“Don’t Get Enough Credit Running The Football”
September 4th, 2025
Joe has no doubt the Bucs will try to run the ball down the Falcons’ throat on Sunday, especially with the Falcons parting ways after 10 years with beastly defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
The Bucs averaged a stunning 5.2 yards per rush attempt last season. That’s a teamwide total, good for second-best in the NFL.
Consider that if the Bucs cut that by a half-yard this season, they would still rank in the NFL’s top-9 rushing teams, per 2024 data.
“They don’t get enough credit running the ball,” Falcons head coach/defensive coordianator Raheem Morris discussed yesterday.
Raheem, and Joe has listened to years of his news conferences, almost seemed in awe of the Bucs offense. He said Baker Mayfield conquered an “impossible situation” taking over for Tom Brady. And he noted how Mayfield was a golden ticket for his playcallers.
“He basically helped make two coaches in the National Football League going and playing really well,” Raheem said.
Of course, Raheem talked about Mike Evans being an extreme challenge for defenses, but he had plenty of emphasis on the Bucs’ running game, noting how well they are coached by “Carbs,” Bucs offensive line coach Kevin Carberry. Raheem and Carberry coached together with the Rams.
Did the Bucs run well against Atlanta last year? They sure did. Twice.
If the Bucs can keep that going and find a shred of a defense against Atlanta, great things will happen Sunday.
The Annual Season Prediction Episode! Plus Ira Kaufman Talks Luke Goedeke, Season Perspective & More
September 4th, 2025 at 3:19 pm
Baker is a king maker, but he is also a king destroyer. His time with the Rams he single handedly got two head coaches fired with the Raiders and Broncos after severe beat downs. Maybe he can do it again with Raheem and keep the NFC South locked down LOL. I hate to root for someone to lose their job but keep a team out of the lead and they will look to solve that problem by replacing their HC who just could not get it done last year.
September 4th, 2025 at 4:03 pm
Didn’t we shift our runn8ng game strategy after a few games last season. I thought after that we really took off.
September 4th, 2025 at 4:12 pm
The Falcons defense stink the field last season, worst than the Bucs. But Rah actually made moves to improve the Falcons bad defense.
Fired the DC
Fired the D-Line coach
Drafted 2 Edge Rushers in 1st round
Brought in an experienced, productive Edge Rusher ( Leonard Floyd)
Got rid of old( unproductive starters) Grady Jarrett, Justin Simmons, Matt Judon, and they are adding quality rookies as starters.
No matter the outcome of this season
.Rah made NFL moves to improve a bad defense
The Bucs did a whole lot less
September 4th, 2025 at 4:55 pm
👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆
Sounds like you’re from Lakeland Ga.
September 4th, 2025 at 4:55 pm
First Last Says:
Baker is a king maker? He gets too much credit. Mike Evans is the king maker …
Johnny Football
w/ Evans – Heisman, 1st round
w/o – 1 Year Bust
Winston
w/ Evans – 1 Pro Bowl, 5K Yards
w/o – 3rd String, Journeyman
TB12
w/ Evans – Super Bowl, 2x4K, 1x5K
w/o – Year before Evans he was “washed”
Baker
w/ Evans – 2x Pro Bowls, 2x4K
w/o – 2nd String, Journeyman
Every QB that plays with Evans records their best (and sometimes only) career years … even Tom Brady. Baker getting OC HC jobs is because of M1k3.
September 4th, 2025 at 5:49 pm
Yes we did. As I understand it we started running more “gap” runs with pullers and doubles vs an outside zone run scheme.
September 4th, 2025 at 7:39 pm
Seeing Tom Brady was washed the year before he came to the Bucs is a serious overstatement. He didn’t have great stats because not only did he not have Mike Evans to throw too, he didn’t have anybody to throw to you. Brady with the Bucs had Evans, Godwin, Gronk and AB. He never had a group like that even when Moss was playing for New England.
September 4th, 2025 at 7:48 pm
Sly is right about “M1k3”; but First still gets the Last word because he ain’t wrong about Mayfield.
The Bucs are fortunate to have the both players on the team.
Just as the Bucs OL is underrated in the run game, they maybe a bit overrated for pass protection because Baker pads their stats by usually getting rid of the ball very quickly.
And, when Baker doesn’t get rid of the ball quickly, he usually makes it a ten round fight trying to keep the play alive thereby padding the OL stats by avoiding some seemingly certain sacks.
And, while avoiding those seemingly certain sacks, Baker and sometimes pads Mike’s stats by making “impossible” plays to feed the ball to Mike who the DBs lost track of three rounds back.
Likewise, some of Mike’s “improbable” routes and catches pad Baker’s stats.
The whole is more than just the sum of those three parts, and the Bucs and Buc fans are fortunate to have each of those parts and the spirit that keeps them fighting for each other.
September 4th, 2025 at 8:18 pm
Believe it or not, Rachaad White averaged 6 yards per carry in the two games against the Falcons last season.
September 4th, 2025 at 8:26 pm
The stats LakelandBuc cites are all about the passing game. Wasn’t this post about the Bucs running game?
The Falcons did nothing to address their abhorrent rush defense. They allowed an average of about 121 yards per game rushing last year and 4.5 yards per carry. Not sure edge rushers do much to mitigate that.
September 4th, 2025 at 8:33 pm
Exactly right, Gator. That 96/97 F Counter with an EZ release Gruden raved about is an example of a gap run.
September 4th, 2025 at 8:56 pm
Anthony,
Lakeland, Georgia is only 17 miles closer to Atlanta than it is to Raymond James stadium.
But it is still close to Atlanta. LOL
September 4th, 2025 at 10:41 pm
“Yes we did. As I understand it we started running more “gap” runs with pullers and doubles vs an outside zone run scheme.“
Correct, we’re putting bodies on bodies now. A lot simpler to execute, asks OLmen to fight different than they would in a zone scheme and it allows for more variety in terms of what we do with our OL/formations. I personally love pulling lineman and I think Mauch is going to get paid someday and his ability in that area is going to play a big part. We’re just so busy watching Bucky break ankles and make people miss to truly appreciate it