Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Cade Otton Fuels Rushing Attack
Per a Nov. 7, 2026 report by Brianna Dix, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have leaned on tight end Cade Otton’s blocking to drive a dominant ground game entering Week 9. The Buccaneers produced a franchise-record 324 rushing yards against the Falcons and posted 258 yards in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers, building on a 241-yard performance at AT&T Stadium earlier in the season. Those outputs left the Buccaneers as the NFL’s top-ranked rushing unit entering Week 9, and the offense ranks second in rush yards before contact with 430 yards.
Otton has emerged as a central figure in that effort. He is tied for the most run-block snaps this season (223) and ranks sixth among tight ends with at least 125 run-block snaps with a 68.1 grade. Pro Football Focus (PFF) credited him with his highest run-blocking grades of the season in the last two weeks, posting a 73.6 grade versus the Carolina Panthers and a 72.2 grade against the Falcons. He has shown alignment versatility, taking 60 percent of his snaps in line, 23 percent from the slot, 9 percent out wide and 8 percent in the backfield, which has allowed the Buccaneers to deploy varied run concepts without frequent personnel changes.
Tight ends coach Justin Peelle praised Otton’s ability to operate both in space and at the point of attack. “He can block on the move, and we can move him around,” Peelle said. Peelle added that Otton’s intelligence and technique enable him to perform a wide range of assignments, from pulling to blocking defensive ends at the line of scrimmage. That capability has been instrumental in the Buccaneers’ counter schemes and tempo-based concepts, Peelle said.
Otton’s collegiate experience at Washington in a pro-style offense translated to the role he occupies in the NFL, where his bend, spatial awareness and technique have been noted. Former Washington tight ends coach Jordan Paopao praised Otton’s tenacity and said he approaches each assignment with maximum effort. “The way that he plays the game, he is an old-fashioned kid that is stuck in some modern times,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said, noting Otton can serve in fullback-like alignments and create matchup advantages. On the Buccaneers’ lone touchdown of the Week 8 matchup against the Falcons, Bucky Irving ran right behind Otton as the lead blocker and crossed the goal line, illustrating Otton’s direct impact on the rushing attack.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Cade Otton has become a foundational piece of the Buccaneers’ rushing identity by providing consistent, high-quality blocking across multiple alignments, and the results are evident in the club’s recent rushing outputs. His snap volume and run-blocking grades over the last two weeks signal that the Buccaneers can maintain heavy personnel packages without sacrificing pass-game structure. That versatility allows the coaching staff to create favorable matchups and maintain offensive tempo, which has translated into franchise and season-best rushing totals. If Otton sustains this level of play, the Buccaneers should be able to continue relying on the run to control games and open opportunities elsewhere on offense.