Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey got the start in place of an injured Doug Martin (knee) and turned in a monster performance, racking 174 yards of total offense in a Week 2 loss to the Rams.
Rainey ripped a 24-yard run on his first touch of the afternoon and was the focal point of the offense throughout the day. He gashed the defense for a 31-yard run late in the fourth quarter for his longest gain of the game. He took 22 handoffs for 144 yards on the ground, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. He caught all three of his targets for 30 yards in a 19-17 defeat.
It remains to be seen if Martin will regain his status as the starter, or if head coach Lovie Smith rolls with Rainey, who has the hot hand heading into Week 3 Thursday night at Atlanta.