Tampa Bay is trying to be more consistent on the ground in 2019."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections 2016 NFL DraftInjuriesFree AgencyGame FilmNew OC wants Bucs to establish running gameNew http://www.buccaneerslockerroom.com/authentic-gerald-mccoy-jersey ,41commentsTampa Bay is trying to be more consistent on the ground in 2019. ESTShareTweetShareShareNew OC wants Bucs to establish running gamePeyton Barber rushed for over 100 yards just once in 2018. Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers were explosive on offense in 2018. They finished with the No. 3 total offense in the league and the No. 1 passing game. Regardless, there was one fatal flaw. The running attack. The Buccaneers averaged just 95.2 yards on the ground per game, the fourth-worst in the NFL. Whether it was inconsistent play calling or just plain bad blocking by the offensive line, the team couldn’t figure out the mystery of running the ball all season. Running back Peyton Barber was the only Buc all season to record over 100 yards rushing in a game, he did it just once in 2018. That’s going to have to change. And change quickly. The best teams in football are the ones that can throw the ball and run it consistently. One dimensional football simply doesn’t work. Every single team to make the postseason outside of Philadelphia finished with a top-20 rushing offense.Three of the four teams to advance to the semi-finals of the NFL playoffs were top-6 in running the ball. The correlation is simple. Good teams do it all and that’s exactly how new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich wants his unit to play next season.“I think you do have to run the ball in this league,” Leftwich said during his introductory press conference a few weeks ago. “You watch these games 鈥?late-December football, January football, you’ve got to have the ability to run the football.“Guys throw the ball around, but as you guys watched [in the playoffs], they’re turning around and handing that ball off because it’s extremely important.”If the Buccaneers want to commit to improving their rushing attack, they’ll need some upgrades. While Barber is certainly a capable running back, there are definitely talented options available in free agency and the draft.Likewise, it’s imperative that Tampa Bay works to mitigate some of its problems on the offensive line during the offseason, particularly the tackles. The Bucs will have to decide if the mediocre play of Donovan Smith and Demar Dotson is worth their return to the team in 2019. It’s known that the Steelers don’t want to send receiver Antonio Brown to a division rival or the Patriots. It’s been speculated that Brown could land with the 49ers or the Cardinals. Peter King has thrown a few darts in a different direction as part of Monday’s column.How about the Carolina Panthers?“New owner David Tepper, a Pittsburgh guy, went to Pitt and then Carnegie Mellon, and donated $55 million to CMU Womens John Lynch Jersey , which now has a Tepper School of Business in his honor,” King writes. “He bought a 5 percent stake in the Steelers in 2009, preceding his purchase of the Panthers last year. So he鈥檒l know the holes in Brown鈥檚 persona, but he鈥檒l also know the difference Brown could make in a passing game that needs a downfield threat.“Brown has averaged 114 catches and 1,524 yards a year for the past six years with the deep-armed Ben Roethlisberger, and he鈥檒l be motivated to keep the distractions to a minimum so he can earn a new deal. Tepper is motivated to inject new life into a 24-25 team since Carolina鈥檚 Super Bowl appearance three years ago. Though G.M. Marty Hurney is a conservative type by nature, I think he could be convinced to take a shot on this get-rich-quick scheme. It鈥檇 thrill Cam Newton too.”The Tepper connection bears watching, given that he either knows or should be in position to find out what he needs to know about Brown. And that’s the flip side to this one; if the Panthers don’t make a move for Brown, maybe other teams without that inside information should take heed of Tepper’s tepid reaction to Brown being available.King also suggests Washington, the Raiders, the Bucs, and the Jets as possible Brown destinations.The Steelers claim they want significant compensation, Brown claims he wants a new deal, and it will not be easy for a new team to thread the needle on this. If the Panthers don’t even try, maybe no one else should, either.