A stronger Buccaneer run game vital for offensive success

After a season of pass-heavy play calling, the offense must increase the load of the Buccaneer running game to lighten the load on Jameis Winston.

If you read my content, you will notice right away that I am pounding pretty hard on the Buccaneer run game drum. The reason for this is of course that I could not be more convinced that the role of Ronald Jones II and Peyton Barber in this offense must undergo a transformation this off season. To add this important puzzle piece isn’t really an option, it’s a necessity.

None of us, as much as we would like to, have any control over the Jameis Winston situation. We can’t wave a magic wand over him and have the interception problem fixed if he returns as suspected. In Winston’s 5th season the Buccaneers were in a position of playing catch up at least 5 to 6 times. This took away from the Bucs any reasonable chance of having a running game in those contests. This comes out to over a third of the season spent having to throw your way back into games. As a team you want to be able to throw because you want to, not because you have to.

This is just another strand in the web that is “The Flaw” of Jameis Winston. His play affects so many different aspects during the course of a game and it seems unlikely that his fans really think that far into it. Multi-interception games mean a decline in the amount of touches the running game is afforded. Without an above average running game, the playoffs and the Super Bowl will be tough nuts to crack.