Ronald Jones has alternated between highlight plays and fumbles this season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, he delighted the NFL world with one of the best runs of the season.
After fumbling earlier in the game, head coach Bruce Arians surprisingly stuck with his running back. Midway through the third quarter, Jones rewarded him with a glorious run to extend Tampa Bay’s lead. With one man standing in his way of an epic run, the 5-foot-11 back slipped the tackle and went 98 yards to the house.
While Jones has frustrated the Buccaneers at times this season, he remains extremely productive. He entered Sunday with the ninth-most rushing yards (538) in the NFL, averaging a career-high 4.5 yards per carry. Already over 140 rushing yards on the day, Jones is well on his way to blowing past his previous career-high in rushing yards (724).
If Jones can protect the football and make a few more plays in the passing game, he should easily claim the featured role in this offense over Leonard Fournette.