Rock Bottom For Bucky Irving
January 5th, 2026
The Bucs have serious evaluation to do.
Joe loves what Bucky Irving accomplished as a rookie shocking the NFL in 2024. Joe also loves a good buh-KEY!, buh-KEY! chant.
However, this season Irving was poor running the ball. That’s the reality. He averaged 3.4 yards per carry, which among all running backs that averaged 6.25 carries per games played ranked tied for 46th in the NFL out of 50 qualifying backs. Carve that up a little more, and in that group Irving ranked last among running backs with more than 85 carries. He finished with 173 carries for 588 yards.
Is it fair to blame offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard? Perhaps, but Joe will point out that the Bucs had a better yard-per-carry average this year than the Jaguars, whose offensive is run by 2024 Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen. And lots of Bucs fans yearn for the Coen running game to return.
Bucs No. 2 running back Rachaad White (132 carries) averaged 4.3 yards per carry, nearly a full yard more than Irving. Third-stringer Sean Tucker was at 3.7 yards per carry on 86 rushes.
Yes, the Bucs had plenty of offensive line issues and injuries. But so did other teams, including the Panthers. Their Rico Dowdle averaged 4.6 yards per carry en route to 1,076 yards rushing.
Joe hopes this was rock bottom for Irving, and that he’s not on the football path Doug Martin was on after his dynamic rookie year.
Regardless, Joe would like to see competition for Irving come 2026 training camp.
January 5th, 2026 at 12:51 pm
we are up to 5-6 coaches fired already, we are going to get left behind…….fml
January 5th, 2026 at 12:51 pm
Its the guards and Grizzard. Plus injury affecting season rhythm.
Bucky will be back to form
January 5th, 2026 at 12:52 pm
Losing White is gonna hurt tho
January 5th, 2026 at 12:53 pm
The backups on our O-line STINK. The play calling stunk up the place too.
January 5th, 2026 at 12:53 pm
the offensive line was absolutely horrendous and its hard to blame them with 3rd and 4 stringers a guard all year, its hard to blame Bucky for that. He even got upset about it!
January 5th, 2026 at 12:55 pm
These owners are starting to appear weak, clueless and aloof as owner of a team!
January 5th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
we are now up to 5-6 coaches that have been fired already, we are going to be an after thought soon……..time to take action glazers or we are back to the decade of depression
January 5th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
Don’t care fire Bowles
January 5th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
I’m afraid that the injuries will now start piling up for undersized Irving. I hope not because he is dynamic when healthy.
January 5th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
The mystery surrounding his injured status and refusal to put him on IR still linger to this Bucs fan. He was clearly different afterwards, and his effectiveness in the receiving game disappeared.
January 5th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
What running up the middle all the time don’t work 🥴
Grizzard was terrible play caller.
AZ just axed Gannon yet here we are still have radio on staff
January 5th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
They may find a fast female runner to help.
January 5th, 2026 at 12:57 pm
Tye…Glazers are Max Woke.
January 5th, 2026 at 12:58 pm
The playcalling was bad.
34 rushes against a solid run d in Carolina the first meeting.
He goes from top in the league to bottom means one thing, coaching.
Yes id rather have coen. He coached an inferior roster to a playoff berth in his first year.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
We have to coach better, we have to play better.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
Bucky,is the least of our worries……Let’s Go Bucs!!!
January 5th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
You guys wanted the guy to get all the carries.. whining when he was getting spelled by white.. then begging for tucker instead of white. Bucky is not a workhorse.. but “fans” wanted to pretend like he was, he was at his best in relief duties, and it shouldve stayed that way. He cant pass block, too small, and makes the offense predictable. And he has NO home run ability, if bucky had real speed, this guy wouldve scored so many more tds in 2024. But he got ran down many times because he is a 4.5 guy and a slow 4.5 not a derrick henry 4.5.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:04 pm
You’re being extremely dramatic when you keep bringing up Doug martin lol it’s been a weird eacky year overall and bucky part of it he missed majority of season the offensive line was makeshift all year and bucky was always best as a complimentary piece not as a cowbell like they have been doing the past few weeks. He’ll be fine
January 5th, 2026 at 1:05 pm
Irving is way too diminutive to be a bell cow back in the NFL and that should be patently obvious to anyone with a lick of intelligence. Keep running him between the tackles and Irving will end up like Tarik Cohen of the Bears.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:05 pm
Surely the Glazers are waiting till after the press conference but not beyond 2nite
January 5th, 2026 at 1:06 pm
Has Lovie Bowles been fired yet?
January 5th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
The Bucky chants are getting very old. I was at the Panthers game. There were about five different times fans chanted his name. After a 3 or 4-yard run where he wiggles a little bit and then gets tackled. Another time after a 5 or 6 yard run. It’s a fun and easy name to chant with the obvious emphasis on the end but… Enough. By almost every metric Rashaad had a better year. Tucker was in the vicinity as well. It’s almost embarrassing to hear the chants begin after an average to below average run. I always assume opposing team fans come to the conclusion that we’re a not very smart group of fans.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:08 pm
You can’t blame Bucky for playing behind practice squad level Oline. Plus our play calling was ass. Every team just stacked the box and dared us to try and throw deep. And guess what, we never did.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Rock Bottom for Bucs Franchise
January 5th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Bowles in the press conference saying his favorite line. “ we have to coach it better and we have to play it better. “
January 5th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
This is on Grizzard’s play calling. Saturday we all sat there in the rain next to a Carolina fan who was laughing because we kept running straight at Derrick Brown, one of the best DT’s in the league.
And right behind two guards that are essentially practice squad players.
And on almost EVERY first down. If fans in the stands know its coming, my guess is Panther knew it too.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
Direct Todd quote “coaches have done all they can”. If Kingsbury or McCarthy are hired Bucky will be much better off. Even Stefanski is much better OC and run game. I believe Bucky is in the large group of players who gave up on the coach and staff after being thrown under the bus publicly by Todd.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
Another thing I noticed about Bucky that most already know, but it was emphasized since I focused on it, is he is absolutely terrible at pass pro. Twice I see him get absolutely destroyed by a corner or safety. White is an infinitely better blocker.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:11 pm
Let’s go. Let’s use the platform to list the 3,875 reasons why Todd Bwoels must be fired within the hour. The Sewer of Shame is no place for a pregnant man.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:13 pm
This will be my last comment until Bowles is replaced. I don’t care anymore if Bowles is coming back. Don’t care who we draft, sign, or cut, I’m taking the year off. I’ll be back for the 26, 27 when the Glazers come to their senses about what a waste five years of Todd was.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:13 pm
I have faith in Bucky……
1) Rest up this off-season and retrain to get that explosiveness back.
2) Dear Bucs Brass, get rid of DAN FEENEY. Dude is a weak walking saloon door. Hopefully we get Mauch the mauler back at RG. Keep Haggard as the backup !!!
3) Dear Bucs Brass, we need another solid LG or else move Graham Barton to LG and insert a new center via high draft pick or free agency…
4) Tristan Wirfs, rest up & get that knee back to health…
January 5th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
The offensive game plan fit on a sticky note this whole team from the top down needs to be looked at bucky isn’t first on the list
January 5th, 2026 at 1:15 pm
They really aren’t gonna fire Bowles are they?
January 5th, 2026 at 1:15 pm
It wasn’t Bucky was great last year. It was Cohen drawing up great run plays.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
They didn’t give white no where near enough carries. He should have been splitting series with Irving. Bucky is way too small to be taking a full work load and those hits all year. Which is why he was playing hurt most of the season. Won’t surprise me if we hear he is having some kind of surgery this off season.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:17 pm
Buckys fine after his injury. Bad play calling the QB hands the ball off and a defensive lineman is right there Bucky can’t move. That lose causes his average to drop. It happened twice against our illustrious division winners.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
Gotta pass to setup the run.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
“Don’t care who we draft, sign, or cut, I’m taking the year off. I’ll be back for the 26, 27 when the Glazers come to their senses about what a waste five years of Todd was.“
Boo-effin-hoo
Geezus some of you guys are weak af
January 5th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
Bucky is not a back that is going to be your bell weather back, Grizzard is going to get this young guy banged up before his time. He needs to be used as a change of pace back and will rip off big yards when used that way.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
Is bowles and glizzard fired yet ?
January 5th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
While oline issues amd play calling are all legit excuses, I have concerns with Bucky’s vision as a RB. He took some bad cuts and missed some holes.
Lets see how the new coaching staff handles him.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
bucky is no bell cow back that you generally run thru the tackles…that is not him…
bucs tried to take bucky’s square head and put it in a round hole
January 5th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
just use him properly…how does that sound for a plan
January 5th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
What a waste of talent by keeping Bowles. This ownership group are a bunch of cheap clowns. Would only cost 15 mil to fire Todd. Greedy owners. I will not watch another Bucs debacle this next year and I have been a fan since 1976. Keeping Bowles is a slap in the face. If you can’t see this team winning a Superbowl with this coach then why keep him. He is the only coach to have a losing season with Tom Brady as QB..
January 5th, 2026 at 1:27 pm
Buc fans on the run to Jags and Fish if they keep Bowzo and Co. Just need a JBF for those teams. Glazers are dumping.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:30 pm
My only comfort from a roller coaster heartbreaking season is seein all the fans praying for us to lose just to see Bowles get fired, and we keep him now they looking stupid! lol 😂 this off-season is going to be funny 😄
January 5th, 2026 at 1:33 pm
Going by that logic Godwin 360 yards Evans 368 yards looks like most of the offense took a hit White had more reps because Bucky was injured.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:35 pm
I’ll write it again. My only comfort from a roller coaster heartbreaking season is seeing all the fans who were wishing for us to lose so we can fire our coach and we didn’t now they looking stupid threatening to switch to Miami and Jacksonville 😂😂 please stay there our fans are spoiled !!! Remember ten straight seasons with no playoffs!!? The saints dominated the south for 5 straight years nobody batted a eye but when the Bucs dominated it they blame it on the nfc south!
January 5th, 2026 at 1:38 pm
If I recall how football works, RBs tend to do better when they have better players blocking for them
January 5th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
I told ya’ll all season-long that Bucky isn’t built to be a bell cow back, and our most effective games were always utilizing both him and Rachaad White.
But nobody wanted to listen.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:41 pm
IF they do consider looking into a RB I’d consider DEMOND CLAIBORNE LJ MARTIN JAMAL HAYNES ROMAN HEMBY or J’MARI TAYLOR. Maybe the RB from Pitt, too!
January 5th, 2026 at 1:43 pm
I really doubt they’d take the dude from Notre Dame 1st round that would be crazy. They need to go D & probably OL early & most of the draft.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
Hes fine. Blows and the grizzly sissy who has pink fuzzy dice for testicles is too blame.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:47 pm
Rachaad White hits the hole harder and faster. Trouble is that this year behind our mushy middle O line there weren’t many holes. Doesn’t matter. The genuises on these pages think everything should be fine behind a 3rd string Oline. People who understand football like the late Paul Brown, understood you first build strong O lines and D lines and have competent backups. If you do those things, coaches have long careers.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
SO ABSURD they CONTINUED feeding Bucky and his BIG 3-YARDS per carry.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:50 pm
NEED TO ADMIT ONE THING …
Remember Darren Sproles? Absolute Bucs killer. He came off the bench and ripped off 10-20-30 yard plays. Bring him off the bench and he was a nightmare. Start him and he’d get hurt.
Sproles and Bucky are explosive playmakers. They are also little, so you have to be realistic.
Bucky is tough as nails but he can’t be a #1 in the NFL. Tucker should be the #1. Give Bucky about half his normal carries.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:51 pm
I watched every game. Irving getting body slammed the minute he took the handoff really drags down those averages. I’m not too worried about him. As for Rachaad doing better, he wasn’t the one lined up deep on every 1st and 10 where the D knows exactly what’s coming from our uber-predictable game plan
January 5th, 2026 at 1:53 pm
Name one skill position player that didn’t have a down year!! That speaks volumes about our ENEPT coaching staff and playcallers!!!
January 5th, 2026 at 1:53 pm
@ Gipper – Well, Old-Trusty RWhite was still able to average 4.3 YARDS per carry… 572-yards on only 132-attempt. RIDICULOUS too, that they didn’t throw HIM the ball hardly at ALL.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:55 pm
RIP Muscle Hamster, You are fondly remembered, unlike the 2025 Bucs season or coach.
January 5th, 2026 at 1:59 pm
It would be a mistake to let white walk. I love Bucky too but I like white a little better. Not that he’s a better runner but man he’s so dangerous in the passing game. Also white doesn’t miss as many games as Bucky. JOE deff grizz fault. He would say we play the hot hand but the pull the when they got hot. So frustrating. I would watch Bucky have a nice run then get pulled for Tucker or white.
January 5th, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Bucky will be fine. Our guards and center couldn’t run block this year. 3.4 to 4.3 on the sample size of both isn’t much of a tactical difference. I’ll be concerned if he averages 3.4 again next year. No need for competition, we have him and Tucker. We have more important needs.
January 5th, 2026 at 2:03 pm
“I told ya’ll all season-long that Bucky isn’t built to be a bell cow back, and our most effective games were always utilizing both him and Rachaad White.
But nobody wanted to listen.“
Oh hush, there’s been plenty of people in here saying the same thing, you’re not special
“Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
September 25th, 2025 at 4:37 pm
Rushing 25 times I have no problems with, but 2 yards per carry with 2 other capable backs and not using them I attribute to Grizz being a novice of an OC.
25 carries for 66 yards, with a long run of 16 yards. Meaning the other 24 carries the “bellcow” was crackin’em for 2 yard a pop. That’s pathetic. This isn’t a popularity contest and that far from having the hot hand.”
January 5th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
Wish we could see what Tucker is capable of? 3-5 touches a game is ludicrous.
January 5th, 2026 at 2:23 pm
The sad part of it all……we didnt have a 1K, WR this year! That’s just terrible!!!
January 5th, 2026 at 2:23 pm
Gipper is right: you have to build the lines first, both offensive and defensive, to be successful. We had a total breakdown on both lines this year, especially the offensive line which was unable to create a pocket for Mayfield and usually unable to keep the defense from tackling Irving behind the line before he could even get started. Hopefully the starting offensive line is back next year and therefor improved. The D line needs help big time. We haven’t had a good pass rush in a long time. Bowles could not seem to grasp that you literally had to blitz every time on obvious passing downs or there was going to be a long completion. They will have to spend some money.
January 5th, 2026 at 2:27 pm
Warren, nothing more annoying in the comments section than posters pontificating about how amazing their predictions were. As if anyone cares or it could even be proven. Jesus. Get a life and learn how to get affirmation other ways. Aside from hoping and praying that your fellow posters will tell you how well you did, haha.
January 5th, 2026 at 2:35 pm
First, let’s put to rest the myth that ‘we got worse on offense as we got healthier’…
Yes, we had a lot of skill player ‘stars’ injured at the beginning of the season. And yet we beat both Seattle and San Fran in back to back weeks during that time. We managed to do this with Sterling Shepard, Miller, and other ‘backup’ WRs…. and no Bucky.
THEN, our guards went down (though to be fair, TWirfs missed the first 4, and Mauch was out after 2) but we had 2 interior starters and decent tackle backups. When Bredeson and Mauch went down and then Haggard and Jordan also got injured, we stank, even though the skill guys came back.
Yes, I want Dean back, and White, and Evans. And we need to find a decent other guard, but hopefully Mauch, Bredeson, and Haggard will all be back healthy. And draft Sonny Styles and another LB. And re-sign Otten, then trade for David Njoku (who has to be BEGGING to get out of Cleveland).
The moral of this story is simple – if your o-line sucks, it does not matter how many stars you have. If you don’t believe me, ask P Mahomes…
January 5th, 2026 at 2:36 pm
Bucky is light and small , he has EXCELLENT moves and short area quickness.
I have no idea what the real reason is.
We will know next season , that said the team needs a another running back next year just to replace White.
So many positions need additions and competition
January 5th, 2026 at 2:39 pm
IMO, Nowadays there are way to many kneejerk “fire the coach” comments, not just with our fanbase either. I feel that Bowles is for sure someone who should be on the hot seat next year, but he has actually been a solid stable presence and overall the team has fought hard every year. It’s not like when you fire the coach you are guaranteed to be an instant winner or successful franchise. Actually I feel it looks unstable to the players and who wants to go to an organization and play for a new coach every other year? At your job, would u feel good about the environment if they kept shuffling leadership each year? Now should the expectation level be high, and results matter, absolutely. I just feel that over the last few years the “fire the coach” thing is out of hand, IMO its like a fantasy football mentality lol. GO BUCS and if anything now hopefully they feel it and realize that each game matters and a win is a win, no matter how they come.
January 5th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
The Bills have the worst OL in the league.
The Bucs Oline is average.
January 5th, 2026 at 2:43 pm
Maybe hire a new OC out of the coaches who were fired, Stefanski or maybe Mia coach if he is let go. Stefanski wins 2 coach or the year awards and is let go? Probably how he handled Sanders has something to do with it, but Cle is no juggernaut so how they let him go is beyond me.
January 5th, 2026 at 2:58 pm
If Baker threatens downfield then we can run easier. White had better running lanes because he’s been the best wr threat in the current offense of rbs. Baker hurt bucky by not even throwing the ball further than 10 yards so teams would play shallow coverage and load the box with bucky in the game 1st and 2nd down
January 5th, 2026 at 3:49 pm
Gipper … ‘People who understand football like the late Paul Brown, understood you first build strong O lines and D lines and have competent backups. If you do those things, coaches have long careers.’
Nice to see that someone gets it Gipper. Licht created a strong OLine … with close to zero depth. Paid off for us in 2024 when our OLine was quite healthy; killed us in 2025 when our OLine fell apart.
Bucs haven’t had a strong DLine since 2021 when we lost Suh & JPP. Vea’s been a good 1-man band, but he was grossly over-used this year (73% def snaps), and it hurt his performance on the field. Other than that though, our Front-5 did little to pressure the opposing QBs.
January 5th, 2026 at 3:51 pm
With the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select…
Jeremiah Love RB Notre Dame
January 5th, 2026 at 4:28 pm
A letter to Baker;
Dear Mr.Mayfield, their was once a time Sapp,Brooks Barber and Lynch were so fed up with giving up 11 points a game but coming up short to EVERY mans ultimate dream of winning a Super Bowl because the offense could not muster ’12 points a game on average so the four of them marched into Malcolm Glazers office and DEMANDED change albeit the live and respect they had for Tony Dungy,…..Well due to Tony’s loyalty in Mike Shula and unwilling to finally let him go Mr.Glazer fired Dungy and we’ll as we all know a TITLE was won the very next season,Now Baker we need you to round up Mike, Lavonte and Tristan and March in immediately to Joels office and DEMAND same ‘change,.
..
Thanks, your biggest supporter
Robb Currie
January 5th, 2026 at 4:29 pm
A letter to Baker;
Dear Mr.Mayfield, their was once a time Sapp,Brooks Barber and Lynch were so fed up with giving up 11 points a game but coming up short to EVERY mans ultimate dream of winning a Super Bowl because the offense could not muster ’12 points a game on average so the four of them marched into Malcolm Glazers office and DEMANDED change albeit the live and respect they had for Tony Dungy,…..Well due to Tony’s loyalty in Mike Shula and unwilling to finally let him go Mr.Glazer fired Dungy and we’ll as we all know a TITLE was won the very next season,Now Baker we need you to round up Mike, Lavonte and Tristan and March in immediately to Joels office and DEMAND same ‘change,.
..
Thanks, your biggest supporter
Robb Currie
January 5th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
Well!!!! Looks like bowesooow is going to survive, if they keep him then Grizzard and the special teams coach has to go!!!!!!
January 5th, 2026 at 6:30 pm
Please stop talking about hiring Stephanski as a coach. The man has done nothing for the Browns but be involved in the worst deal in NFL history, and he stuck a knife in Baker’s Mayfield’s back when he did it. He is a horrible idea for a BUCS coach.
January 5th, 2026 at 7:29 pm
We dumb if we let rachad walk away Bucky is not a starting running back I don’t care what nobody says he is too small to last coaching has to go for starting Bucky over rachad that was the dumbest call
January 5th, 2026 at 7:42 pm
Bucky is a small change of pace back. We don’t have a 3 down back on the team, and really do not need one. White, Tucker, and Irving are all we need. Just have to set them up for success. Bucky will get hurt, and be out of the league if we keep riding him this hard. Last year was fun to watch, but no one was game planning for him.
January 5th, 2026 at 9:39 pm
A beyond stupid take, we hear over and over and over again.
Look at the tape, not the average per carry.
Bucky looked great, that’s what the tape showed.
Period.
The Bucs are in great shape at RB if they resign White, which shouldn’t be too expensive since RBs don’t get paid much.
January 5th, 2026 at 11:01 pm
Coach with all due respect I have been a fan of this team for a hell of a lot longer than you have been coach and I will be after you are gone. That presser was weak sauce and you can’t admit your own failings.
January 6th, 2026 at 12:41 pm
I would have to fire Todd Bowls, offense and defense coordinators.
The couches lost trust of the players and fans
Keep Bucky Irving.