In 2018, the Bucs finished 28th in the NFL with 95.2 rushing yards per game, highlighted by a rookie season where second-round draft pick Ronald Jones II totaled just 44 yards on 23 carries.
According to Football Outsiders, Tampa Bay’s running backs were stuffed – meaning hit at or behind the line of scrimmage – on 24.7 percent of their rush attempts in 2018, the third-worst mark in the league.
Now heading into the Bucs’ game against the Rams and returning to the Los Angeles Coliseum where he starred at USC, Jones has already racked up a team-leading 164 yards while averaging 5.3 yards per carry with two catches for 59 yards despite being slowed by a leg injury in Tampa Bay’s Week 2 match-up against Carolina.
“I think that he’s been working his tail off all offseason, and it’s shown,” quarterback Jameis Winston said earlier in the week. “He has to continue doing what he’s doing. All of our running backs have been running very efficiently but RoJo has been dominating. I’m proud of him and I’m just going to keep on giving him the rock.”
Bucs RB Ronald Jones II – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Dominating may be a little premature, but Jones’ 5.3 yard average puts him among elite company early. That number is good for the ninth-best average among qualified rushers in the NFL, ranked alongside Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliot, just behind Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey (5.4) and just ahead of New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara (5.2).
Given the incredibly disproportionate offensive production when compared to the team’s passing offense last season, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, run game coordinator Harold Goodwin and offensive line coach Joe Gilbert were faced with a substantial challenge when Bruce Arians’ regime took over. Yet through three games in 2019, the Bucs’ running game is showing real signs of life as Tampa Bay ranks eighth in the league with 121.7 yards rushing per game.
Center Ryan Jensen has pointed to the simplicity of the game plan implemented by the Bucs’ coaching staff as a major factor in the turnaround, and veteran offensive guard Ali Marpet agrees.
“I think we’ve done a nice job of simplifying the game plan,” Marpet said. “I think we’re doing a few things very well as opposed to just doing a bunch of different things and I think that as an offensive line we’re just playing well. And our running backs are doing a phenomenal job of making guys miss, finishing forward. It really helps us a lot.”
Week 4 will be a test for both the offensive line and the team’s backfield as the Rams defensive line – led by All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald – enters the game allowing just 93 yards on the ground per game.
