The Final Drive And A Bucky Irving Pitch Count
September 24th, 2026
Bucs OC Zac Robinson discusses Bucky Irving’s workload.
When Bucky Irving ran for six yards off left tackle to give the Bucs a first down on the Browns-19 with 1:23 left, Joe could argue the Bucs should have gone ground-and-pound.
The Bucs had two timeouts left.
Bucky averaged slightly over five yards per carry on Sunday with 17 attempts. That first-down run Joe just referenced turned out to be the final designed run of the game. (Baker Mayfield did have a scramble later.)
The Bucs threw five passes after that Bucky run, one of which was waved off due to a penalty. All but one fell incomplete.
This is Monday morning Thursday afternoon quarterbacking, but it appeared there may have been time for one, maybe two more Bucky runs. Obviously, a hold on Graham Barton screwed things up, but he wouldn’t be holding on a pass block if Bucky had run.
Bucky’s last run was his 17th. So Joe asked Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson today if Bucky was on a pitch count. Did the Bucs not want to overwork Bucky, trying to prevent a repeat of last year where he got beat up?
Robinson said there were various factors.
“Sure. I think with the flow of the game and knowing that it is a long season … we have two, really three, four backs when you include Josh Williams, too, that we feel good about,” Robinson said. “But yeah, it’s really a feel for the flow. You know, sometimes if you catch a hot hand and he ends up with 22 carries and you win the football game, then you don’t think twice about it.”
Well, the feel of the game was that Mayfield was not sharp, as evidenced by the final six plays (though Joe can admit his end zone throw to Ted Hurst was nearly perfect.) Bucky, on the other hand, was sharp. Robinson noted Bucky’s wear and tear were in the back of his mind.
“We do want to be mindful of that, knowing that we’re going to need ‘Buck’ for the long haul,” Robinson said. “[It’s] still early on in the season here, still guys getting their breath and getting used to game shape and all those things that come with it.
“It is something we monitor, but again, there might be games where, shoot, we just need it, and he’s running well and we just keep rolling with him.”
Just like the Browns, the Bucs (and Bucky) had over a two-hour period to rest up after the lightning delay. Joe is convinced that gave the Browns a break because right before the delay, the Browns’ defense was sucking serious air. They were out of it. With the delay, they got a chance to recharge and hydrate.
And so too did the Bucs (and Bucky).
Joe won’t make too much of what Robinson said but the thing about easing into game shape is if the Bucs don’t win Sunday to go 1-2, then they won’t have to worry about easing into any sort of game shape because the damn season will be virtually over at 0-3.
(Only one team since the postseason was expanded to 14 teams for the 2020 season started 0-3 and made the playoffs. That was last year’s Texans.)
At 0-2, no one should be on a pitch count because winning Sunday’s game is a matter of survival.
The only two things left this season if the Bucs drop to 0-3 will likely be who the Bucs should draft next April and who may be coaching the Bucs in 2027. That’s “this Joe’s” opinion.
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September 24th, 2026 at 5:06 pm
What an idiotic response by OC Robinson.
September 24th, 2026 at 5:11 pm
That is effing ridiculous. If he was on a pitch count, why wasn’t Tucker used some?
September 24th, 2026 at 5:15 pm
Did this guy just say he wants to throw MORE screens!!!?? Smfh
September 24th, 2026 at 5:17 pm
It feels like last December. It feels like the season is over.
September 24th, 2026 at 5:20 pm
I think all of us fans were wanting to pound the rock on that last drive. It looked like our oline was moving the dline at will. So a couple more runs might have really put the Browns backs to the wall.
Honestly, even amidst all the negative comments I don’t think our Buccaneers are a bad football team. I think the Bucs have a good chance of getting a win this Sunday if they execute and play mistake free football.
Go Bucs !!
September 24th, 2026 at 5:20 pm
I now understand why Bowles wanted Robinson as the OC.
He’s every bit as brain dead on offense as Todd is on defense.
Truly a match made in heaven. They compliment each other perfectly.
Todd keeps the defense in Swiss cheese mode. Robinson makes sure the offense looks like a blind man drew up the plays.
All we needed was a regression plan to match the defense.
0-2 isn’t an accident, it was skillfully planned and executed.
September 24th, 2026 at 5:27 pm
How did Atlanta ever let this guy get away?
September 24th, 2026 at 5:27 pm
This is so stupid
September 24th, 2026 at 5:39 pm
What a stupid freaking answer. It’s week 2 for a guy who played 3 snaps in preseason, and had a two hour rest before the last drive. This dude is a fool.
This team is run by idiots.
September 24th, 2026 at 5:50 pm
At least Bowles can feel sure that Robinson isn’t taking his job
September 24th, 2026 at 5:52 pm
Best Minn or the March for Arch starts
September 24th, 2026 at 6:06 pm
This is not the same Zac Robinson that was the Falcons OC
In that situation with the Falcons, Bijan would’ve been the go to guy
But, Zac has his reasons for doing what he’s doing
I’m not going to second guess him
September 24th, 2026 at 6:07 pm
Running the ball is exactly what you want to do to counter Brian Flores’ defense early and where a gap scheme heavy approach to counter the different pressures that Vikings D is going to bring. I say start Gainwell to get him going, and I still believe Bucky by himself isn’t better than what we could get out of the collective effort of our RB room. However, I’m not too confident Robinson will see things that way.
Don’t really care for the hype about the “pony package” there’s high schools all around the lower 48 working with multi-RB formation. We’ve yet to run an RB on one of the many WR designed runs which almost seems weird, we’ll give the rock Chris/Tez, but haven’t put Gainwell in their spot and run that same exact motion to pitch run to get him a head of steam whilst bending the edge.
Idk man, this team has me more frustrated about watching it then Í care to look forward to what can/will work because we aren’t making sh** work. Couple good reps doesn’t make the bad ones less bad.
September 24th, 2026 at 6:14 pm
We don’t usually start imploding until mid season. Welcome back to the Schiano days boys!
September 24th, 2026 at 6:27 pm
I still have nightmares about the days of Greg Schiano
Especially that game against the Giants
When we were beating the crap out of them
Then Eli passed for like 500 yards in the 2nd half
September 24th, 2026 at 6:33 pm
Game shape now!? What the hell is the offseason program for?
Really seems like with a new OC, guys returning from injuries, maybe the starters should have got a couple halves in during preseason.
September 24th, 2026 at 6:38 pm
Yeah Lakeland, at least that year wasn’t quite as bad. That next year when we started 0-8 was one of the worst seasons I remember. Schiano always staying at the podium that we were “close”. That Mason Foster Int return for a TD is very memorable tho in week 2 against the Saints.
September 24th, 2026 at 6:43 pm
stating
September 24th, 2026 at 6:54 pm
I think this guy Robinson–this joke of an offensive coordinator, I think he is being paid by someone to sabotage the Buccaneers.