Red Zone Is A Red Light For Bucky Irving
December 19th, 2025
Red Zone troubles.
Well, this isn’t good.
The Bucs are not a great red zone team when it comes to scoring touchdowns. Ranked No. 23 this season through 14 games, the Bucs score a touchdown when they reach the red zone 53.66 percent of the time.
Could that be because Bucky Irving is struggling in the red zone? Maybe, maybe not. Bucky has played in just half of the Bucs games this year. So even though Bucky is struggling in the red zone, Joe doesn’t think he’s the main culprit.
Just 9.1% of Bucky Irving’s red zone rushes result in a first down or touchdown, ranked last in the league
Per the good people of Sharp Football Analysis, Bucky is ranked dead-last among qualified running backs when trying to move the chains in the red zone.
Irving has the fewest number of first downs and/or touchdowns when running the ball in the red zone. Dead-last is, well, not ideal.
Now Joe doesn’t know what the root cause of Bucky’s struggles are. Is it different run fits with Josh Grizzard running the offense as opposed to Liam Coen? Is it the Bucs not having their starting guards of late? Are defenses prepared all season for ways to stop Bucky?
There is some hope for Bucky, though. Again, per Sharp Football Analysis, the Stinking Panthers allow a first down or a touchdown on a third of opponents’ runs in the red zone.
Just 9.1% of Bucky Irving’s red zone rushes result in a first down or touchdown, ranked last in the league
That could improve this week, as the Panthers allow a first down or a score on 33.3% of red zone plays
FULL PREVIEW:https://t.co/9TLw43Z0mN
— Sharp Football Analysis (@SharpFBAnalysis) December 19, 2025
December 19th, 2025 at 12:04 am
Side Note: Klint Kubiac’s offense put 38 on the Rams and won in overtime…
Great OC that will make a great option for Bucs HC 2026!
December 19th, 2025 at 12:13 am
Seattle certainly looked horrible until they didnt
December 19th, 2025 at 12:14 am
We beat the current #1 seed on the road. Let’s play up to our potential and win out.
December 19th, 2025 at 12:16 am
the rams could be coming to ray jay for the wild card game…
and a rematch for redemption…
yowzers..!
December 19th, 2025 at 12:18 am
You watch the Rams and ‘Hawks and see two really good , really well rounded, well coached teams.
You look at the Bucs .. and to quote “Dodge Ball”, you see a bunch of morons trying to hump a doorknob.
GM, coaches and players.
Sad.
December 19th, 2025 at 12:20 am
I’m with you @cleanhouse we have to right the ship and get busy hopefully with a new defensive approach
December 19th, 2025 at 12:21 am
The reaction to the Rams blowing a 16 point lead with 8:11 left will be much different than the Bucs blowing a 14 point lead with 13+ minutes left.
December 19th, 2025 at 12:35 am
Stafford also had a 37-30 lead he blew. He single handedly let Darnold march down the field to win the game. He lost this game. His job to score enough points. That’s what our experts claim.
December 19th, 2025 at 12:38 am
Oh. Darnold also had 2 interceptions.
December 19th, 2025 at 1:30 am
Isn’t concentrating on Bucky overlooking the problem at oline?
December 19th, 2025 at 1:49 am
Dear Baker, I wrote you but you still ain’t callin’
I left my home address and my return info at the bottom
I sent two letters back in autumn, you must not’ve got ’em
There probably was a problem at the post office or somethin’
Sometimes I scribble addresses too sloppy when I jot ’em
But anyways, forget it—what’s been up? How’s the shoulder?
I watched the game again, that loss wasn’t really on you
I told everyone it was protection, drops, and play-callin’ too
I know you probably hear this every week, but I’m your biggest fan
I even kept the clippings from the pieces trashin’ you
I got a room full of your jerseys and your pictures on the wall
I defend every throw they say you shouldn’t have thrown at all
I know you get blamed a lot, but they don’t know the truth
They don’t know what it’s like playin’ hurt like you
I ain’t mad you don’t write back, I just don’t like bein’ ignored
You said you loved the fans, that’s what I’m loyal for
Remember when they booed you? Yeah, I remember that
I told everyone real fans never turned their back
My girlfriend says I talk about you way too much
But she don’t get it—she don’t see what they’re missin’, does she?
I read the breakdowns every week, they never get it right
They don’t see the pressure, timing, chaos every snap of the night
I spend my Sundays explainin’ why it ain’t your fault
Breakin’ down excuses ‘til there’s nothin’ left at all
Anyways, I hope you get this, hit me back
Just a letter, just a call, it don’t have to be that
Truly yours, your biggest fan—
Baker Boi Stan
December 19th, 2025 at 1:53 am
Totally disagree with Joes on this article…
The last 2 home games, Ray Jay’s field was HORRIBLE.
The rains destroyed the grass then 4 days later it was still the same.
Bucky is explosive with jump cuts and sure as hell seemed like he kept losing traction and grip when he changed direction….Never had that problem before..
Get the field back in decent shape and Bucky will be better in the red zone…
Also Grizz needs to scheme the runs better as well…..
Bucky hasn’t lost anything here..
December 19th, 2025 at 2:38 am
You want to run the ball?
Put Wirfs at LG and Chukwuma at LT!
And I guarantee we will start running the ball well!
December 19th, 2025 at 2:46 am
“Klint Kubiac’s offense…. Great OC that will make a great option for Bucs HC 2026!”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Kubiak? Kubiak was OC for the Saints last year. The saints finished with a 5-12 record, ranking 24th in points. I don’t know why any intelligent person would want Gruden as HC. He wasn’t that great – Gruden last years were the beginning of the Lost Decade. Monken? Yea, he is just killing it.
Be careful what you wish for. There are no Ben Johnsons out there this year. No Jim Harbaurghs to snag from a college. And there are at least 5 to 7 NFL teams that will be competing for hiring a HC.
I don’t care much for Bowles and his pillow soft pass D, and using frigging OLBs to chase WRs. But do you all want a reoccurrence of the Lost Decade? with another round of Rah, Schiano, Lovie or Koetter??? Who do you think is going to come in here and be Bruce Arians??
IMO, the best HC candidates are defensive coaches – and they have proven NOT to be great as they are retreads as HC. Here we go with the revolving door at OC. IMO, the two best are Mr Clean and Flores. Not my ideal choice. I prefer a Ben Johnson or Harbaugh. But wtf do I know…
Lost decade here we come again…
December 19th, 2025 at 3:39 am
rod go out for some air…that basement aroma is getting to ya…
stan is outside waiting to chat you up and walk the dogs 🙂
December 19th, 2025 at 4:55 am
Joe! We need a talent show for commenters! My rap above will win the full thing – zero doubts!
December 19th, 2025 at 5:19 am
The Bucs need to run the ball better to take some heat off Baker. Cohen and
Grizz have relied on Bucky too much and he is beaten down. He is averaging 3.5
YPC. White and Tucker are 4.2 and 4.1 respectively. Give them the chance to sustain drives and control the clock. Grizz needs to devise plays for Baker to move him out of pocket more so he can see more passing lanes open up without
big lineman batting his passes down and delivering high passes to his WR’s like
the one to Evans.
December 19th, 2025 at 5:21 am
“rod go out for some air…that basement aroma is getting to ya…”
Adam, that was one of your best! lmao
December 19th, 2025 at 5:48 am
And that’s why you give the ball to White or Tucker when you get into the Red Zone or as Brady likes to say Red Area.
December 19th, 2025 at 6:05 am
Ha ha guys real funny. This is Florida we don’t have basements.
BURN
December 19th, 2025 at 6:33 am
sBob in Valrico speaks the truth!’
White and Tucker have better averages than Irving since he came back from injury, so split the carries three ways instead of using Irving for almost every run!
And, yes, MikeBuc, this is an o-line thing. The Bucs starting 5 give Baker time to pass and they open the kind of gaps that Bucky thrives on. But, two of those guys haven’t been playing.
The o-line that is available better suits the rushing production of White and Tucker, and it suits running better than passing.
So!
Grizzard!
Adapt – use what is available instead of butting your head against the wall!
Play Ball Control offense! Runs 60% and pass 40% when White and Tucker average over 4 yards per carry.
Spread the load between all 3 running backs!
And, when you are ahead, when the other team has no time outs left, and when a run on second down will take the clock down to two minutes:
Do not call a pass play!
Twice!
After an incompletion and a sack, the Bucs had to punt after the two minute warning.
White and Tucker have shown that they can pick up 14 yards on two runs – give them the chance.
And, if they don’t get the first down, the Bucs punt with only 1 minute and 20 seconds left, and time expires before the Panthers cross midfield.
Yes, on fourth down, Vildor should have stayed with the receiver until he reached the line to gain and then hung out there ready to pick up the guy coming across the line of scrimmage. But, if the play calling on offense had any situational awareness, time would have expired while that play was in progress, and the Bucs would have won the game.
It took bad play calling on the offense to make that defensive screw up possible.
December 19th, 2025 at 6:35 am
Rod, yeah when you incorporate that rap beat it sounds pretty good. Cool.
December 19th, 2025 at 6:53 am
That’s a seriously misleading stat. How many times has he been caught inside the the redzone or at the goal line and the being in Rashaad white or tuck to score. Nah that’s nonsense, he’s having a down year but what was this stat last year?
December 19th, 2025 at 7:29 am
Easy answer, we’re not a good redzone team this year.
Last year we converted for TDs 66% of the time.
This year we convert for TDs 53% of the time.
Seems like an insignificant difference, but we finished as the 4th best team touching paint last year to being 23rd this year and it’s been a struggle all season long.
Especially since the Jets game, when our inability to score from 20 yards out got a FG blocked for a score in the 4th qtr. Y’know the type of stuff we’ve got to “come back” from lol
“But, if the play calling on offense had any situational awareness, time would have expired while that play was in progress, and the Bucs would have won the game.”
Toopanca you’re the MVP