3. Leonard Fournette Made His Presence Felt
After the Jaguars’ decision to release Leonard Fournette, the Buccaneers received a real opportunity to add a talented running back into their backfield. It hasn’t taken long for the former No. 4 overall pick to make substantial contributions for Tampa Bay.
Despite receiving just 12 carries, Fournette contributed 103 rushing yards with a pair of touchdown runs. A critical element to his performance was the 46 yard run he pulled off, which accounted for over a third of Tampa Bay’s overall rushing yardage.
In this game, Ronald Jones was the Buccaneers’ next leading rusher and he struggled to get going. He ended up receiving just seven carries resulting in only 23 rushing yards. Overall, Fournette picked up for Jones’ underachieving execution.
It’s difficult to envision the Buccaneers’ having such a strong outlook for a win in this game had Fournette played so well. Mostly, that’s the case because Tom Brady wasn’t necessarily torching the Panthers’ defense in the passing game.