LeGarrette Blount Stealing Carries, Not Time from Cadillac in Bucs Backfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris has his team at a surprising 4-2 and near the top of the NFC South, and he’s done so with an inconsistent running game.

Incumbent Cadillac Williams has struggled, averaging under three yards per carry without a rushing touchdown through six games.

Meanwhile, rookie LeGarrette Blount finally burst onto the scene the way many thought he would after he scored his first NFL touchdown in mop-up duty against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Blount’s 11 carries for 72 yards, excluding a 46-yard scamper that was called back due to a penalty behind the play, was the best performance by a Buccaneer running back since Williams’ Week 1, 75-yard performance. However, it took Williams twice as many carries (22) to amass a rushing total akin to Blount’s 72-yard mark in Week 7.

If there was any doubt that the two backs would share the load, it’s been squashed.

“Starter—that’s really becoming a word around here that’s really nonexistent, at this point,” said Morris. “We’re really forming this team with all 61 guys.”

Perhaps that’s more true at running back than anywhere else on the depth chart.

Despite just four carries for 12 yards, Williams played a vital role in the passing game, catching eight passes, including the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds to play, and Morris is enjoying his sudden flexibility at the position.

“[Sunday] we showed some growth,” said Morris. “We showed what we can be with both backs going out there and being productive. One was very productive running the football [Sunday] and the other was very productive with his pass-catching abilities and his protection abilities, and ended up catching the game-winning touchdown.

“Those things, they all tie into each other, they all go together. Those guys played well [Sunday], and we hope we can continue to grow in our performance.”

Blount and Williams will team-up against the Arizona Cardinals’ 29th-ranked rush defense Sunday as the Buccaneers travel to Glendale for a 4 p.m. EDT kickoff.

This article can also be found at www.footballnewsnow.com.