Run, Run, Run The Ball
October 26th, 2025
Big workload today for Rachaad White?
Now Joe isn’t one of these guys who believes you absolutely, positively have to run the football to win football games. Joe never has been that-guy and never will be.
And Joe goes nuts when hearing people parrot, “You have to be balanced and run as much as throw.” In the immortal words of the late, great Mike Leach, “The only people who believe you have to have 50 percent run and 50 percent pass in order to be balanced are 50 percent stupid.”
What is balanced, Leach said, was is spreading the rock around and making sure your weapons get touches evenly (both backs and receivers).
You know who else said this? Todd Bowles! Joe asked him about Leach’s quote a couple of years ago on The Ira Kaufman Podcast and Bowles replied, “He’s right!”
But Joe also is a major believer in calling plays that are working non-stop. Force the defense to stop a successful play. And today, that just may be pounding the rock.
Per Eric Moody of BSPN, the slimy Saints have a very soft rush defense.
New Orleans allows the ninth-most rushing yards per game, and its defensive front ranks near the bottom of the league in run stop win rate (27.7%). That bodes well for Tampa Bay’s ground attack in a game with a narrow spread and one of the higher totals on the slate.
Despite Rachaad White being a really good pass catcher out, the past two or three years he has developed into a really tough inside runner.
Armed with Moody’ intel, Joe would pound and pound and pound White until mouthy Cam Jordan finally said, “No mas.”
October 26th, 2025 at 12:16 am
Run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run
You better make your face up with your favorite disguise
With your button down lips and your roller blind eyes
With your empty smile and your hungry heart
Feel the bile rising from your guilty past
With your nerves in tatters as the cockleshell shatters
And the hammers batter down your door
You better run
Run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run
October 26th, 2025 at 12:30 am
Ah, some Pink Floyd.
October 26th, 2025 at 1:11 am
Everything is a whoooole helluva lot easier, when you’re in a RHYTHM. Short quick passing game. Scheme some guys short to intermediate, and attack the middle of the field. DON’T run the damn ‘play-clock’ down for EVERY fricking play! Get the ball outta Bake’s hands QUICK. Hit guys freakin’ in-stride. “Yackety YAC.” Don’t be PREDICTABLE. Protect. The. Ball. Let’s GO!!!!
October 26th, 2025 at 3:07 am
Yay! Run on first down for a yard. Run on second down for two yards.
Some failed 3rd down. Punt.
Big punt return allowed.
Obligatory first drive TD by the opponent allowed.
Repeat.
Down 14-0.
This team is great! YAY!!!!
October 26th, 2025 at 5:04 am
Did we not have some really big plays out of two back sets last year? Have we just ditched that? Tucker and White? Sprinkle in some play action off of that? Give the defense a bit more to think about. Not sure but just a thought. Also where is Culp?
Go Bucs!
October 26th, 2025 at 7:00 am
Just win and get to the bye with no further injuries-please……
October 26th, 2025 at 7:34 am
white was averaging four yds a carry in the first half at detroit that’s enough to get first downs
but if you want to get it to your play makers you have to go to tez and ee
October 26th, 2025 at 7:41 am
Agreed,… get a win and get home for a restful bye.
Hope Tucker gets to contribute.
October 26th, 2025 at 7:50 am
Ugh, Cam Jordan.
Agreed, Bucs win today and rest on the bye. Come back winning again.
October 26th, 2025 at 7:51 am
Be unpredictable. Throw out of 12. Run right, etc.
October 26th, 2025 at 7:53 am
White is in a contract year, would like to see him get a hunnert
October 26th, 2025 at 8:04 am
If we don’t win this one, we’ll all be on the darkside of the moon for the next two weeks!
October 26th, 2025 at 8:22 am
I would like to see Tucker get at least 8-10 touches today…
The Bucs better not wear out White – Irving is already injured and Williams is just out of concussion protocol.
October 26th, 2025 at 8:39 am
No matter how far you run down the wrong road….turn back.
October 26th, 2025 at 8:50 am
“ModHairKen Says:
October 26th, 2025 at 12:16 am
Run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run”
JO Jo Gunne had BETTer song in that vein in ’71 or so, had the ’45!
October 26th, 2025 at 9:12 am
Tucker, Tucker, Tucker, Tucker….
October 26th, 2025 at 9:27 am
Run, run, run, run.
If David Gilmore is running the offense we will win.
If Syd Barret runs it we will, limp, limp, limp, limp.
October 26th, 2025 at 9:54 am
Jo Jo Gunne. That’s a band name you never hear! I believe that was their only hit song too. “Run, Run, Run”
October 26th, 2025 at 10:21 am
How many times have we heard a team has a soft run D or pass D and fail to capitalize on it? Too many for my liking. You know what makes them soft? Pounding them either on the ground or in the air, ya gotta do it not listen to people say it. That’s what concerns me a bit.
October 26th, 2025 at 10:54 am
Well played ModHairKen! My handle sprang from that well. Been a professional musician all my life. David Gilmour is top dog in my book! High Hopes the Bucs unleash the Dogs Of War on the Slimy Saints today! Go Bucs!!!
October 26th, 2025 at 10:58 am
I actually agree with aqualung’s post for maybe the first time ever.
We need effective running, not predictable runs for less than 3 yards.
I don’t like the predictable run scheme that causes us to to get 3 and outs and punt frequently.
October 26th, 2025 at 11:03 am
AHHH Aquabrain, your the J.D. Vance of JoeBucs Trolls! Every thing you type gets a laugh! Unfortunately we’re laughing at you and not with you.
October 26th, 2025 at 11:05 am
@ Fred: Great post!!! Aquabrain,……Thats how it’s done!
October 26th, 2025 at 11:17 am
lol anyhony
October 26th, 2025 at 11:42 am
Joe … ‘What is balanced, Leach said, was is spreading the rock around and making sure your weapons get touches evenly (both backs and receivers).’
I liked Leach as a coach, but that’s not my idea of ‘balanced’ either. I could care less if the touches are evenly distributed between the backs & receivers.
‘Balance’ IMO should focus more on CAPABILITY. A team is relatively ‘balanced’ if it can attack you equally effectively with either its running game or its passing game. That’s what allows the attack to be UNPREDICTABLE (and drives defenses nuts).
But in 1 game it may be that our capability to run the ball matches up much better against our opponent’s weaknesses (ie, to defend the run). And in that case, run it down their throats. But in another game it may be that our opponent defends the run very well, but at the expense of Pass Defense. In that case, light ’em up with short passes & deep passes.
It’s all about using your offense to impose its’ will on your opponent’s defense. Being able to attack in multiple dimensions is key.
October 26th, 2025 at 12:06 pm
How old do y’all think Aqualung is?
He (?) sounds like a kid to me. An emotional adolescent, imo.
October 26th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Hopefully the Saints believe we are going to try and run the ball down there throat which would really set up play action. We need some more play action and let our receivers have some room to catch the ball with their linebackers worried about the run
October 26th, 2025 at 2:24 pm
Whoa, thought it was a nightmare
Lord, it’s all so true
They told me, don’t go walking slow
The devil’s on the loose
Better run through the jungle
Better run through the jungle
Better run through the jungle
Whoa, don’t look back to see
October 26th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
Don’t just run for the sake of running – but they should certainly run more than last week. But don’t be predictable, look at last year, see how Coen used misdirection, outside runs, 2 back sets, etc – don’t just come out like on Monday and run up the middle on 1st down, be more creative than that.
October 26th, 2025 at 7:30 pm
BTW, I wrote that above BEFORE the game, and shock, I was 100% correct about not just running for the sake of running. The Bucs went out today, were completely predictable, run up the middle over and over and over again, only used a 2 back set once I think, almost nothing to the outside, and the run game looked terrible.
There’s more to running than just saying run, run, run like a mindless drone.
Wiz Kid did a terrible job today, and thankfully the defense bailed out the offense.
Wiz Kid needs to hit the film room and re-watch film of Coen, because this offense, in terms of play calling and actual plays being used, looks nothing like Coen – even though they allegedly are still using the same play book.