Tampa Bay Buccaneers' running back Rachaad White helped spur his team to victory on Monday Night Football. White took 10 carries for 65 yards and delivered the game-winning score against the Houston Texans. His 6.5 yards per rush was his fourth-highest average in a game with 10 or more carries. With his two-yard touchdown rush at the end, White tied Leonard Fournette and Reggie Cobb (22) for the seventh-most touchdowns from scrimmage by a running back in franchise history. White did the dirty work between the tackles, pushing the pile forward for extra yardage.
He made a critical impact in pass protection, giving Baker Mayfield additional time in the pocket to get the ball off. One of his most notable plays kept the offense on the field. Mayfield fumbled in Bucs territory in the fourth quarter and White immediately located the football and landed on it, taking a massive hit in the process. His unselfish play was recognized by the coaching staff.
"Absolutely selfless," said Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard. "He had that look in his eye the whole game where we were not going to be stopped and he put the team on his back for a lot of it. He had a lot of dirty runs and that kind of epitomizes his game right there. He had really good runs and a couple catches but he is a fantastic receiver."
Not all of his pivotal plays showed up on the stat sheet but White put his body on the line to get the Bucs in the win column on Monday. White is patient with his run tempo and bursts through the hole. He runs with effective balance when cutting and through contact. He is adept at adjusting to catches and has good burst at the second level. With his multi-faceted skillset, White keeps defenses guessing when he is on the field, providing a bridge between the run and pass.
Since 2023, White is second in receiving yards (747), second in yards after the catch (877), third in receptions (87) and seventh in scrimmage yards (1,964) among running backs. He joins Christian McCaffrey and De'Von Achane as the only players with 10-plus rushing touchdowns and 10-plus receiving touchdowns since 2022. As the Bucs host the Jets on Sunday, White will look to ignite the offense once again.
