Free Bucky Irving
September 22nd, 2024
The ancient football axiom says, “put the ball in the hands of your playmakers.”
Another one says, “score first and good things will happen.”
This is why Joe wants the Bucs to hand Bucky Irving the ball as their starting running back, especially if they remain committed to running on first downs. Rachaad White taking a handoff should be to give Irving a breather only. That’s it.
Stay calm, Rachaad White fans. He’s just not as good as Irving as a running back. There are 450-plus carries worth of evidence, including playoffs. It’s ok.
Rookie running backs succeed in the NFL every season, and Irving appears to be at the top of this year’s draft class. He’s flashed an array of skills and, after today, has 154 yards on 25 carries through three games. That’s 6.1 yards per carry.
Irving runs hard. White does not.
Irving makes defenders miss more than White and is tougher to bring down.
Irving will get in the heads of defense coordinators and players. White will not.
This change should be the biggest no-brainer on the Bucs roster.
White will get his snaps. Every No. 2 running back does. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to catch the ball, which he does well. And as the Bucs saw today, the Broncos appeared confused multiple times by the Bucs having White and Irving on the field at the same time.
White has 12 catches for 98 yards this season. Solid numbers. He’s got value, but not as a bellcow running back.
Joe has seen the light for many, many months. The numbers back it up. And now there’s a viable alternative.
Free Bucky!
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:55 pm
Fire Todd let’s stop with this charade he’s a good coach
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:58 pm
Yes, free Bucky for 3.245 yards per carry behind this amazing offensive line.
White is overrated, kinda sucks, and is a bit dinged up currently, but
September 22nd, 2024 at 5:59 pm
Amen. A screen game ain’t no running game. Didn’t even use screens today. Probably averaging less than 2 yards now
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:01 pm
Kinda agree, I love the look of having White and Bucky on the field at the same time.
That feels as lethal as having the BEST WR Duo in the league.
If only Moxie was a skill, you can spread teach.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:02 pm
I like Whie as a pass catcher, but pretty mediocre as the bell cow. Bucky showed some real flash. Bucky on run downs White on pass downs. Same old same old with White off tackle on first down don’t cut it.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:05 pm
White at 2.8 ypc and Bucky at 6.2 ypc, we have to make the move. I also agree this doesn’t mean White is done he is just is the receiving back and a very good one. I too saw the confusion of the defense when both were on the field.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:09 pm
Replace Mauch with Klein if you want to be better up front. Skule wasn’t the only problem, Mauch was just as bad. He’s not a good guard.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:10 pm
Only comfort today is figuring the Bucs would be 2-1, before season didn’t expect them to beat detroit. Bright side is the Bucs apparently needed to be humbled early in year. Mission accomplished lol.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:11 pm
Today was a total embarrassment.
Take the 2-1 start (again) and shove it!
Maybe there was too much pressure on these guys to go up 3-0 with a win at home?
Posers
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:23 pm
Our 2 running back sets were the most effective. I’d like to see them both out there more often.
Also fine with Bucky getting the start. White seems to need a fire lit under his arse
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:24 pm
You still have to give them both some runs and pass plays though, otherwise we become too predictable.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:26 pm
Yeah, it feels like this is the way to go and a lot of us already knew it…
But does Bowles know?
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:27 pm
The players’ head coach is too much of a genius to listen to anyone and won’t make the change. He won’t. Todd. Won’t.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:33 pm
Canales is looking brilliant today with Dalton crushing the Raiders
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:40 pm
I believe the ultimate decision on who starts and who sits belongs to the head coach.
Todd?
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:41 pm
I think there are still ankle bits and pieces still on the field. Bucky is a handful in the open field
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:42 pm
Bucs need a guard, a TE, and a real edge rusher. Period.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:45 pm
Bucky should definitely be our RB1 however the gaurd play so far is horrendous. Obviously we need Luke back at RT, but Mauch and Bredeson are getting beat way too often. We should see what Klein can do at gaurd and never let Skule back on the field before we put Bucky at number one.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:48 pm
Call me a conspiracy theorist but, Bowles has to have a hand
In the offensive play calling. It seems like 95% of plays on 1st downs
Are runs. Threw 3 different OCs.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:49 pm
Oline is still hot garbage regardless of who you put in the backfield. They don’t do anything well, especially blocking. It’s been like this for years. Stop trying to convince everyone that the line isn’t the problem and we just need better backs. Total BS. This oline is so overrated in the local media it qualifies as gaslighting.
Licht has failed to build through the trenches like he always brags about. Sick of the excuses.
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:50 pm
The Bucs should just take that ass whooping like a man and get ready for their next game…
September 22nd, 2024 at 6:53 pm
I agree with Hodad. Get Cody out of there he is killing us. He has regressed
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:06 pm
Bucky’s been ready!! What’s the hold up? Coaching is about making tough decisions. I think Elijah Klein is ready n would do much better than Skule at RT. I think Funderburk is ready at cb. I’m tire of watching stiff, passive, drop potential ints JDean do the same thing each year…which is nothing. Let’s make changes now despite tenure with team.
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:19 pm
Agree with unbelievable……put Bucky as #1 and defenses will key on him and his numbers will go down. He’s more effective coming off the bench
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:37 pm
Both guards are garbage.
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:38 pm
The Bucs have an AWFUL track record of sticking with bad players too long.
Gerald McCoy comes to mind.
Tim Brown returning punts.
Michael Clayton – oof.
And now R White.
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:39 pm
the line isn’t looking too good right about now…
these behemoths need to start acting big…
it’s time to get big and frothy…
definitely missing the glass-eaters mentality right about now
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:43 pm
yeah mauch needs to step it up some
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:45 pm
No real run game and absolutely no pass rush=below average team. Licht’s Ring if Honor nomination on hold if not canceled.
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:49 pm
RagingBrisket
Licht is the one who drafted Wirfs,Marpet,Barton,Cappa, and Geodeke. We are still trying to replace Marpet for his early retirement. Cappa was legit but couldn’t afford to keep him at the time due to the cap. Jensen was a great addition from Licht but his career was ended early due to injury he couldn’t recover from. Don’t blame Licht he’s done a heck of a job with the oline still, just because all of them don’t turn out to be all pro players isn’t his fault. He’s hit more often than not with lineman.
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:50 pm
Jason Licht owns this running game. He owns both lines. He owns the RB position. Licht is OVERRATED
September 22nd, 2024 at 7:57 pm
Mauch can’t play, also Licht needs to know it’s ok to draft D1 lineman in the 2 and 3rds doesn’t always have to be a project player
September 22nd, 2024 at 8:13 pm
Couldn’t agree more Joe, free Bucky!
Also why didn’t we see any screen game today? I know Ira has gotta be hot about that. A ton of pressure on our boy Baker and not a single screen to ease up that pressure. That on Coen
September 22nd, 2024 at 8:20 pm
Alstott40- the oline sucks out loud. Kind of hard to have “done a great job” when your oline is dreadful and your rushing attack is dead last two years running.
Results are what matter not excuses but we know you and the fanboys will keep making them because it allows you to be content with mediocrity. Lame
September 22nd, 2024 at 8:40 pm
Bucky got his yards on a misdirection play and an end around.
Maybe they should do more of that, period, instead of just running up the middle when it clearly doesn’t work.
September 22nd, 2024 at 8:55 pm
^ ding ding ding. The misdirection was effective af. Especially cuz both backs were on the field.
Need more of that Mr Coen. Also what does it take to call a screen when they’re blitzing, or quick out to Mike? Did anyone remember we have Mike Evans out there?
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:02 pm
RagingBrisket
You’re just a sorry excuse of a fan tbh. Say what you want but Licht is a great GM and has done a great job drafting lineman. Whether you think so or not. Don’t be coming back on this site when we win next week cry baby
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:20 pm
Licht’s oline is gross. Disgusting fatbodies. Bunch of turnstiles.
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:22 pm
@Alstott – What??? Licht is overfreakingrated. Brady won us a SB. Licht is garbage. Another .500 or worse team. How many is that now?
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:26 pm
Let’s go easy on crowning Licht as a great GM. The greatest GM Bucs ever had was Tom Brady. The Oline has regressed, no running game, no inside LBs and certainly no edge rushers. Bowles is an average coach at best who is too stubborn to realize RB White is trash, and can’t scheme a game to beat a rookie.
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:31 pm
Todd’s D got torched. McCollum played well though from what I saw
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:41 pm
Sorry last time I checked football is a team effort and that means a quarterback even Brady the goat can’t win a Super Bowl by himself. Now with a super star team put together by a great GM then yes they can win. Think a lot of you guys are upset I get it, but yes Licht is a great GM
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:54 pm
Great GM…lololol. Watch when Godwin cashes in FREE AGENCY for having his best year this season. While we end up with an over the hill scrub Mike Evans.
September 22nd, 2024 at 9:54 pm
Free Kyle Trask
September 22nd, 2024 at 10:07 pm
Did some of you think we were going 17-0 this year? It’s just one game. Learn from it and move forward. Hopefully we get some key guys back and get some sort of a pass rush. That is Licht’s greatest blunder this year. He counted on JTS to produce for the first time in his career. That is called wishful thinking. One thing counts… production. You either produce or ride the pine.
September 22nd, 2024 at 10:16 pm
It’s a loss against a bottom feeder. The Todds just earned their disrespect.
September 22nd, 2024 at 10:49 pm
LOL…. All these people trashing Jason. Let’s draft another div 2 tackle to plays a different position on the oline…. He will be great as long as he’s a ginger!
September 22nd, 2024 at 11:48 pm
Lmao! Anyone calling ME13 a scrub is clearly clueless. Dude hasn’t been a scrub at point in his career. Those are facts. I’d better 31 other teams would love to have ME13 or their roster!
September 22nd, 2024 at 11:51 pm
My apologies! I left out a “any” before point of his career. Just got triggered by someone saying the best WR in Bucs history was a scrub…. SMDH
September 23rd, 2024 at 12:12 am
Everything begins and ends with the O line. The amount of sacks for this game was preposterous. No running back would have much success with this O line. No offense would have much success with this O line
September 23rd, 2024 at 1:25 am
Another axiom – a head couch who loses is a loser.
September 23rd, 2024 at 5:23 am
Fully agree with this here Joe, Irving is or should be our feature back. And to help out our receivers especially Mike Evans receiving all that attention, two back sets will keep the defenses more honest and will add a new puzzle piece to the game for the defense to figure out. Losing to the broncos absolutely sucked but it’s good to get punched in the face to remember you’re still in a fight. Let’s go Tampa Bay
September 23rd, 2024 at 6:58 am
FU Todd Bowles. Another great performance by you and your shytty staff.
September 23rd, 2024 at 9:30 am
Bucs4Ever
Yea you’re not a true Tampa Bay Buccaneer fan calling Mike Evans a scrub. Evans has been the most consistent and productive guy on offense since he was drafted, you don’t know football or apparently watch it either. So called fans like you can’t ever be satisfied even if they went undefeated smh
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:02 am
Zero run game and zero Pass rush isn’t gonna win you a lot of ballgames boys. I hope I’m wrong, but can see a 3-7 very easily.
September 23rd, 2024 at 11:28 am
Rachaad White is one of the worst runners in all of football, put this man on the bench and delegate him to 3rd down pass catching duties. Having him out there on first and second down just screams “we don’t like winning” plain and simple
September 23rd, 2024 at 5:28 pm
Gotta get a spark somewhere
September 23rd, 2024 at 5:41 pm
It’s pretty useless to try to reason with them, as we all know they won’t listen till it costs them more heartache and pain than any human being can stand. The team just showed everyone something yesterday that is incomprehensible and it happens every year. We could beat the Patriots with Tom Brady, and next week get beat by a highschool football team. You let someone that is about to start getting laughed at comes to town. I mean come on. It’s hard to finish like I usually do right now. Who had the total brain fart? The rookies are doing their job pretty well so far though. One more thing, if Skuule is that garbage how have we kept him around as long as we have. Never had to do anything but put Barton at left tackle, Wirfs at right, and Hainsey in the middle. Problem solved. When Luke gets back we go back.