Bucs offense riding Rachaad White into playoff contention Rachaad White is carrying the Bucs offense with his legs, which pumped like pistons Sunday and made the unit go. White rushed for 102 yards on 25 carries and scored Tampa Bay's second touchdown on a 31-yard catch and run from Baker Mayfield. It was White's second 100-yard rushing effort in the past three games. He reached the century rushing mark only once last season as a rookie. He ranks third among running backs in scrimmage yards this season, behind only the 49ers' Christian McCaffrey and Jaguars' Travis Etienne. Todd Bowles credited White's maturation. "Not just learning the scheme, but becoming an every-down back and understanding what it takes to play week in and week out instead of going through the ups and downs of the rollercoaster," Bowles said. "He's really settled in and become a leader. He's become a workhorse. He understands the grind every week, and he knows when to run in there and when to bounce it out. The maturation process has been really good." For once, the Bucs got some help for White Sunday. Backup Chase Edmonds pitched in with eight carries for 40 yards and two receptions for 18 yards. "Chase had some tough runs. He went in there and spelled Rachaad and got some very positive runs," Bowles said. "He broke out a few times. It's good to have a 1-2 punch like that where you can get Rachaad some rest. It finally showed up this game." White's touchdown reception gave the Bucs a 19-10 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. He broke one tackle and used his speed to get into the end zone. He needs 255 yards to become the Bucs' first 1,000-yard rusher since Doug Martin in 2015. "It's mentally, man," White said. "It's a trust factor in all phases and us just getting in a rhythm. Keep fighting. If things aren't going well early in a game, we're not bickering. We're pushing each other. We're very confident and understanding of who we've got on our side of the football." It was the sixth game this season and third in a row White has had at least 100 yards from scrimmage. McCaffrey leads the NFL with nine. Rick Stroud, The Tampa Bay Times, published 11 December 2023