Will Bucs Add Another Running Back Before Trade Deadline?
By: Charles Gonzalez
October 15, 2007 @ 4:00pm
Tampa Bay running back Earnest Graham has rushed for just 29 yards vs. the Titans (Cliff Welch)
After getting off to a good start, Tampa Bay's ground attack has struggled over the past two games. Earnest Graham has been carrying the load for injured running backs Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman, but will the Bucs acquire another running back before the trade deadline on Tuesday?
After recording consecutive 180-yard plus rushing performances in wins over Carolina and St. Louis, the Bucs running game has struggled to get anything going in the last two weeks. With injuries to running backs Michael Pittman (ankle) and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams (knee), Tampa Bay is running out of players and is down to running back Earnest Graham as the starter.
Graham was less than stellar in his first NFL start vs. the Titans on Sunday, gaining 29 yards on 13 carries. Bucs running backs have gained 39 yards combined on the ground in the last two games, which is an average of less than 20 yards a game. Tampa Bay, which is 4-2 on the season and in first place in the NFC South division, can't continue to struggle in the running game and expect to keep racking up wins the rest of the season.
"We've had some good days running the ball and we've had some days that weren't so good, especially the last couple outings," Bucs head coach Jon Gruden said. "But situationally we haven't given our runners the opportunities that we did earlier in the season. We were way behind in Indianapolis and we were in a throw-it mentality. You've got to recall we only had 40 snaps of offense. When you're down by two or three scores, you're throwing it, trying to catch up. Yesterday, we didn't have much success running the ball. We didn't have it a lot, and we felt the best way to win the game was to throw. We knew we could have success throwing the football and we tried to put [quarterback] Jeff Garcia in position to make some plays."
The Titans came into Sunday's contest with the No. 3-ranked run defense in the NFL so the Bucs knew it was going to be tough to run the ball. However, Graham's longest carry of the game was a 10-yard flip play where he had to shake Tennessee cornerback Nick Harper. There were very few holes for Graham to run through, which has become an unsettling trend for Bucs running backs in the last two games.
LINK
Will Bucs Add Another Running Back Before Trade Deadline? | Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Pewter Report
Will Bucs Add Another Running Back Before Trade Deadline?
Will Bucs Add Another Running Back Before Trade Deadline?
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