Buccaneers' Leonard Fournette: Scores twice in IR return

Fournette (hamstring) rushed 13 times for 51 yards and two touchdowns and secured all nine targets for 56 yards during the Buccaneers' 30-27 loss to the Rams in their NFC divisional-round matchup Sunday.

The Buccaneers were particularly cautious about bringing Fournette back from his hamstring injury too soon, and their decision appeared to be validated with the versatile back's impressive performance. Fournette finished with the team lead in receptions on an afternoon during which the Rams often played very effective coverage and also frequently made Tom Brady uncomfortable in the pocket. Additionally, although his rushing opportunities were capped to a degree by game script, the 27-year-old also was reasonably effective when asked to carry the ball. Fournette is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year, but given the positive impact he's had over his two seasons in Tampa Bay, he should be a strong candidate to re-sign.