Buccaneers suffer injury due to poor coaching decision
By Rob Leeds
As much as we all hoped that the Buccaneers would escape the first preseason game without suffering another injury, that seems to be too much to hope for.
The foul injury luck continues for the Buccaneers. Everyone should quickly be able to see why the starters are usually held out of most of these games.
Last night wasn’t anything as disastrous as Ryan Jensen’s loss a few weeks back, but it is more frustrating in several ways.
Giovani Bernard ended up having to leave the game early last night due to an ankle injury. This injury was 100% preventable.
How was Bernard injured? Well, the Bucs decided to use him in a way that was most conducive to getting injured. They decided to throw all of his skillsets and history out the window and use him like the Bengals did at times a few years back by running him over and over again.
One target in the backfield that got Bernard killed and seven rushes; most of which came up the middle. Why on earth would the Buccaneers use Bernard in this way? Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Rachaad White needed the rushing attempts. Bernard did not.
Injuries were already an issue for Bernard last season where he missed five games. Did the Bucs coaching staff really believe that giving him more rushing attempts in a preseason game than he has seen in over a year outside of one game was a wise decision?
Bernard is more of a receiver at this point in his career anyway. The runs up the middle weren’t even productive, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.
The decision to use Bernard in this was questionable when it happened. Hindsight with the knowledge that he ended up getting injured makes this downright inexcusable.
Rachaad White looked great, so it makes sense that the Bucs care more about his development at the position than anyone else’s, but it still doesn’t make sense to throw away a veteran like Bernard when he can bring so much to the table during the regular season.
Usage matters, and the Bucs essentially used Bernard out of position in a move that eventually led to an unnecessary injury.
Hopefully the Buccaneers never make this decision again, and hopefully Bernard heals up quickly.
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