Todd Bowles Talks Bucky Irving Fumble Recovery
September 30th, 2025
A lot of Bucs fans don’t believe Bucky Irving really fumbled Sunday against the Eagles deep in Bucs territory.
Replays cast a cloud over what actually happened. Was he down? Was he not?
Officials called it a fumble and Todd Bowles does, too. And it seems Irving agrees, per the head coach speaking today on The Todd Bowles Show (Joe listens on SiriusXM).
“The good ones take accountability,” Bowles said of how players rebound from a fumble. “Before you even say anything, they’re going to come to you and to tell you that they’re bad. And they come back from it and they work harder from it. You never forget the bad plays that you make, and Bucky will never forget that. And he came back and made a big [play] right behind that.”
Joe’s a huge Irving fan. And much like he bounced back a week later from a crushing fumble in Atlanta last season, Irving shook it off fast against the Eagles and made a big play.
Now the question is whether he’s healthy. Bowles said Monday that Bucky went for an MRI but gave no specifics.
An internet doctor, see below, thinks he knows the deal.
Did Bucky Irving JUST sprain his left ankle on this fumble pic.twitter.com/0QmH2RSTCa
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) September 28, 2025
September 30th, 2025 at 6:58 pm
Isn’t that a hip drop tackle? Another missed call from the refs.
September 30th, 2025 at 6:59 pm
Wow. It sure looks like he might have.
I can appreciate why it might be sore at the very least.
After watching that, an MRI seems like a good idea.
Bucky’s a real warrior. I hope he’s ok.
September 30th, 2025 at 7:02 pm
It sure looks like he might have.
After watching that, an MRI seems like a good idea.
Bucky’s a warrior. I hope he’s ok.
September 30th, 2025 at 7:11 pm
I was very nervous he wouldn’t get up….Bucky is super tough
GO BUCS
September 30th, 2025 at 7:12 pm
I don’t care what the Vegas based zebras say, that was not an effin fumble, his shin was down.
September 30th, 2025 at 7:12 pm
I stand by my claim the OC has leaned too damn hard on the usage of Bucky Irving. Split carries last year, split carries in college, and in year 2 of his pro career with a rookie OC he’s being used as if we’re void of talent in the RB room.
I’ve said it before on this site, use them all while you can so you can keep their legs fresh and don’t have to go into Gameday with just 2 of 3
September 30th, 2025 at 7:27 pm
No matter how healthy or how good these BUCS do…this isn’t their season. The NFL and the refs have already decided that. Enjoy the games for what it is.
September 30th, 2025 at 7:31 pm
Kgh4life…textbook hip drop imo…that easily coulda been a Godwin type injury
BS!!
September 30th, 2025 at 7:31 pm
Injury update?
September 30th, 2025 at 7:38 pm
Looked to me like it could have been overturned, but I didn’t expect it to be and it wasn’t. You have to wonder what would have happened if that fumble had not occurred.
Well ……. It’s on to Seattle now. Hopefully our Bucs have put the loss to the Eagles behind them !!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Seahawks!!
September 30th, 2025 at 7:39 pm
WBL
Very much agree…
September 30th, 2025 at 8:10 pm
Momentum is a real thing, seems some people disagree but watch any sports and there is always a palpable sense of urgency, discomfort, bad body language, etc. Signs for it aren’t always the same but they are everywhere.
We see momentum shift every week in multiple games. Often times in games where a team has a big lead and they get comfy. Next thing you know the other team has battled into a good position and things are swinging their way. The momentum was all with Tampa before that fumble.
After that long TD to Emeka and Bucs got the ball back, I felt the Cardiac Bucs making a comeback. It was there, they were down 2 scores still but there was a ton of time and I almost expected a win at that point. Then the fumble happened and it was gone.
To Bucs credit they stayed fighting and there was still a chance, then the Baker pick happened and that’s a mountain too high to overcome.
September 30th, 2025 at 8:13 pm
Technically an illegal tackle, they should have flagged that and nullified the fumble anyway, fumble or not.
September 30th, 2025 at 8:14 pm
There’s a good chance Bucky may miss some time with that ankle. Now we’re down Bucky, Evans, Goedeke, Mauch, Cancey, Gaines, Dean and Morrison. I’m not very confident we beat a Seattle team coming off 10 days rest with our MASH unit.
September 30th, 2025 at 8:41 pm
It’s looking like it’s gonna take an injury for Tucker to get any touches.
Unfortunately, Grizz the wiz is going to make sure that’s the case.
He kinda sucks as an OC for the record.
We are a bottom-tier offense right now in virtually every category.
I know we have injuries, but still.
September 30th, 2025 at 8:44 pm
I heard 4 of the refs from our game last Sunday are under investigation.
I hope they arrest all 4 of them and charge them with corruption.
Scumbags
September 30th, 2025 at 8:56 pm
Piece the replay videos together. It clearly shows is shin on the ground with his wrist also on the ground then the ball comes out. The refs have been crape this season
September 30th, 2025 at 9:06 pm
Bucky is being overused. Through 4 games, only 3 offensive players have logged 100% (282 snaps): Baker, Bredeson & Barton (hmmm, the 3 B’s). Next in line on offense is Cade Otton (91.5% – 258 snaps), followed by Emeka Egbuka (84.4% – 238 snaps). and then … Bucky (70.2% – 198 snaps).
In those 198 snaps, Bucky has already carried the ball 71 times for 237 yds (3.3 YPC average) and been targeted 19 times (with 19 catches BTW for 193 yds). So that’s 90 touches in 198 snaps.
Rachaad on the other hand only has been involved in 31.6% (89 snaps). He’s only carried the ball 23 times for 108 yds (4.7 YPC average) and been targeted 9 times, catching 8 for 34 yds. So he’s gotten 32 touches in 89 snaps.
No need to bring up Tucker, ’cause he’s only gotten 1 carry for 2 yds and no targets. All that in a whopping 3 snaps (1 %).
Don’t know if Bucky’s ankle got hurt on that fumble play, but I do feel that he’s being overused and that Rachaad (and Tucker) are being underused. Our 3 RBs are averaging 3.7 YPC thru 4 games this season, yet 1 of them has a 4.7 YPC average. But interestingly he’s only been allowed to carry the ball less than one-third as often as our Bell Cow who sports a 3.3 YPC average. Hmmm, maybe our new OC is overlooking the obvious?
September 30th, 2025 at 9:09 pm
One of the replays clearly showed Bucky’s shin down before the ball came lose.
It was not a fumble….
What good is replay if they won’t overturn a call that was obviously incorrect?
This has happened THREE times in the 4th quarter of our last 2 games…. so yea – the Refs and ‘New York’ are intentionally working against the Bucs this year (as usual).
September 30th, 2025 at 9:33 pm
Seems like whenever the Bucs play, there is a camera angle missing that would have given the definitive answer. Not sure why that is.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:36 pm
Griz needs to grow on the job fast. Shep and Rachaad underutilized. Bucky overutilized. Tucker utterly misused – edge blocker on punt protect?!?! If it wasn’t so disastrous it would be comedy.( I know special bus isn’t Giz but he could say no Tuck isn’t available). If he’s that much of a liability in pass protect, maybe give him to Carberry for a week to learn how to block and otherwise get him off punt protect unless he’s a gunner. JFC.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:37 pm
Defense Rules wrote: “Our 3 RBs are averaging 3.7 YPC thru 4 games this season, yet 1 of them has a 4.7 YPC average. But interestingly he’s only been allowed to carry the ball less than one-third as often as our Bell Cow who sports a 3.3 YPC average. Hmmm, maybe our new OC is overlooking the obvious?”
Man, it’s like I’m re-reading a post from last year except wait … it was White who was the bell cow and Bucky who wasn’t getting enough touches. Coen was to blame, of course.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:01 pm
Look doesn’t matter if it was a hip drop tackle, there was no flag.
Doesn’t matter if you think it wasn’t a fumble, because they gave Philly the ball.
What matters is we might be w/o Bucky who is seeking medical advice as to what to do with what’s sounding like a sprained ankle.
What I hope, is we don’t rush him back as his legs particularly his ankle is a BIG part of his game as a player and he’s not going to make those explosive cuts we life to see from him if he’s hobbled.
If I’m remembering correctly, we got something like 1700 yards on around 350 carries between the two and 11 scores on the ground using them as a tandem last year. Add their combined 98 receptions for almost 800 yard and White himself had 6 TD receptions(Rachaad).
I haven’t crunched this years numbers like DR, but we’re not even close to being on pace for that now.
I’ll give you the OL struggles, but our offense isn’t even operating like those TWO are the focal point with the injuries we have at WR, it’s almost a no brainer.
We kept hearing all off-season it’ll be close to the same scheme, it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it through 4 games and that’s on the pride of Lizard Lick
September 30th, 2025 at 10:38 pm
It looked ugly on the replay. I was shocked he wasn’t severely injured on that play. He seemed to have avoided something major.
October 1st, 2025 at 2:53 am
Wibble is a perfect nickname for the self anointing pontiff.
October 1st, 2025 at 4:27 am
Bucky clearly being over used. And guess what, defenses know he’s getting the call. Grizz is not Coen. Bucky left. Bucky Right. Bucky up the middle. Dump off pass to Bucky in the flat.
October 1st, 2025 at 6:48 am
We are trending dowwwwwwwwwwwwwn.
October 1st, 2025 at 8:28 am
Another troll crawls out from under the bridge….
October 1st, 2025 at 2:34 pm
WEll, sounds like we have still another rookie offensive head coach. Grizzard never adjusted to what was NOT working. He put all the weight on Bucky. Too narrow tunnel vision and stupid gameplan.