Now that they finally have a running game, should the Bucs use it more?

TAMPA — From the department of Questions We Never Expected to Ask:

Are the Bucs a running team?

On the surface, this is a wacky thought. Tampa Bay finished dead last in rushing in 2022 and 2023. It had been 30 years since an NFL team had done that in consecutive seasons and yet, today, this heretofore sad-sack group is sixth in rushing yards and first in yards per carry.

Which brings us to a deeper question:

Would the Bucs be better off as a predominantly running team?

Again, this sounds nonsensical. You've got a quarterback who leads the NFL in touchdown passes, a future Hall of Famer at wideout and one of the best slot receivers in the game having a career year. And, still, an argument could be made that the Bucs should run the ball more.

The sample size is relatively small and the numbers could change by December, but it's a question worth pondering after the New Orleans game.

The Bucs jumped out to a 17-0 lead against the Saints in the first quarter and seemed determined to keep the pedal mashed to the floor on offense. Of the 40 plays they ran in the first half, including penalties, the Bucs attempted to pass on 33 of them (82.5%).

You know what happened. Three interceptions and 15 minutes later, the Bucs were losing 27-24 at halftime. For sure, some of that was fluky. A Saints punt return for a touchdown, and two deflected passes that went right into the hands of New Orleans defenders. But that's part of the danger in throwing 30 passes in a half.

The Bucs changed gears in the second half, ran the ball 71.4% of the time, and easily won 51-27.

Which brings us back to the original point:

Should there be more balance in the offense?

The short answer:

No.

In terms of scoring, the Bucs are doing just fine. Take away defensive scores, and the Bucs are third in the NFL with 28.5 points per game. Any coach would happily take that number. Vegas odds have Baker Mayfield among the top dozen players in the MVP race, and Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are on Pro Bowl paths.

The top three running backs (Bucky Irving, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker) have combined to average 5.3 yards per carry, and Tucker was just named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

With that type of success, there's not much reason to tinker with the offensive plan.

One of the reasons the Bucs are having so much success moving the ball is the diversity of the attack. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen said in the preseason that it was his goal to make defenses worry about every blade of grass on the field. In other words, he wanted similar-looking formations with a variety of options so opposing defensive coordinators could not overload in any one area.

For the most part, that's what the Bucs have done.

While they are throwing on roughly 61% of their downs, they've been pretty consistent when it comes to getting the ball in the hands of running backs, whether that's handoffs, tosses, swing passes or screens.

It has, in fact, been a pretty simple formula for the Bucs in recent seasons when it comes to utilizing the running game. When they have 20 carries or fewer, they are 2-15. When they have 21 carries or more, they are 19-4.

Some of that can be explained by game situations. Any team that falls behind early is more likely to abandon the run and play catchup through the air. For instance, after trailing the Broncos 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Bucs ran the ball only 12 more times the rest of the day. It was, by far, their lowest output of the season and their most lopsided loss.

So the lesson from the Saints game might be to temper the enthusiasm when things are going well. It's not an inherent problem to pass more when a defense is giving you a look that can be exploited — and Monday night's opponent, the Ravens, have struggled on pass defense and excelled at stopping the run this season — but throwing more than 80% of the time seems excessive for a team protecting a first-half lead.

The good news is Tampa Bay's offense is no longer being bogged down by the lack of a running game.

They just need to remember that when they start getting too pass-happy.