Bobby Rainey gets NFL Spin Zone Player of the Week
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey (43) runs the ball in for a touchdown during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 41-28. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pounded the Atlanta Falcons into submission with a 41-28 victory, and there are a few players from that win who could have deserved honor for this week’s “Player of the Week” award. Mike Glennon, Vincent Jackson, and Gerald McCoy were all standouts on a glorious afternoon (there have only been two of those this season) for the Buccaneers, but it is running back Bobby Rainey who gets our honor.
Rainey took the reigns of the Buccaneers backfield earl on in the game when he showed a lot more explosion and raw ability than veteran Brian Leonard. After playing a crucial role in last week’s Monday night win over the Miami Dolphins, Rainey was magnificent throughout on Sunday afternoon. The Buccaneers gave Rainey the rock 30 times, and he made use of all of those carries with 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 43-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
In total, Rainey made it into the end zone three times on Sunday with a four-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter to boot. Rainey simply ran rampant over an Atlanta Falcons defense that looked even more helpless than they did last week against Seattle Seahawks superstar RB Marshawn Lynch. Honestly, Rainey played better than his 5.4 yards per carry average, which seems almost insane to say. But that’s seriously how good Rainey was, because he constantly made Buccaneers defenders miss and looked really explosive out there. It may just be a fluke, but hopefully it’s a sign of things to come for the Bucs.
This team has already withstood season-ending injuries to star RB Doug Martin and promising Rutgers rookie Mike James, so it’s incredible to see that the Buccaneers haven’t missed a beat on the ground. Rainey’s performance helped promising rookie QB Mike Glennon even more, as Glennon shredded the Falcons porous pass defense with surgical precision by dialing up 20 completed passes on 23 attempts for 231 yards.
But it was Rainey who stole the show in the big win over the Falcons, and the Buccaneers executed perfectly on offense by taking full advantage of an incompetent defense before them. Rainey finished with 167 yards from scrimmage, and his monstrous performance makes him a deserving recipient of this week’s award, which was definitely another tightly contested affair.