Bucs running back Leonard Fournette is having an impressive season in his second campaign in Tampa Bay. On Sunday against the Bills, Fournette had his best rushing performance as a Buc, piling up 113 yards on 19 carries. The highlight play was a 47-yard touchdown run on the Bucs second drive of the game. Fournette followed several monster blocks on his way to a nearly-untouched touchdown.

After the game, Fournette said the Bucs noted the Bills tackling deficiencies in game preparation. In response, the Bucs physically challenged Buffalo at all levels of their defense on Sunday.

“It was definitely a man run,” Fournette said. “We knew they’re not a very good tackling team. So we kind of forced that on them, to come up and make tackles on the back end. It wasn’t just me. I mean, they made great blocks. If it wasn’t for those blocks, I wouldn’t have scored that touchdown. So my o-line is definitely getting the job done. The coaches are calling the right plays and that’s what it’s all about.”

Bills Missed Tackles

The Bills missed nine tackles in Week 14, per PFF. That’s probably more than they would have liked to miss, but actually an improvement from some of their recent performances. In Weeks 11 and 13 combined, the Bills missed 28 tackles. Tampa Bay wanted to challenge the Buffalo defensive backs and linebackers to make stops in space out on the perimeter. Eight of the Bills nine missed tackles can be attributed to those position groups. Buffalo has missed the seventh-most missed tackles in the NFL this season.

Tampa Bay has seen a dramatic turnaround in their run game success from last season. After struggling to mount a ground game a year ago, the Bucs are excelling on the ground in 2021. Tampa is averaging 4.3 yards per rush, tied for 15th in the league. Last year, the Bucs’ ground game ranked 26th.

The Bucs return to action in Week 15 against the division rival New Orleans Saints.