With the losses of Doug Martin and Luke Stocker, the Buccaneers have lost their running attack, leading to problems across the entire offense.
Jameis Winston threw for over 4,000 yards his rookie season and went to a Pro Bowl. Winston deserves a lot of credit for that but one thing that’s overlooked in all of his first year success is the effectiveness of the Buccaneers running game.
Doug Martin ran for the second most yards in the NFL and created opportunities in the play action pass game for Winston because defenses had to respect the run. Now? The defenses respect nothing except that Jameis has the heave the ball fifty times a game.
Since taking over the starting job, Charles Sims has been a major disappointment to say the least. He’s averaging a paltry 2.2 yards per carry when you take away a 23 yard run he happened to break away against the Rams. Even with that, his average is sitting at 2.96 which you’d think is manageable and decent in the interim until Martin returns. The truth is, it’s not.
Sims has managed to occasionally bust off a big chunk of yardage, skewing his numbers in a big way. Against the Broncos, a team whose sole weakness is the run defense, he averaged 1.87 yards per carry. There were no big chunks in that game and the numbers are indicative of who Sims is as a running back.
Jacquizz Rodgers has shown far more value between the tackles than Sims has in his short sample size. In the two home games, Rodgers has carried the ball eleven times for 40 yards, a 3.63 yard per carry average. Not only that, he passes the eyeball test. When Rodgers gets between the tackles, he has the ability to actually gain positive yardage rather than be swallowed up by the defense for one yard – or less.
Constantly running Sims in the fashion in which they have has put Winston and the offense in holes they’ve had trouble getting out of. This is causing Winston to try to do too much and has led to much of his turnover problem through the first four games. Winston said as much following the loss to Denver.
“At times, I do try to do too much and that’s a part of the problem. I’ve just got to do my job and let the players play.”
Oct 2, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Charles Sims III (34) runs the ball during the half against the Denver Broncos at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Dirk Koetter has to realize that Sims isn’t cutting it and it’s time to give Rodgers the “Doug Martin” role in this offense until Martin can return. Sims had his chances and not only did he not capitalize, but he cause three turnovers in three straight games. Winston is getting berated for all these interceptions when three – maybe four – are legitimately his fault. Meanwhile, Sims has apparently gotten away with being a turnover machine and no one is batting an eye.
Things have to change for this team and it has to happen now. The season is not lost. If the defense can stand up the way it did through most of the Denver game and the offense can get their heads straight, there’s a chance to steal this game from Carolina.
Everyone still seems to be afraid of the Panthers, but they have looked terrible. The secondary is a disaster, Cam Newton and the offense have not impressed anyone. I’m not predicting a Buccaneers win, but it’s not out of the question. After that, the Bucs get their bye and can get healthy. The post-bye schedule is not nearly as difficult as the first five weeks.
There’s more than enough time to straighten this out, but it starts in Charlotte and with the run game. If the Bucs don’t get the run game fixed, they’ll lose to the Panthers. Then, things might be too far gone to save in 2016 and we’re talking about the draft in October…again.
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