The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can't decide on a starting running back. When Tom Brady is the leading rusher, the situation is certainly dire.
Tampa Bay finished with 35 rushing yards in a 34-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3, only 21 of which went to running backs. Brady led the Buccaneers with 14 yards and a touchdown, the only ground game Tampa Bay had going all afternoon as the Buccaneers averaged just 2.7 yards per carry.
Part of the reason Tampa Bay had only 35 rushing yards was because the Buccaneers trailed by double digits the majority of the second half. Running the football wasn't necessarily part of a game plan when a team is down two scores.
"I think we're all going to just really look hard to evaluate every part of what we're doing," Brady said after the game. "There's never really good enough in football. I think that those guys up front are trying to create space and the backs are trying to run hard.
"And again, when you get out of losing all game, basically, you're forcing more throwing than probably we'd want, but obviously the throwing needs to be better. All around offense needs to be better. More production in the red area. Tried to kick too many field goals. Need to be better on third down. We definitely had some opportunities to make some plays out there to help the team win. Just didn't get it done."
Brady led his team in rushing for the second time in his career, the first coming in 2015 against the New York Jets. The future Hall of Fame quarterback said leading the team in rushing "would never happen again," yet found a way to lead his team in rushing at the age of 44. This isn't a stat Brady wants to be proud of as the Buccaneers are still trying to figure out the ground game.
Tampa Bay has the fewest rushing attempts in the NFL and the second-fewest rushing yards after three games.
"When you get down, you got to go to the two minutes and speed it up and throw it," Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said after the loss. "So, it wasn't a game where you could, 'Hey, let's stay in the running game for a while.'"
2021 Tom Brady jerseys now available
Can Tom Brady win his eighth Super Bowl at age 44? If you're a Brady fan, it's time to get a new jersey featuring No. 12. Shop red, pewter, and gray jerseys, t-shirts, hoodies, and more here.
We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
Excited for the biggest NFL schedule in history? Follow along on the CBS Sports app and get the latest insights from our team of NFL insiders, plus news from our team of experts, as well as data insights on every player. If you already have the CBS Sports app, make sure to favorite the your favorite team so you don't miss a thing!
