The Key To The Game? Backup Bucs Offensive Linemen
September 25th, 2025
Joe will take the dangerous tactic of assuming. That’s not good. But Joe’s premise will still apply.
Joe is going to assume Bucs All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs guts it out and plays on Sunday. He was limited in practice but has a few days to get on the field more.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that Wirfs’ (and Chris Godwin’s) status will be determined how they can move Friday and Saturday (and Joe also guesses how Wirfs moves Sunday morning).
So let’s say Wirfs plays and Graham Barton and Ben Bredeson move back to their original positions, center and left guard, respectively. If that happens, then you solidify the left side of the line, Baker Mayfield’s backside.
So that leaves the backups on the right side, Luke “Merle” Haggard and Charlie Heck.
(For those ready to climb the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, note that Todd Bowles thinks Heck is a better right tackle than left.)
Why does Joe believe the potential right side of the Bucs’ front line is the key? Because Ross Tucker believes the key for the Eagles is for their defensive line to take advantage of all the injuries to the Bucs’ offensive line.
Tucker is a Princeton grad and a former NFL offensive lineman who has possibly the best series of football-centric podcasts out there. He is also a game analyst for CBS. And in his podcast this week, Tucker said for the Eagles to break their losing streak in Tampa, their defensive line must take advantage of the Bucs’ backup linemen.
“It is absolutely critical that this young Eagles defensive line stuffs the run … and gets after Baker Mayfield,” Tucker said.
So if you value Tucker’s insight, and Joe very much does, Heck and Haggard playing over their heads would give the Bucs a shot.
Do the Bucs have the Eagles number?
Ross Report™️ presented by https://t.co/19j3Efj7pW pic.twitter.com/7EMC2ESii2
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) September 24, 2025
September 25th, 2025 at 12:19 am
Absolutely. No doubt Sirianni is going to do that regardless of which 3 starters are out of position, or not, and whether Pornstache and the greeter from Hooters are on the right or left.
But the real key for the Birds is to realize the obvious.
— the Bucs underbelly is soft. (As in 7 yards off the LOS for some less aware)
— specifically SirCoversNothing
— Bowles will load up to stop Barkley
— Contain is a challenge for Bucs hybrid OLB/NT//DB/Dogcatchers/HotDogSellers
Sirianni might never hand off the whole game, rather use the short quick passing game as a run substitute with Hurts generating the run game, to set up deep shots to anyone, as Todd has shown that anyone we’ve never heard of can catch a deep ball over our Swiss Army knife DBs.
And then the utmost obvious. The whole world knows if Todd has a lead entering the 4thQ, he puts the turtle shell over the entire team. So basically wait for Q4 and watch Hurts run for 80 and pass for 150. And with 30 seconds left and >9 points down, not even Baker (if he’s still alive) has the magic to overcome that.
September 25th, 2025 at 12:32 am
If the Rams rb ran for 165yards Bucky And White will feast this sunday.
September 25th, 2025 at 1:11 am
Tucker is usualy wrong soo…
Haggard starting at RG? Not so sure of that. I would not be surprised to see Klein starting there. Heck looked less embarassing Sunday and I assume he was getting some help. Expect more of the same this week.
Go Bucs!
September 25th, 2025 at 2:26 am
thinking Klein too garro
September 25th, 2025 at 2:43 am
Cybersecurity_intern, the Rams RB (Kyren Williams) is a very good RB with back-to-back 1000 yard rushing seasons, and on track again this season, probably not guaranteed bucky and white will do as well (plus stats say Kyren Williams got 94 yards against the Eagles, still very good, especially at 4.7ypc, but not 165)
September 25th, 2025 at 4:22 am
I anticipate the Bucs starting offensive line this Sunday from left to right will be Wirfs, Bredeson, Barton, Klein & Heck.
September 25th, 2025 at 5:02 am
It will be exactly that- and we should be able to run a lot against these guys.
September 25th, 2025 at 5:32 am
Haggard was the weak link last week. Klein at RG, Heck at Rt, we’ll be fine.
September 25th, 2025 at 6:34 am
What’s the status of Mike Jordan? Apparently going to be still out? Unbelievable the injuries we have. Here’s a tip Todd. Whatever you and your staff do in training camp do the exact opposite from this point forward.
September 25th, 2025 at 7:13 am
Official depth chart has Klein at LG.
For what that’s worth. Feel like Klein has the most potential.
September 25th, 2025 at 7:15 am
Why we never see Chukwuma ?
September 25th, 2025 at 7:20 am
In Carberry We Trust!
LFG!!!!!
September 25th, 2025 at 7:31 am
Haggard looked rough to start, but he had an overall of 64, 2 penalties, zero sacks/hits/pressures
September 25th, 2025 at 8:35 am
I dunno. I want Wirfs good and healed not just healed a couple days before playing. Losing him for the season for a long shot game could cost a deep play off run or maybe even the playoffs.
September 25th, 2025 at 9:08 am
I don’t think they risk the season by starting Wirfs early, this was his target date if everything went well so I assume that it has, why freak out? I understand the caution because of the injury bug that has hit us but the guys have to play.
September 25th, 2025 at 9:09 am
I would also lean Klein getting the start on Sunday. I would also hope that the only chance Wirfs plays is if they are sold that there’s only minimal risk for aggravation. I don’t want to risk him just because he might be ok.
That said, if he can play put him in at LT so we can get bred back at LG and Barton back at center against Davis. If that happens Klein is a strong guy and would probably be better against Davis when he favors the left side.
If Klein is issues in game you can chip Durham on the right side to allow heck to help and also get white in the A or B to help on pass downs.
September 25th, 2025 at 9:19 am
I feel more confident that Ungodly CG14 will start, but not all-world LTWirfs. I’m being real cautious cos the ref show last Sunday. That was just the lowly Jets, not the SB Champ Eaglets. The Bucs have proved they are a TEAM, and a gutsy one, too. So, there’s that intangible. Go Bucs!!
September 25th, 2025 at 9:29 am
4-0!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
September 25th, 2025 at 9:40 am
Resting Wirfs for another week means nothing. If he’s not ready, what is another 7 days going to do? And attacking a weakness isn’t some miraculous gameplan, so Tucker’s observation is obvious. If can contain Barkley and force Hurts to throw, we win. Yes, I know about his WR 1 and 2, but I expect our corners and safeties to do their jobs. The Eagles don’t like to throw the ball, as we all know it’s the Barkley show.
September 25th, 2025 at 1:01 pm
I’m thinking what most others are… Klein gets the nod at RG. Haggard did okay but got pushed on his back a few too many times and an extra hold or two.
September 25th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
How much you want to bet the Beagles overload his side so that that he goes back on the injured list again? An injured Wirfs is still 2x better than a healthy Charlie Heck who struggles with one on one blocking assignments. We need to run some timely reverse, double reverses and screens to tire out their dline so the run game won’t languish from all the throwing I’m sure we’ll do.
September 25th, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Aqualung 2nds some of my thoughts exactly. We’ve already seen this scene unfold all year long, but of course some people up here only want posts about puppy dog tails and superman posts about “all he does is win” Bowles
September 25th, 2025 at 6:18 pm
Auqa,
That sounds accurate to me. The defense in my eyes have improved but we still have significant chinks in the armor. Mostly Bowles sabotaging us and putting Baker, Wirfs, and All the rest of the offense in unnecessary danger. Bowles “automatic” Soft shell prevent defense will have poor timing as usual (of course that “should only” be because we have a significant lead) and he may just drop into that game plan Even If we don’t have the luxury of a lead… HE CERTAINLY HAS BEFORE and singlehandedly lose the game “himself” of which HE CERTAINLY HAS BEFORE!
Hey… maybe Bowles will FINALLY surprise and play the game LIKE HE INTENDS TO WIN IT LIKE A HARDCORE CHAMP instead of blowing it like a soft shell turtle..
I ALWAYS pictured “Defensive Coordinators” as the guys who want to DOMINATE in a BAD WAY! That is NOT what we have with Bowles. He’s seems scared of success and forces us into harder than it had to be situations. Weird dude….
And in my view it’s Baker winning these games VIA pulling us Back Out Of the Black Hole that “someone” keeps tempting fate with
September 25th, 2025 at 10:33 pm
BOWLES NEEDS TO PLAY TO WIN . LET GIZ CALL HIS OWN PLAYS ! DONT GET CONSERVATIVE AND PLAY NOT TO LOSE . BOWLES M.O.! 😡