Todd Bowles: Bucs Miss Bucky Irving Making Offensive Line Look Better
November 2nd, 2025
Thought-provoking comments from Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles about his No. 1 running back.
When Bucky Irving played in Weeks 1 through 4 of this season, he averaged only 3.3 yards per carry and, shockingly, had a net total of zero yards on seven red-zone carries.
Irving was more dynamic in the passing game, catching all 19 balls thrown to him for an average of 10.2 yards per catch and two touchdowns.
Last week, JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman asked Bowles about what the offense misses in Irving, who has been out the past four games with shoulder and foot injuries. (No, Joe does not expect Irving to play Sunday.)
Despite Irving’s shaky production early this season, Bowles talked about him being unreplaceable.
“Bucky was our best make-you-miss guy, sort of speak.” Bowles told The Sage of Tampa Bay Sports.
“He could make you miss in the open field and in the hole. So, he got extra yards because he was more jittery and one-cut and still full speed. There are all different kinds of running backs. The other two are very good, as well, but Bucky could make one or two guys miss and make you miss, and make the make the O-line look a little better. So we miss that type of dynamic, I think, when you talk about our offense.”
What’s clear is the Bucs’ rushing attack must a improve — a lot. Tampa Bay ranks 28th in yards per carry, despite Baker Mayfield being won of the more efficient scramblers in the league.
Heal up, Bucky!
November 2nd, 2025 at 11:57 am
Sure.
It’s clear. The head coach needs to sit with his rookie OC and do the full comparative analysis to last year regarding the stank and how to fix it. Then coach it up hard in practice.
Times like this call for top class coaching.
November 2nd, 2025 at 12:08 pm
I’d rather get Goedke back and possibly Haggard at RG first, but at this point the Bucs will be glad to have anyone return.
By the way, when will ANYONE return? Injured players are disappearing into the Bermuda triangle at one Bucs’s palace. There isn’t any competitive advantage if your own medical staff can’t figure out how injured your own players are.
November 2nd, 2025 at 12:15 pm
Barry Sanders in his prime isn’t going to get yards with poor play calling and trying blocking. Liem was better then make thought.
November 2nd, 2025 at 12:28 pm
LouisFriend:
Bucs Training and Medical will announce late this week that Irving, Godwin, Goedeke, JMac and Reddick will all have season ending surgeries just after the trade deadline expires. The natural healing regimen didn’t work.
Who would be surprised?
November 2nd, 2025 at 12:29 pm
Buc injuries this year is like the Epstein files
November 2nd, 2025 at 12:31 pm
I’ve been saying this weeks. Bucky makes the offense looks special.
November 2nd, 2025 at 1:08 pm
They’re just chompin’ at the bit to get him back in there again, so that they can get him 25-30 touches per game. RWhite HAS TO BE utilized A LOT MORE in the passing game… Bucky or No-Bucky. PERIOD. And, NOT just standing there doin nothin opposite Otten, out in the flats. Actual ‘REAL’ Routes. And, 2-Back Sets.
November 2nd, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Tucker is plenty capable. This is just looking like Canales 2.0 all over again. AWFUL. Every single number that you look at with THIS Offense. Especially, when comparing to last year.
November 2nd, 2025 at 1:13 pm
( … Joe does not expect Irving to play Sunday … )
Sorry Joe, but you’re wrong.
Bucky Irving will play next week against the Patriots.
How did I come across this top secret piece of news?
Simple. I was able to mirror Joe’s modus operandi for attaining information from Bucs’ zipped lips.
I found a coin and I flipped it—heads he plays and tails he sits.
Sorry Joe, I didn’t mean to reveal your ‘off the record’ source. But inquiring Bucs fans need to know.
Back to reality … In all honesty, Joe, what leads you to believe Bucky will miss next week?
November 2nd, 2025 at 1:13 pm
And, toss a little “Lefty” in with it and THIS is what we got.
November 2nd, 2025 at 1:38 pm
Yes we miss Bucky. He’s better able to make something from nothing.
We miss Mauch and Godeke even more.
My guess is Grizz has been trying to use many of last years run schemes for the sake of continuity BUT without last year’s O-line it’s been a struggle.
November 2nd, 2025 at 1:49 pm
Bucky just gives us more dimension but his moves torture his ankles. He need to play smarter
November 2nd, 2025 at 3:46 pm
We miss having a healthy OL. We miss Mauch being thee pulling guard and it’s shows. Our weakside counter run stinks, our screen game isn’t hitting though we have had some positive plays when we’ve run it lately.
We miss having the tandem of White & Irving and using that as a 1-2 punch, now we’re just throwing jabs all game and it stinks
November 2nd, 2025 at 3:55 pm
There not going to let patriots have health info. Any sooner than is required.
November 2nd, 2025 at 4:23 pm
White is averaging a half yard better than Bucky was. Obviously in a lot less carries, so it doesn’t mean much, but point is the play calling has been pretty horrific. A lot of it early could be explained by the offensive line injuries, but Wiz Kid is looking a lot more like Leftwich when it comes to being completely predictable and having no ability to setup plays for later in the game. He really needs to step it up dramatically, needs to be watching film from last year and remember what Coen was doing and when he was doing it, and be a parrot and just copy and paste what Coen would do.
November 2nd, 2025 at 6:10 pm
you guys are all chicken little- saints were playing their super bowl and detroit was making a statement about their back up dbs with the refs assisting not calling pi’s combine that with no mike evans’s baker hurt and a bunch of serious other injuries = results from last two weeks… no need to panic but short of getting these guys back i’m not sure what the solution is except defense defense defense
November 2nd, 2025 at 7:26 pm
Being one. Not “being won”…sorry Joe
November 2nd, 2025 at 8:42 pm
White is not good. Sorry he’s not. Bucky goes out running game is bad again just like it’s been without Bucky. Great pass catcher terrible RB
November 2nd, 2025 at 9:25 pm
Maybe the oline is simply overrated by the local media and fanbase. Losing Bucky only exposes it more clearly. Barton is looking a little like a bust at center at least. Tired of all the over-the-top praise for a line that gets bailed out routinely by it’s QB and RBs.
November 2nd, 2025 at 10:25 pm
REALLY NOT GREAT OFFENCE PLAY CALLING . GIZ IS NO COEN. NO EXPERIANCE BETTER PUT IT TOGETHER FAST ! 4 RUNS INTO A WALL AT THE ONE YARD LINE FOR A TOUCHDOWTN. AND GETTING STUFFED AINT GOING TO GET IT ! 🤬