I know many of you Bucs fans are like me and are bothered by seeing Charles Sims dance behind the line of scrimmage too much, and are clamoring for Jacquizz Rodgers to run the ball. Here's what I wrote in my latest SR's Fab 5:
"I’ve called for the Bucs to bench Charles Sims as the lead ballcarrier in Tampa Bay for two reasons. The first is that he is dancing too much behind the line of scrimmage and averaging just 2.8 yards per carry (116 yards on 41 carries). The second reason is he has contributed to four of Tampa Bay’s turnovers.
Sims forced Jameis Winston to fumble in Arizona as he hit Winston’s elbow while he was pass protecting. Winston’s pick-six in Arizona also bounced high off Sims’ hands. Against the Rams, Winston’s second quarter interception bounced right out of Sims’ hands and into Mark Barron’s. Against Denver, Sims was stuffed for no gain on third-and-1 while the Bucs were in field goal range and tried to lateral the ball to Winston, but instead fumbled the ball.
The problem is that the alternative to Sims from a running back standpoint is Jacquizz Rodgers, who has rushed for 69 yards on 13 carries for a healthy 5.3-yard average. However, in his six-year NFL career, Rodgers has only had 10 opportunities to carry the ball 10 times or more in a game, and the results haven’t always been stellar.
11 carries for 29 yards (2.6 avg.) vs. New Orleans in 2014
11 carries for 17 yards (1.5 avg.) vs. St. Louis in 2013
18 carries for 86 yards (4.8 avg.) vs. Miami in 2013
14 carries for 43 yards (3.1 avg.) and two touchdowns vs. New York Jets in 2013
10 carries for 32 yards (3.2 avg.) vs. San Diego in 2012
10 carries for 49 yards (4.9 avg.) and one touchdown vs. Tampa Bay in 2012
11 carries for 25 yards (2.3 avg.) vs. New York Giants in 2012
10 carries for 64 yards (6.4 avg.) vs. Seattle in 2012 playoffs
10 carries for 32 yards (3.2 avg.) vs. San Francisco in 2012 playoffs
10 carries for 44 yards (4.4 avg.) vs. Indianapolis in 2011
Yet I’m willing to see what the 5-foot-6, 205-pound running back can do, as he is a more decisive, north-south runner than Sims has proven to be lately. Rodgers’ first two career touchdowns came against Tampa Bay when he was with the Falcons playing for then offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. The problem is that if Koetter didn’t trust him with too many carries from 2012-14 in Atlanta, why would his opinion of Rodgers suddenly change? Regardless of Koetter’s impression of Rodgers, I’d like to see the short and squatty back get 15 carries against the Panthers on Monday night."
