Todd Bowles Happy With How Smart Rachaad White Played

October 6th, 2025

Rachaad White blows through a large hole Sunday.

Most guys wouldn’t have done it. Too much green grass ahead.

But Bucs running back Rachaad White pushed away his desire to score.

Instead, on the final drive when the Bucs were trying to eat clock to set up a game-winning field goal in the final seconds, White dropped to the turf versus bolting for glory and six points.

White’s decision elicited quite a bit of praise from Bucs coach Todd Bowles.

“I thought Rachaad [White] did a heck of a job understanding what was going on in the game,” Bowles said. “Again, we practice all this stuff, and everybody was very in tune with everything that was happening.

“[White] played a tough game. He had some good runs. He had some good plays on the screens. He punched it in down there.”

When Bucs stud running back Bucky Irving couldn’t go, Bowles said he had all the faith in the world that White could get the job done.

“Buck [Bucky Irving] and Rachaad are 1A, 1B, we don’t have a No. 2,” Bowles said. “So he stepped in and was just No. 1 all by himself today. He’s done it before, and he did it again.”

Joe spoke with White after the game. Joe will have more later but White admitted he thought he had six when he instead chose to slide. The siren of the end zone lured him but he thought it was best not to try.

The way the Bucs defense was a total sieve in the second half, aside from Lavonte David’s pick, Joe sure would have liked White to score on that play, but there was no assurance the Bucs could have prevented Sam Darnold from putting together a quick touchdown drive to tie the game.

34 Responses to “Todd Bowles Happy With How Smart Rachaad White Played”

  1. 813BUCBOI Says:

    great coaching bowles and way to play smart RW1!!!!!!

    Bowles had the team prepared and focused!!!!!

    TOTALLY CONFIDENT IN TODD BOWLES!!!!!

    4-1

    GO BUCS!!!!

  2. miken Says:

    I love to see white back there. Shifty, quick and tough. He played great

  3. Joseph C Simmons Says:

    It WAS a brilliant play. Baker said that Chase likes to kick from the right hash, and seeing as how it was third and seven, the defense was probably going to be stacked against the run. So I don’t think there was a huge expectation of White breaking through–they were just setting it up for Chase–and thusly, no big reminders from the coaching staff to drop to the turf inbounds.

    I also don’t rule out the Seahawks intentionally letting White score, because that sure was easy against a defense that should be stacked against the run.

  4. Guzzie55 Says:

    Detroit is the proverbial best team in the league right now, we can eat Eagles if we don’t beat ourselves, Darnold played out of his mind which won’t happen with playoff pressure, a healthy 49ers team looks dangerous but they have worse injury luck than we do, the Rams are tough, that’s the 4 teams on par with our team and if we ever get healthy we can win this conference LFG

  5. Buddha Says:

    Great call. Seahawks expected another run to the left. Grizz ran to the right! Have you forgotten Coen and his lateral end runs yet. Grizz has brought back the long ball.

  6. BakerFan Says:

    I just was wanting him to go for some extra yards making it a little easier of a kick, but will take it.

    On another note doing it this way took all hope away from the Seahawks, you could see it on their faces, THE AGONY OF DEFEAT!

  7. Cybersecurity_intern Says:

    Did he say anything regarding pass rush?

  8. ModHairKen Says:

    This man has proven me wrong. He is running hard and ramming people when he needs to.

    I think he’s going to earn a nice contract.

  9. ModHairKen Says:

    Here’s a legitimate question: if you can score a TD in a tie game with a minute or so left, do you do that and rely on the Defense or take a chance on a FG?

    What’s the percentage chance the other team goes 75 yards in a minute v. percentage chance of a miss or blocked FG?

  10. mj Says:

    that was a great decision by White to go down… he played Smart the whole entire game. He’s not the flashiest guy, but man he gets it done great receiver too.

  11. ReeeBarrr Says:

    Great job White! He’s a valuable component to this offense to say the least

  12. Smarter than Joe Says:

    Hopefully when Bucky comes back the Grizz can split the carries more evenly. Bucky IS NOT A BELL COW back

  13. BakerFan Says:

    ModHairKen Says:
    October 6th, 2025 at 9:23 am
    Here’s a legitimate question: if you can score a TD in a tie game with a minute or so left, do you do that and rely on the Defense or take a chance on a FG?

    ……

    Did you watch the Seahawks come out of half time and score on 4 plays with this porous defense. Then if they score a touchdown in the final second, why not go for 2 and win the game. Even though Bucs kicker could of missed he has been excellent since those missed field goals and extra point. If he did missed, then it goes to OT. The very right call and well played all the way around.

  14. J-Dub Says:

    Another gritty win with all the injuries. Baker is clearly the MVP so far of the NFL season and it’s not even close. Bowles has once again done a great job of establishing a close knit locker room culture where people have bought into the system and are having fun.

    This was the FIRST game that the defense “statiscally” was not elite. Special teams has been the weak spot. The defense has been SB winning caliber. We have a defense capable of winning the SB THIS year with the way the offense has been playing. It’s elite. And if people still have concerns about our defense, history says winning a title can be done. Giants, Colts, Saints.. (Manning, Manning, Brees all come to mind winning a SB with the Defense ranked outside the top “20”. Baker is playing at their level and our Defense is still top “10” in the league right now with plenty of talent. After watching the Bills and Ravens take dumps this week, the Lions playing down to the Bengals, we are in the convo as a legitimate SB “FAVORITE”

  15. Nicholas Carlson Says:

    Good to hear the 1A/1B comment. The win is nice, but a season long victory would be them realizing they need to feed White more.

  16. Bee Says:

    White has become a running back. More decisive behind the LOS.

  17. Mhystc Says:

    Would love if we found a way to bring him back on a 3 year deal. Or even a 2 year deal. Otton can walk, he’s easily replaceable.

  18. ballwasher61 Says:

    People questioned his losing some weight this off season and how it may effect his pass blocking and running up the middle. Made him a better runner, quickness is there along with ability to block so it was a good call on his part. Looked to me that he might not have the edge to score a TD on that run he slid on. The clock was around 35 seconds so if he scored there is what 30 seconds left and no timeouts for Seattle. Either way it was a smart play, he musta felt that guy may have been able to push him out so go for the smart play and he did.

  19. Erik with Pilot and Driver™ Says:

    Still only 41 yards rushing for White yesterday, but Idk if I’ve ever seen a more impactful and clutch 41 yds rushing in my life.

  20. Erik with Pilot and Driver™ Says:

    If Grizz knew how to scheme a running game better, all of our RB’s would be more productive.

    Grizz seems good at scheming the passing game, but terrible at scheming the run game. Hopefully he improves in that aspect over time

  21. Warren Brooks Lynch Says:

    His NFL tape, is starting to look like his ASU highlight reel. That screen left, where he caught himself falling and picked up 9 more yards won’t make anybody’s best ever plays, but turning a would be 3 yarder into 12 yards is as close to magic as you can get on a football field.

    Chaad had a hell of the game, and on that last drive if the goal was to run the clock down and leave Seattle no time after a FG attempt was smart playing and a good call on the coaching staffs’ part.

    I’ve probably been the loudest on here about using both backs in tandem to give opposing defenses something more to defend. Wish it was under different circumstances and it NOT taking Bucky to be hurt for Grizz is legit. Grizzard is Chaads’ 4th OC he’s had to prove himself to since being drafted in ‘22, nobody acknowledges that.

  22. 813BUCBOI Says:

    Grizzard is Chaads’ 4th OC he’s had to prove himself to since being drafted in ‘22, nobody acknowledges that.
    ****************************************************************

    excellent point @WBL!!!!

    4-1

    GO BUCS!!!!!

  23. CChead Says:

    Not only is he an offensive weapon with the ball in his hands.Rachaad is the best in the league in pass pro.

  24. Aqualung Says:

    The defenseless coordinator says a lot of stuff but apparently refuses to do anything about the defense (?) he’s supposed to be a mastermind with. What a fraud.

  25. Ron Potter Says:

    Love Rachaad and been confident in him for years now! Rachaad does a lot of details better than most NFL RBs. Hope we can keep him but afraid someone will offer to pay him a lot more than we can afford. Go Bucs!!!

  26. orlbucfan Says:

    Always liked White cos he was versatile. He could block and catch just as well if not better than run. He sure proved it yesterday.

  27. Esteban85 Says:

    There is a definite noticeable difference between when RW gets the ball on a pass play and when Sean Tucker does. White is a better back

  28. Jack Sparrow Says:

    With all those bucs injuries and we are sitting in 4-1…. wow,,, It has to be the Coach ! 😁😱

  29. 813BUCBOI Says:

    aqualung

    did bowles prepare your crow grilled or fried?!!!!!!

    im sure you had a side of egg plant!!!…lol…

    what a fraud!!!!

    4-1!!!

    GO BUCS!!!!!

  30. 813BUCBOI Says:

    aqualung

    it was the DC who dialed the blitz which lead to the game changing INT…not to mention the refs stole and INT from our defense!!!!

    defenseless, I think not!!!!

    4-1!!!!

    GO BUCS!!!!

  31. GoneGator Says:

    Thank God Seattle’s HC “wears 2 hats” (HC & DC) right @aquadung

    Interestingly enough, the ginger messiah, who’s nutz you never miss a chance to suk on, calls plays on for their offense. Wait, what, another 2 hat coach. Are they idiots answering to themselves or is that only a Todd thing?

    And how about the worthless dwarf (aka Tez) 🤣🤣🤣

  32. Jeffrey Becker Says:

    if we screwed up the kick most fans would be criticizing his decision I bet

  33. J glazer Says:

    It was so brilliant..not. We needed yards to make the kick easier. We had a first down and could easily run out the clock. If we missed the field goal this guy could have been the fall guy.for his lack of understanding the situation

  34. unbelievable Says:

    @ModHairKen- I had that thought as well, the old schooler in me hates ever relying on a locker to win a game lol. But by running the clock they ensured that worst case it would go to overtime, and this year both teams always get a chance to score.

    @BakerFan – that’s also true, though most of those were set up by our abysmal kick coverage… which of course there’s no reason to think they would have played any better on the next kickoff either lol.

 

Leave a Reply