The Tampa Bay Buccaneers snuck out a victory in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams thanks to some late game heroics by Tom Brady. However, the offense continued to struggle, and it now looks like they may have a Leonard Fournette problem to deal with moving forward. If you ask head coach Todd Bowles, though, he claims to have no idea about a problem with Fournette.
Reports filtered out midway through the game that Fournette was frustrated that he was replaced by rookie running back Rachaad White on a drive late in the first half. Fournette apparently had to be calmed down by White on the sidelines, but the damage was done. When asked about this incident, though, Bowles offered a quick response in which he says he wasn't aware about the incident.
“I didn’t see or hear anything about that.” – Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Times
This is a concerning report that only adds to the Buccaneers offensive woes. Fournette hasn't been able to get much of anything going on the ground this season, partly due to Tampa's terrible offensive line, but he has begun ceding carries to White in recent weeks. Fournette finished the game with nine carries, most on the team, but White was right behind him with eight, showing that Fournette's stranglehold on the top spot isn't as secure as it once was.
Fournette still remained very involved in the passing game, but it's clear he's not happy that he's getting replaced by White on certain drives. Bowles may simply be ignoring the situation, or it may not have happened, but it seems like another problem Tampa's offense will have to deal with. It will be interesting to see how the division in playtime between Fournette and White gets handled over the next few weeks, and whether or not this issue blows over.
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