Lack Of Explosive Runs
June 21st, 2026
Rebuilding the run game.
Just looking at what the Bucs have done in the offseason, Joe believes this figure will improve, maybe significantly.
The Bucs simply were not a good running team last year. They ranked 21st in rushing yards (1,947) and were tied for 24th in yards per carry (4.1) with three other teams. The reasons for that are almost as long as the number of cold beers Joe sucks down on a hot, steamy Florida summer Saturday.
Injuries to the offensive line and Bucky Irving’s trashed shoulder are two main culprits.
So how have the Bucs addressed this? Well, new Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson who has a track record for crafting a run game (not just with Bijan Robinson). Joe has a hunch Robinson’s predecessor Josh Grizzard didn’t know how to build a run game.
Then the Bucs went out and signed Kenneth Gainwell in free agency. That’s a major depth piece.
The downside to the Bucs retooling of the run game was Rachaad White left. Joe wasn’t a big White guy as far as a runner. But he averaged 4.3 yards per carry in each of the past two seasons, and he was often able to get tough short-yardage gains. Joe’s not sure the Bucs have a runner who could fill the role of a fullback, if needed.
Last year, per handicapper-turned-stathead Warren Sharp, the Bucs had 18 percent of their rushing attempts go for no yards, or negative yards. The Bucs cannot have that many again if they hope to contend for a division title.
Yes, even in the NFC South landfill.
June 21st, 2026 at 11:27 am
Happy Father’s Day. Let’s get hammered.
June 21st, 2026 at 11:48 am
I see the SB teams Seattle and New England did worse. My conclusion…this stat is just another stat.
A good run game produces a better pass game, produces more points! A good healthy O line plus better run schemes should help a lot!
June 21st, 2026 at 11:59 am
Joe, 2 practice squad guards and a practice squad tackle. It’s hard to have a running game with Amazon drivers blocking.
June 21st, 2026 at 12:09 pm
Same thing with explosive wide receivers
June 21st, 2026 at 12:22 pm
Atl had 17% and we have their OC.
June 21st, 2026 at 12:35 pm
Can you imagine how bad Atlanta’s percentage would have been if they didn’t play us.
June 21st, 2026 at 12:40 pm
Rob, yes but they also had 4.5 yard per carry on average, placing them 10th in the league on that front and 10th is a huge improvement over 24th
June 21st, 2026 at 12:43 pm
Yep. Thinking about it, that stat board concerning percentage of running plays gaining zero or less yards- I believe that’s the most useless stat I’ve ever seen. Wow. I agree with you Joe that it’d be nice to have a running back you could call a fullback. Maybe Ko could do it should Zac ever need one?
June 21st, 2026 at 2:00 pm
This doesn’t sound statistically significant. Almost Two-thirds of the teams are within +/— 3% points. Over 46% are +/— 2%. And team record/performance doesn’t look reasonably correlated. Simply not enough spread for this line of thinking to be meaningful.
June 21st, 2026 at 2:13 pm
Not to mention a porous defense last year that often kept the team behind, forcing the offense to throw the ball to keep up.