 3:47 pm
If the Bucs come out and play the way they did in the first half of the Bengals game, and do it for the whole game – the Bucs can beat anyone.
January 10th, 2023 at 3:50 pm
Micah Parsons will have a tougher time this go around because of Leverett. I mean he’s not a world beater LG, but he’s better than Goedeke was.
It will be real interesting if there’s a miracle Jensen sighting, but more likely he would only be available if we go deep into the playoffs.
Any update on Hainsey?
January 10th, 2023 at 4:26 pm
I’d like to see a fake punt when we are 4th and 8..:)
January 10th, 2023 at 4:32 pm
Sasquatch cowboys are junk. If the bucs defense shows up along with the offense they win this game.
January 10th, 2023 at 5:04 pm
Seems to me the problem has been that everyone in the league knows what the Bucs are going to do on most plays. Mix it up a little and give Brady the opportunity to choose between pass and run depending on what the defense is showing. The talent is there just got to give them a chance.
January 10th, 2023 at 5:13 pm
I think the Bucs running game is trending upward since White started to get some carries. He is a slasher and finds the hole quickly and explodes through it. I think the reason their run game is last is because they pass so much. If they decided to be a run first team they could. But when you’ve got TB12 as QB you don’t want to take the ball out of his hands. And they use those outlet passes to the RB’s instead because you want to get your playmakers out in space. But those short passes are actually runs with a long handoff from the GOAT
January 10th, 2023 at 5:31 pm
It’s 2023 – you do not need to run the football.
In face the best way to make sure we’re one and done is more of Leftwich running the ball up the gut for 0.2 yards.
Go to hurry up, remove Leftwich as much as possible from calling plays, and you have a chance.
January 10th, 2023 at 5:46 pm
We definitely need “playoff lenny” to come back if we have any chance of a superbowl run. I think he still has that potential he was just going down with contact all season maybe to acoid injury. He did turn it on late in that panthers game and a couple other 4th quartergane winning drives. If jensen is back and hainsey and our tackles are healthy and we get all our db’s back we could look like a totally different team in the playoffs
January 10th, 2023 at 5:58 pm
Totally agree
but it is the cowboys
January 10th, 2023 at 7:09 pm
Bad drafting is going to doom us.
January 10th, 2023 at 7:17 pm
If we run twice in a row up the middle, we will fail and it will come down to Brady No Huddle magic again. Somebody please beg Lefty to listen to reason.
January 10th, 2023 at 7:19 pm
Rod, c’mon man, KC runs the ball, why do you think the passing game is so successful? Same with Buffalo, Cincy, Eagles, Chargers, SF, Minn etc. They ALL have a good running game. If you can’t run, you will NOT win.
January 10th, 2023 at 7:20 pm
BL thinks losing 17-10 is good, Bucs came in 2nd.