Aaron Stinnie And A Running Game Showing A Pulse
November 10th, 2023
OC lauds but will he start again?
Joe catches hell on this here site and on Twitter for constantly reminding people that Bucs running back Rachaad White has had just one good game running the ball in 28 NFL games.
If you’re trying to tell Joe that is good, there is not one other position where you would give a player that sort of pass where he could have just one good game in 28 to start his career.
Fans would be going bananas (look how people were freaked out about Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in his second season).
Last week White ran for 73 yards averaging 3.7 yards a carry in a loss to the Texans. The way folks carried on, you’d have thought he was Adrian Peterson.
For Joe, it is simple: Run for 100 yards, that’s a good game running the ball. Rushing for 70-99 yards is OK if the yards per carry number is close to 4.5 yards per carry.
The first game this season the Bucs showed that the run game isn’t fully invisible was when the Bucs hosted the Bears in Week 2. Then the run game fell off and improvement was seeen in Buffalo. That was followed up by even better rushing in Houston.
Joe brings this up because at Buffalo marked the first change of the season in the starting five on the offensive line. Left guard Matt Feiler was nursing a bum knee and Aaron Stinnie started in his place, as he did in Houston.
Coincidence? Joe asked Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales if there was a cause-and-effect there with the improved run game. Sure seemed like there was the way Canales spoke.
“Stinnie did a fantastic job,” Canales said. “I don’t want to go into the specifics of what we’re going to do this week knowing [Matt] Feiler is getting back to his health.
“In general, we don’t like to say a guy loses his job due to injury, but it’s a really hard decision for us right now because of how well Stinnie has played, and Matt was playing pretty [well] before that, too.
“I don’t want to give too much more information other than that. We have two good options there at left guard.”
Last week Bowles crowed about Stinnie and his run blocking. Now earlier this week, J.C. Allen of SI.com reported Stinnie is the new Bucs’ starting left guard whether Feiler is healthy or not.
As Joe wrote above, Canales didn’t want to tip his hand. But the way Joe sees it, the offense improved running the ball after Stinnie was elevated to start at left guard.
Why not keep an OK thing going?
November 10th, 2023 at 7:39 am
Lets run the table.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:47 am
Preaching to the choir on this one….
November 10th, 2023 at 7:52 am
I’m at a loss as to why they thought Feiler was the better player in camp.
Stinnie: 2 games, zero penalties, zero sacks, PFF of 78
Feiler: 6 games, two penalties, zero sacks, PFF of 54
November 10th, 2023 at 8:04 am
Never liked this signing – Feiler is bigger but definitely not better – Stinnie or Leverett are better than him
Leverett is the insurance at C so can’t risk him playing too much at G unless absolutely needed
Feiler was a waste of money to me and should not have been starting and just a bad strategy signing – we should have gone pure C to replace Jensen knowing his chances were slim at best of coming back and had Stinnie Leverett Hainsey Mauch at G
November 10th, 2023 at 8:06 am
Things have definitely improved since Stinnie got the call. Not really sure why Feiler was gifted the starting job. It’s not like he had a stellar career before arriving in Tampa.
To your point about 100 yards rushing. I mentioned this in another article, Joe. You had nothing but praise for Fournette, but he only rushed for 100 yards 4 times in his 3 years with Tampa (including playoffs). Never more than twice in a single season. All I’m asking is that you be consistent with your expectations from the RB position.
November 10th, 2023 at 8:45 am
In the NFL, having a consistently successful running attack requires many elements.
1. A strong running back with excellent vision. The Bucs do not have that.
2. Strong interior linemen to open holes with power. The Bucs do not have that.
3. Excellent play calling on when to run and how often. The Bucs do not have that.
Therefore I find it difficult to place sole blame on the running backs, offensive line or the coordinator. It is all three elements contributing to being dead last in rushing in the NFL.
November 10th, 2023 at 8:51 am
To be fair, last year was the only year Fournette didn’t run for around 4.5 YPC for the Bucs. He has a career average of 4 YPC.
November 10th, 2023 at 9:18 am
Mauch, and Feiler were handed starting jobs. Stinnie, and Leverett are probably better. No real competition. Poor coaching, and management.
November 10th, 2023 at 9:50 am
I agree that a player shouldn’t lose his job due to an injury. But he SHOULD lose his job if there is another player that is playing better than him!
If Stinnie is playing better it shouldn’t be a difficult decision on who to use on Sunday. Play Stinnie if you want to win a game. Play Feiler if you want to improve your position in the next draft.
November 10th, 2023 at 9:51 am
Feiler was grading out in the low to mid 50s. Stinnie is grading out in the mid 70s…
If a player sucks they SHOULD ABSOLUTELY LOSE THEIR JOB DUE TO INJURY.
Cody Mauch is actually worse than Feiler and so is Hainsey.
I wish we could replace both guards and the center. Nick Leverett would probably also be an upgrade over both Mauch or Hainsey.
November 10th, 2023 at 10:02 am
Agree about Hainsey. Would love to see Leverett replace him. But I disagree about Mauch. He’s a rookie and he needs reps. He’ll get stronger in the offseason, but he won’t see all the tricks from defensive lineman in the offseason. He needs to play. Hainsey and Feiler are not rookies. Their poor play is not likely to improve.
November 10th, 2023 at 10:04 am
No you don’t. You really don’t. Unless you like fumbles, you don’t want to see this.
November 10th, 2023 at 10:09 am
Maybe you’re right, Joe. Leverett wasn’t good last year. I just don’t like Hainsey at all. He’s constantly pushed around in the run game.
November 10th, 2023 at 10:15 am
@ real
I agree – Mauch needs reps and will need to add 10-15 pounds this off-season.
I still believe he will be a solid lineman eventually but it is painful to watch at times. Getting rag-dolled just like Goedeke did last season at LG…
November 10th, 2023 at 10:16 am
realistic-optimistic Says:
Hainsey and Feiler are not rookies. Their poor play is not likely to improve.
——————————————————————————————-
Hainsey does work at getting better in the off-season so I do believe he will improve. To what extent – that remains to be seen. I don’t believe he’s reached his ceiling yet though.
November 10th, 2023 at 10:36 am
Why not try the Mauch at center thing now? (Hear me out)
GM is on record saying that’s where he envisions Cody in the future. Sort of how Marpet started at Guard and went to center. Since circumstances dictate, we have a serious shot at division, we can use Fieler/Leverett/Hainsey at LG and off we go.
Cody can snap per Bowels and Baker can handle all of the line calls. Instant improve line.
Thoughts??
November 10th, 2023 at 11:17 am
Feiler was a weak link for the Steelers. Not terrible, just a 6th man who could start some games but not a guy who could hold up over the full schedule. They hid him at right tackle and ran inside or left outside because he never climbed to the second level. Not knocking the guy, its better than i could do, but truth is truth
November 10th, 2023 at 11:44 am
@ 02
That is a difficult change to make at this point in the season but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Mauch moved to center in the near future.
Only problem is – once we move Mauch to center now the Bucs will need another RG to plug in plus it looks like Feiler will probably be moving on after this season.
So now we need two new OGs because Stinnie is probably towards the end of his NFL career as well.
No easy answers for this puzzle…
November 10th, 2023 at 1:09 pm
Say you’ve never seen Leverett at center without saying you’ve never seen Leverett at center.
November 10th, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Why not just draft a real center for a change with a high pick? Draft the kid from Georgia, and don’t look back for the next 10 years.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:19 pm
No replace Hainsey and we might have something.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:39 pm
If Bowles and Canales factor in the Refs with the Titans, it won’t even be a contest. Refs cost Tampa the last two games. It’s been that way for years. I sure wish I could be at RJS Sunday. Weather will be good. GO MIGHTY BUCS!!
November 10th, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Quote
“Last week White ran for 73 yards averaging 3.7 yards”
End Quote
And did it by hitting every hole presented by the worst O-line in all of football. The holes were few, but Rachaad hit every one. He also was ordered to run against zero openings in the line which once again ruined his individual rushing stats.
And still had 3.7 yards-average.
Receiving: before the Huston game, Rachaad had a 96.5% catching/average; that awesome stat was obviously improved upon with running the table once again on all his targets against Huston.
There’s a certain RB with the 49ers who’s praised up & down the media: he’s the only one who comes in high for receiving compared to Rachaad, and McCaffrey is in second place with a paltry (by comparison) low 80% catching/average.
The guy never misses. Need a first down? Duh!
Apparently, some just don’t realize it when they have a legitimate star on their team.
Belichick and Brady did with Kevin Faulk and James White; and they won six Super Bowls doing things like recognizing how valuable cut-back RB’s with great catching skills can be.
Who did Brady (yes, a retired Buccaneer quarterback with a Super Bowl win) develop-with and then Go-to in the Red Zone last year for 4th Qtr., come-back wins…?
November 11th, 2023 at 3:30 am
I give Stinnie credit but It may just be that White and the O line as a whole is finally starting to get it with the new scheme. I am hoping that this is the case and we get continued improvement.
Go Bucs!