The Buccaneers have a good run game, but is that a good thing?
And will it be led by Rachad White or Bucky Irving?
In a game where quarterback Baker Mayfield pitched 289 Yards And won FedEx Air Player of the Week There’s still a lot of discussion about Tampa Bay’s ground game, which was dismal in the first half, with the projected running game finishing with just 21 yards on 13 attempts and 1.6 yards per attempt.
But the ground game picked up steam in the second half, finishing with 72 yards on 12 carries for a very healthy average of 6.0 yards per attempt.
But when you look at the margins per runner, White’s situation is clearly not as good: He had just 31 yards on 15 carries, compared to Irving’s 62 yards on just nine carries.
These surface-level metrics can lead to a lot of stories that aren’t necessarily compelling, so I thought I’d look underneath the surface and explain why the run game improved in the second half and why the efficiency of the two Bucs running backs is a little closer than you might think.
The Buccaneers’ (zone) run game was bad on Sunday.
Buccaneers OC Liam Cohen and C Graham Barton – Photo by Cliff Welch P/R
Without going into too many details, there are two main run schemes in football. The zone run is one of them. Zone runs are typically categorized into four parts: outside, wide, mid, and inside. The type of zone run is determined by the running back’s initial target location.
All linemen and attached blockers such as tight ends and slot receivers move in the same direction. Each player is responsible for picking off and passing to defenders who are coming into or flowing out of their respective zones. Backs read the blocks and defense in front of them and choose the best gaps to attack.
The zone is the foundational run scheme for the Buccaneers’ entire offense, just like last year, but the team, like last year, didn’t execute it particularly well in Week 1. Pro Football Focus graded the Buccaneers out at 12 zone runs on Sunday.
I personally charted them at 15th, and based on my chart, Tampa Bay gained just 18 yards on those runs, averaging just 1.2 yards per carry.
The Buccaneers’ (gap) run game was good on Sunday.
The other primary run scheme is the gap, which is more clearly defined in lineman assignments and calls for less lineman movement and more double teams as the running back attacks a predefined pass.
Where Tampa Bay excelled here was with 70 yards on eight carries (8.75 yards per carry).
The Buccaneers’ two backfielders split the carries almost evenly, with Bucky Irving gaining 50 yards on four carries and Rachel White gaining 25 yards on five carries. Both running backs had their biggest runs of the game on gap calls, with Irving gaining 31 yards on a key run and White gaining 15 yards on a power run.
As you can see from the split, gap-based runs are like a side dish to the main course: a zone run scheme.
The Buccaneers went heavy on the zone in two specific ways that defined some of the narrative.
Tampa Bay didn’t improve much on the running game in the second half, and Bucky Irving outperformed Rachad White in terms of efficiency, but not by as much as it might seem. Let’s start by looking at the difference in half-productivity.
The Bucs completed eight zone runs in the first half for a total of three yards. A third of those runs were for losses and the other third were deemed “successes.” It was a very hit-and-miss game, with minor hits and misses that slowed drives. But their four gap runs produced 18 yards with no negative plays, a success rate of 50%.
As we move into the second half of the game, we see a change in the tactical mix. Zone runs are reduced from 9 to 6, while gap runs increase from 4 to 5. The mix change goes from 67% zone in the first half of the game to 45% in the second half. This has resulted in a significant improvement in the run game.
Bucky Irving saw a better combination of gaps than Ratchad White
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving – Photo: Cliff Welch/PR
Of Bucky Irving’s nine carries, four were in the gap and five were in the zone, meaning his gap rate was 44%.
Rachard White completed 10 zone runs compared to just five gap calls for a gap percentage of 33%.
Irving averaged 2.4 yards per carry in the zone and 12.5 yards per carry in the gap. White averaged 0.6 yards per carry in the zone and 5.0 yards per carry in the gap.
Now, I’ll readily admit that Irving still has the advantage in every respect, but my bigger point is that both runners did well in the gap. blocking Those calls were overall better than the zone runs.
Additionally, decisions on who should start shouldn’t be made with less than a 20-sample size for each player.
The Buccaneers’ zone scheme from 30,000 feet
Buccaneers OC Liam Cohen and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo: Cliff Welch/PR
If the Buccaneers are better at gap runs than zone, a natural question arises: Why not run more gaps and less zone runs?
When looking at the bigger picture, you have to consider the blending of the run and the pass. The mid-zone run is a foundational part of the offense, so much of the playbook comes from there. And that includes the Buccaneers’ play-action game. Tampa Bay ran four play-action calls on Sunday, all of which were mid-zone run actions.
Play-action from the zone allows for the Buccaneers’ program of bootlegs and half-boots, and not showing the zone as much would take away some of the effectiveness of the play-action.
Overall, it is important for teams to continue with the zone to maintain continuity throughout the offensive system, so I would recommend considering a zone scheme with the added play-action element.
Add those in and you see part of an offense that accounted for 63 yards on 19 plays, which is still not a great number but should improve going forward with an expected increase in the play-action game and better overall run blocking.
