“Almost Lights Out In The Run Game”
December 6th, 2023
Joe is really confused by multiple messages coming from One Buc Palace.
Running back Rachaad White has been doing a little better lately. His bump to 3.7 yards per carry this year vaulted him to 35th in the NFL among running backs with 90 or more carries.
On Sunday, White hit double digits in the game when it came to runs of two yards or less. But Todd Bowles liked what he saw.
On the Buccaneers Radio Network lauded how White delivered “tough runs” — falling forward often and having only one negative run.
He also liked the short, positive runs in the rain.
“It was great they took care of the football. You know, [White] took care of the football,” Bowles said. “He didn’t put it on the ground. He got the tough runs like I said, and when you can get the tough run to fall forward, you can live with third down getting positive yardage.”
Yeah, yeah, Joe gets it. “Keep choppin’.” Ugh.
Also on the radio network, run game coordinator Harold Goodwin, the co-offensive-line coach, said it’s “amazing to see” what White had done the last few weeks.
“The last three or four weeks we’ve been almost lights out in the run game,” Goodwin said. “We’ve been very efficient.”
Man, Joe needs a mental health professional or a football film guru to understand how the Bucs have been “almost lights out” in the run game recently.
Before White ended the game Sunday with a long run to set the Bucs up for victory formation, White had 19 carries for 54 yards. Was anyone watching that peformance and calling it good?
Absolutely, and those folks all collect a check from Team Glazer.
Ira Kaufman Talks A Baker Mayfield Crash Landing, The Line In The Sand, Chris Godwin, QB Draft Position, And Much More
December 6th, 2023 at 4:23 pm
I get that Mayfield is not the top QB in the league and never will be. But he’s far from the worst. I put White in the same category at RB.
The team was supposed to suck…have they improved since the start of the season? I think they have and if they had better coaching they’d have a playoff spot locked up already.
It’s not Mayfield, it’s not the OL, it’s not White, it’s not even the sorry defense, it’s the freaking coaching and offensive schemes and play calls and playing not to lose instead of playing to win, to dominate,on defense.
December 6th, 2023 at 4:25 pm
White’s had good fantasy stats but the actual run game doesn’t look scary and we generate too many negative or close to no yardage plays
December 6th, 2023 at 4:31 pm
This coming from the coaching staff that thinks the only problem on offense is the run game.
December 6th, 2023 at 4:34 pm
“Lights out”, well…if you compare it to earlier in the season. 5 on a scale of 10 compared to the rest of the league
December 6th, 2023 at 4:48 pm
My…….the achievement bar at One Buc Place is set mighty high.
FTR: I think White is decent and just not being used to the best of his abilities.
December 6th, 2023 at 4:55 pm
I equate our new “lights out” running game to a prevent defense. Opposing teams that have good coaches are like “if they’re happy to run all day at 2 yards a clip, we’ll give them that all day rather than risking ME13 breaking a long one.” They give the hand to keep the booty. As I’ve said before, bowles is committed to losing his way rather than trying to win any other way. That’s why he must be fired. And while I don’t think White will ever be a top 16 every down back, I have no doubt he’d be more successful with almost any other coach and scheme. That’s one of bowles biggest failures as a coach, evaluating talent and putting them in position to succeed. We were never gonna win a chip this season, but we could’ve played much much better and been more successful with another coach.
#FIREbowlesNOW #NOconfidence
December 6th, 2023 at 4:58 pm
Lights out, the party’s over?
The run game still comes down to the scheme and the O-line. They need some help to make holes for the run game.
That could be accomplished with some zone blocking in the scheme, or with a TE adding some weight to the discussion.
The problem with the TE is that it would soon become an obvious play.
I am not against R. White, but his game doesn’t match real well with the game the Bucs are playing. I am not sure any RB could do better without scheme upgrades.
December 6th, 2023 at 5:04 pm
“Lights out, considering the horrible state of our Offensive line”
They forgot that part is all.
Rachaad White can run the ball.
Throw it to him in the flat, and watch him break ankles.
Its when they keep running him behind Hainsey and Stennie that he looks bad.
So Would Walter Payton or Barry Sims.
Bucs have been in the bottom of the league rushing, for a decade.
Thats not on White or Canales.
Thats on Licht.
December 6th, 2023 at 5:06 pm
Goodwin has the easiest job in the league
Get the worst results possible for back to back years and still act like you know what you are doing
Amazing ineptitude on display week in week out
December 6th, 2023 at 5:09 pm
The Bucs are improving… but it’s the coaching…huh?
December 6th, 2023 at 5:09 pm
How is this guy still employed? Back to back years at the bottom of the league…
December 6th, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Yea these guys think Rashad Whites play has been lights put huh. Im ready to give this coaching staff there pink slips. Despite the pink slips want. I’ve kinda changed my mind from 5 weeks ago. On how I thought the team was going to finish the season. Now expecting the Bucs to go on a run here. Expecting to not have a high first round pick. Furthermore, if the Bucs go to the playoffs and get embarrassed. Then the Bucs are probably going to have this same inept coaching staff next season. The oh boy, I feel a headache coming on just thinking about that.
December 6th, 2023 at 5:22 pm
Bowles s#!t gets tiring.
I’m ready for another chapter without these inept coaches.
December 6th, 2023 at 5:25 pm
“It was great they took care of the football. You know, [White] took care of the football,” Bowles said. “He didn’t put it on the ground. He got the tough runs like I said, and when you can get the tough run to fall forward, you can live with third down getting positive yardage.”
That’s your answer right there Joe. Todd Bowles cares more about us not turning the ball over than gaining 500 yards and scoring 5 touchdowns 😂 Todd Bowles definition of “playing lights out” is not turning the ball over and not allowing the other team to score any touchdowns.
December 6th, 2023 at 5:35 pm
Not sure what Bowles and his coaches are smoking if they think our run game is lights out.
December 6th, 2023 at 5:52 pm
“Lights out” means to close your eyes and go to sleep to most people.
Sounds pretty much like how I view myself now when it comes to this season. ALMOST.
December 6th, 2023 at 5:56 pm
Jack Clark Says:
Todd Bowles cares more about us not turning the ball over than gaining 500 yards and scoring 5 touchdowns.
^^^^^
NAILED IT! Football has evolved. What’s interesting is Arians understood modern football (he was one of its pioneers). Bowles won a SB with a modern football philosophy, yet he doesn’t embrace it.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:04 pm
@stpetebucfan – it’s nice to see a reasonable take on here.
I am of a similar mindset. It’s no one player, position group, or coach dragging us down it’s everything combined. With that said I think the two areas that would improve the team the most is the offensive line and coaching staff. Coaches decisions and game plans or lack of game plans have cost us wins. A better o line will improve the offense in all areas. A better offense means increased ToP which would make our defense better.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:16 pm
@Joe, maybe let me know what I said or did that gets me Moded so much. I know I ticked you guys off during the off season cause I was railing hard against the Baker Experiment. I don’t believe I was ever as nasty as some of these Baker Meat Riders have been.
Anyways, on this article:
“Lights out” means to close your eyes and go to sleep to most people.
Sounds pretty much like how I view myself when it comes to this season. “ALMOST” time to crash.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:16 pm
If Bowles wants to see a good running game he needs to go back in time because it’s a passing league just look at salary numbers.
QB’s easily make $30-$40 million a year.
WR’s are in the $15-$20 million a year as are good offensive linemen.
Running backs are mostly in the $4-$8 million class.
If running the football was the focus RBs would be more Valuable and command more money.
Again Bowles is looking at the wrong playbook
December 6th, 2023 at 6:18 pm
You can’t delete his long run and then look at his average without it. He should get credit for the good and bad
December 6th, 2023 at 6:26 pm
“Almost an average team”
December 6th, 2023 at 6:28 pm
Tampabaybucfan – I think Joes point was that the one big run that changed his average was at the end of the game and it was yards that didn’t matter.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:28 pm
@LakelandSteve – what’s the city like these days? I lived off Lake Miriam for some time.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:35 pm
Imagine how confused the locker room must be
December 6th, 2023 at 6:41 pm
You are kidding right? Is this the Babylon Bee now? Bowles needs to go. Totally out of touch with reality.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:46 pm
That’s the problem with defensive head coaches. They don’t hold the offense to the same standard as the defense. We all should now that by Tony Dungys philosiphy and Warren sapps saying those very words. That’s why Dungys got fired and Gruden was hired. Saying how fantastic our run game has been it’s almost lights out is crazy just crazy talk. Are you trying to be the best our the best at almost being average and being okay with that.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:47 pm
Bowles speaks….everybody scratches their head.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:51 pm
Believe it or not, I also believe that we put the offense behind the 8 Ball every time we waste 1st and 2nd downs running up the gut. However, the Baker Haters on this site are going to hate him a lot more after he wins on Sunday.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:57 pm
As i have said before, these coaches will be running all they want, to the unemployment line very soon.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:02 pm
Clearly, the standards for offense are too low. “Almost lights out”?
Clearly, they’ve forgotten that the goal of offense is to score points. If you wanna talk about the running game in isolation, if you’re not solidly above 4.0 YPC, you’re nowhere near lights out.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:33 pm
@WyomingJoe……
It doesn’t matter who the starting quarterback is in TB. Until TB12, we have never had a great QB. You keep talking about Win Baler Win! But he is a losing QB. He has a winning season under his belt with the best running tandem in the NFL. Don’t tell me how he broke PM TD record for TDs as a rookie! That’s two different times in the NFL! The team as a whole sucks, but the starting QB play sucks as well! He lost us a game with a fumble in the 4th quarter. He’s been lucky to not have more passes picked off. Baker is who he is, which is a stop gap Quarterback. That’s all he is
December 6th, 2023 at 7:41 pm
It gets stranger by the day with some of the coaches comments. TB says Godwin didn’t get any catches because they had to rotate him out due to injury. Ummm he had 52 snaps on Sunday. His wife just called out the Coaches and I don’t blame her one bit
December 6th, 2023 at 7:43 pm
Although we have no idea what team is going to show up Sunday, we know thing for sure, we will run up the gut many, many times
I guess we will see if we have really gotten any better since we played them last
December 6th, 2023 at 7:43 pm
The problem with the run game is, the entire team has just played bad bad ball. They looked a little better last week however, the Panther are a worst team than the Bucs and yet the Bucs barely won. A win is a win but I hope everyone get my point
December 6th, 2023 at 7:51 pm
Uh oh. Chris Godwin’s wife is on social media blasting Todd Bowles on Chris’ snaps. Seems like this is a hurricane a brewin
December 6th, 2023 at 7:53 pm
stpetebucfan Says
“The team was supposed to suck…”
And why were they supposed to suck? Hmmmn?
Could it be because of the Coach? The Quarterback? The Offensive Line?
December 6th, 2023 at 7:54 pm
White’s pace, over the last 5 games (491 yards, 5 TDs), would work out to 1664 scrimmage yards, and 17 TDs over the season.
Seems like Evans and White are basically the entire offense – at least when you have a very limited starting QB like Mayfield.
December 6th, 2023 at 8:02 pm
@JayBuc Uh oh is right. Now Godwin’s wife is calling Bowles out. She called him a straight up lier. Not a good look, Bowles.
December 6th, 2023 at 8:06 pm
Why do I get the feeling Bowles is willing to throw Godwin under the bus to defend his boy Baker.
December 6th, 2023 at 8:26 pm
It’s pretty clear 80% of the problem is poor coaching on both sides of the ball and dishonesty with respect to acknowledging and fixing the issues. No accountability, just more smoke and mirrors and coach speak… 6 more games and Bowles is history.
December 6th, 2023 at 8:26 pm
Goodwin means the lights are almost out on the run game.
December 6th, 2023 at 8:31 pm
Godwin’s wife is the canary in the coal mine.
I suspect players are tuning Bowles out.
Lack of real juice is a symptom.
Another egg to Atlanta and all the wheels fall off.
This staff is dead men walking.
December 6th, 2023 at 11:11 pm
Whites run game average is stifled by poor line blocking. When he catches a swing pass in the open field you see his talent as a runner explode. He is not a power back who can compensate for poor line blocking. Constantly running him up the middle with a poor run blocking line is wasting his ability. The Bucs pass blocking is at least average and likely better than average. But they don’t run block worth a sheet!
December 7th, 2023 at 2:22 am
Lights out in the coaching game .
December 7th, 2023 at 6:34 am
How utterly embarrassing this organization is. I can’t stomach this coaching staff anymore.
December 7th, 2023 at 8:46 am
Maybe they are trying to fool Atlanta into ignoring Mike Evans with crazy statements like that.
The Bucs should go wide open hurry up all game. White would shine in an offense like that. As a workhorse up front he gut guy, he is not very good.
December 7th, 2023 at 10:43 am
The only lights out it will be will be the Harold Goodwin and Toad Bowels when they are working as Walmart greeters next season.
December 7th, 2023 at 9:58 pm
How did baker get off a plane , have one 45 minute practice, and lead the rams over the raiders last year, with a 98 yard winning drive in little over a minute?
With van Jefferson and ben sckeronik( not world beaters )? Answer…. Coaching, smarts, and ability. If anyone thinks he’s not going to start somewhere next year , you think the Steelers wish he was there tonight? Raiders? C mon man!