Rachaad White Improvement Is Detailed
November 8th, 2023
Praised internally.
The Buccaneers have the worst rushing attack since the 2013 Ravens, but it is getting slightly better.
A man who is perhaps the greatest Bucs insider has some of the in-house details.
No, Joe is not referring to Sage of Tampa Bay Sports, Ira Kaufman. Joe is referencing the leader of the Bucs himself, head coach Todd Bowles.
Talking on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Bowles explained why White is slowly improving as a rusher. He cited his vision, timing and running sense.
“I think he’s getting more experience understanding not only the run scheme but how they’re playing on defense and when they’re stunting,” Bowles said. “So he knows when to go fast and when to go slow and where the hole is as opposed to just looking for it early in the season.”
Of course, Bowles loves how White has become dangerous as a receiver where “he makes things happen in the open field,” Bowles said.
Joe is rooting for White but isn’t sure he has what it takes. Still, Joe expects one breakout game from White this season, which has yet to arrive. His 20 carries for 73 yards on Sunday doesn’t qualify considering NFL running backs average about 4.3 yards per carry.
Interestingly, Bowles gave the offensive line a “B” grade collectively for run and pass blocking against the Texans. Joe would have gone “B-” since the Bucs had far too many negative or no-gain runs, and sub-three-yard runs.
November 8th, 2023 at 9:53 am
Rachaad White is a very talented back who is a work in progress……I can recall at least 2 long runs that were negated by penalties.
Stop running him on 2nd downs….its not working.
November 8th, 2023 at 9:56 am
Imagine what Rachaad White would do with an “A” grade run blocking offensive line, he’d probably make the Pro bowl, especially with his pass catching ability. Dave Canales needs to start using Rachaad White more creatively and develop his offensive scheme around White, Evans, Godwin, and Ottom so that when defenses commit to taking away one or two the other is an advantageous one-on-one matchup for Baker to throw to.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:03 am
He did it against a crap defense. Big deal. This offense will never score thirty points against a decent defense. They treat #13 and #14 like red headed step children. Mayfield can’t see wide open receivers, and the coaches can’t make in game adjustments, or manage the clock like a professional football team should. This is embarrassing. Have light search for Bowles’ replacement NOW, so the new HC can start lining up a new staff ASAP. Please don’t consult our previous HC. He totally screwed us with Bowles.
November 8th, 2023 at 10:05 am
Personally, I just love that first and ten run up the middle for zero yards on almost every set. Defenses seem to like it too!
November 8th, 2023 at 10:43 am
So much of sports comes down to confidence, when guys lack confidence they press and think. I believe the improvement in Whites game is tied to his success in making some plays in the passing game. Getting him in space and letting him get it going build confidence. Hopefully that allows him to trust his eyes and start to get the running game going as well
November 8th, 2023 at 11:06 am
Joe you are delusional and need to watch the tape. White hasn’t had a breakout game yet because Otton, Feiler, and Hainsey have been brutally bad. All it takes to have a no gainer or negative run play is one man missing a block or getting blown up. Its one of the three on any given run play and then you have your rare bad reps by Mauch/Goedeke. No RB is going to be successful with the current personnel.
November 8th, 2023 at 11:14 am
Everyone is SO tired hearing about R.White.
It’s exhausting. He’s not worthy of the ink in your pen Joe.
November 8th, 2023 at 11:43 am
Joe r u getting kickbacks on talking rw..I don’t see any of your social media counter parts focusing on that. U sound like a girlfriend sticking up for his man.. i am glad u all are dating but enough please. what about how terrible carlton and the lack of secondary coaching linebackers special team.. I don’t get your reporting .. enough RW
November 8th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
Whether I’m watching at the game or on TV, Whites inability to read a block or set up a block is so frustrating. And this is after he has cleared the line. One defender, one blocker, and he consistently runs right into the arms of the defender while his blocker is left standing. Forget a good O line for him. It would be wasted. Change the coaches.
November 8th, 2023 at 1:13 pm
If the team wants more losing season with this running back, they deserve what it. Trade him if they can?
November 8th, 2023 at 1:15 pm
Mis print.
they deserve another losing season.
November 8th, 2023 at 1:26 pm
Translation: He’s the cleanest shirt, in the dirty clothes pile.
November 8th, 2023 at 1:27 pm
Joe, your continued White bashing is so tired. 100+ yards from scrimmage in 3 straight games. A steadily improving YPC average. And outstanding receiving numbers. But your preseason narrative was that he sucks, so you won’t move off your mark.
Also, stop acting like any RB that doesn’t approach Dickerson quality is a bum. You can be a good RB without having a HoF career.
November 8th, 2023 at 1:27 pm
Of course. Moderated for telling Joe the truth…
November 8th, 2023 at 1:32 pm
He’s looking pretty nice as a receiver. The running is still a work in progress. Maybe his improvement is a part of the offensive “success” last Sunday. Or maybe it was Houston’s awful defense.
November 8th, 2023 at 1:36 pm
Joe’s idea of a good game from a *running* back is 100 yards on the ground.
If you’re fine with below average, cool. Joe isn’t.
November 8th, 2023 at 1:59 pm
I’m inclined to see positives where there are positives. White is a capable RB. In 2023 a RB is expected to be good at running and catching. The days of Dickerson and bellcow RBs getting 35+ carries a game are gone.
Since 2018, here is the number of 1000 yard rushers per season:
2018: 9
2019: 16
2020: 9
2021: 7
2022: 16
The league is only averaging 11 1K RBs per year. More than half of those players had less than 80 YPG. By your metric, just about every RB in the league every year is completely useless and should be bagging groceries.
November 8th, 2023 at 2:09 pm
Also, Joe. Since you wrote so many articles praising your boy Fournette, this is what he did ON THE GROUND as a Buc:
2020: 28.2 YPG
2021: 58.0 YPG
2022: 41.8 YPG
He caught a lot of passes and was mostly ok at it. Never had 1K RUNNING. But he gets Joe warm inside… At least be steady with your analysis.
November 8th, 2023 at 2:35 pm
Best thing to do would be to move wish I’d wait to his natural position which is third wide receiver.
November 8th, 2023 at 2:37 pm
“Joe was in need of an adult diaper when…”
Joe should get some sort of sports journalism award just for that line.
November 8th, 2023 at 3:02 pm
Hey Joe, you’ve been bashing White for a while. I also notice the lack of real fans on here. White is coming into his own cos he has good hands, and helps out with blocking. So is Canales and Joe Otton. Plus, the OLine, and BM isn’t doing that bad either. I’m not even mentioning the Dynamite Receiving Twins. Bucs have got to figure in the refs, period. Those ###s cost them the last 2 games.
November 8th, 2023 at 3:03 pm
What rock did toad bowels crawl out from under? No brain either.
November 8th, 2023 at 4:53 pm
Yeah that’s great and all, but we still had 22 offensive snaps that ran for less than 3 yards.
22 offensive snaps < 3 yards gained !!!! And that doesn’t even include the multiple passes that Mayfield threw behind the LOS which also failed to gain any yardage…
But to be fair to White, not all 22 of those snaps were him running the ball. They also included Vaugn, Edmonds and Baker, in addition to White.
November 8th, 2023 at 6:21 pm
You can bash White if you want, but the other two rbs that played did absolutely nothing. White is a very good receiver and should be used that way much more often. Every dam defense is looking for the Bucs to run on virtually every first down. How is that working out? White does a good job of extending the play as a receiver. Run, run, run on first down is going nowhere ! Otton is a good surprise as a receiver. Ditch the run on first down. With White and Otton proving to do dam good in mm the pass game why stick with a run first offense that gains 1 or 2 yards? The pass game is the Bucs best offense! Get real and embrace it!
November 9th, 2023 at 1:31 am
Joe it may seem strange but when I look at the run game this season, 4.3 yards is a breakout game.
Just saying
Go Bucs!