Bucky Irving Lands A Barry Sanders Comparison
October 30th, 2024
Multiple calls have come for more Bucky Irving, and Joe’s not referring to the many tens of thousands of Bucs fans who chant the rookie running back’s name every week.
BUH-key! BUH-key! BUH-key! can be heard in the stadium and in sports bars and living rooms from Lakeland to Largo.
One guy firmly in Irving’s camp is retired Bucs guard Ian Beckles (1990-1996). He watches Bucs film and can’t figure out why Irving isn’t used more often.
“Bucky Irving needs to touch the ball more. I don’t know how they watch the film and don’t give the ball to this kid 15 touches,” Beckles said on his In The Trenches show.
“I saw the him make a couple of Barry Sanders-type moves [Sunday] — I’m not calling him Barry Sanders. … I would like to see him get the ball and get fed a little bit and see what this kid can do.”
For those unaware, Sanders retired 26 years ago after 10 seasons and one easily could make a case he was the greatest running back in NFL history.
Now for the record, Irving got 16 touches Sunday. He caught all seven of his targets and took nine handoffs. However, Joe knows Beckles is talking about Irving being fed the ball in the run game.
The reality is that many running backs produce more with more touches. They’ll get better through games when they’re in more of a rhythm. Irving has just one game with more than 10 rush. That was an 81-yard showing in New Orleans on just 14 carries (5.8 yards per carry).
A fan with Joe on Sunday said about 10 seconds before Rachaad White’s costly opening-drive fumble, “Why is White on the field?” It was an expression of disbelief that Irving isn’t starting.
Another guy calling for more Irving touches is Sage of Tampa Bay Sports Ira Kaufman, the legendary JoeBucsFan.com columnist. You can enjoy his Monday night podcast below.
Ira Kaufman Talks Defensive Freefall, Team Glazer Mindset On Todd Bowles, Positives From Sunday, And Much More
October 30th, 2024 at 9:50 am
Fumbling on the second play after you’ve average 0.69 YPC as the starter for the past 2+seasons should have you on the bench or the trade block. I cannot for the life of me figure out how Rachaad White is still on the team.
October 30th, 2024 at 10:03 am
This kid is a special player. Has to get more touches. Same for Tucker. Feed these two the ball should be the priority moving forward while still using White strategically in his natural hybrid role. If I was Coen, against KC this Monday night, I would script the offense for the first two offensive series with a good dose of quick passes with a few run plays. Setting up the run game with passing game. Then, hit them with our young running backs and let our o-line get physical and pound them with a commitment to the run. We haven’t tried that tact as yet. Bucky & Tucker are chomping at the bit. Get them going and keep them going. Had we committed to the run more against Baltimore and Atlanta, we would have fared better, I believe. And Mayfield wouldn’t have to take as many passing risks. He’ll get more one on ones.
October 30th, 2024 at 10:06 am
He is a better Darren Sproles. Sproles only broke 500 yards Rushing once his career. He averaged almost 7 yards a carry that year and another 86rec/700 through the air
October 30th, 2024 at 10:09 am
the Bucs dilemma should not be a dilemma. last game won was the Buck and Tuck show, now it’s just, well… Not saying White isn’t a weapon, but Buck and Tuck are explosive and we will not know how explosive until you just say, Buck it
October 30th, 2024 at 10:13 am
Irving is a nice addition, but he is no Barry Sanders.
Sanders is a once-in-a-lifetime pure freak, the best ever, even passing Sweetness for field freakiness.
And, yes, Irving needs more touches, but I do like the two-back sets with White. That has to confuse linebackers & box safeties…
October 30th, 2024 at 10:19 am
Why is Bowles so stubborn. He will be fired sooner than later!
October 30th, 2024 at 10:51 am
for now he has been barry sanders-lite
October 30th, 2024 at 11:11 am
High praise indeed. Barry Sanders was the best in my opinion. Let him run more and give Tucker more touches. White is great with the pass.
October 30th, 2024 at 11:13 am
Anyone watching Bucs’ games sees what Irving is capable of. Tucker as well. Start feeding them the damn ball. With Shepard out, put White in the slot. Let the other two be our RBs.
October 30th, 2024 at 11:47 am
D@mn! Has it really been 26 years since Sanders retired?
October 30th, 2024 at 12:02 pm
I wouldn’t go to Barry Sanders level…..as much as I like the guy he still seems more like Greg Pruitt….who was no slouch in his own right
October 30th, 2024 at 12:30 pm
If a RB even gets his name mentioned in the same paragraph as Barry Sanders, you can bet he’s something special.
October 30th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
A carry for White is a lost opportunity for the offense. Even if it’s a nice run by White’s standards, Bucky probably could have done more with the touch.
They’re spinning their tires right now by not making the move.
October 30th, 2024 at 1:12 pm
Irving is the guy! Agreed, we should use him more. Hey, I remember reading here awhile back that Gronk said that Baker looked like Barry Sanders too in the scramble. This is all good stuff being said about our players!
October 30th, 2024 at 1:25 pm
Bowles downfall is not substituting underperforming players during the season with one who are outperforming. I.e. Irving for White or anyone for Britt. He’s too slow to react and that’s why we lose 7 in a row. Bowles needs to go his signing off on that fake punt was one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen.
October 30th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
It’s becoming very evident that some coaches on the Bucs haven’t a clue how to evaluate their top Talent , and that is telling on game day. What idiot wouldn’t play their top players?
Just ask the coach at Michigan long ago that refused to start Tom Brady every game. Yes it’s true. Just ask Drew Hinson.
Is it ego?
Is it stupidity?
I’ll say it one more time, start Bucky, and ride that horse.
October 30th, 2024 at 3:05 pm
“For those unaware, Sanders retired 26 years ago after 10 seasons and one easily could make a case he was the greatest running back in NFL history.”
————
If anyone reading this site doesn’t know who Barry Sanders is… they should…should… something very very bad should happen to them.
October 30th, 2024 at 3:11 pm
It’s because Todd Bowles is a poor choice of a head coach. It’s as simple as that. He doesn’t seem to wrap his mind around a basic concept of “the hot hand”. Much less advanced offensive concepts. And THAT’S why he’s FAILING game over game over game with his defensive concepts. He has WAY over thought his strategies and now they are to the point of absurd defensive concepts. His mind is addled and he can’t find a way back to BASIC DEFENSIVE CONCEPTS! He has his defensive line OUT OF POSITION and attempting to pull off defensive schemes that their bodies ARE NOT DESIGNED TO HANDLE. It’s a GIANT FAIL across the board!
He’s so confused within his own mind that the ENTIRE defense is lost and VERY SERIOUSLY CONFUSED. It’s so weird that it almost looks like dementia.
He himself MUST go back to the basics and start from scratch. His concepts are far to confusing for the “clever” players much less the majority “average bears”…
Bowles MUST go BACK TO THE BASICS! At least back to the basics would hopefully unscramble the defense and they could at the minimum STOP LOOKING LIKE CHILDREN ACTING LIKE CLOWNS and actually remember how to perform THEIR ACTUAL JOBS….. SAD!
Or we are lost and a clear scratch for the season much less his job…
October 30th, 2024 at 4:10 pm
“I saw him make a couple of Barry Sanders-type moves [Sunday] — I’m not calling him Barry Sanders.”
I said exactly the same thing to a friend just a couple days ago…
Bucky’s ability to stop on a dime and go the opposite way – sometimes with a bit of a sideways jump IS very reminiscent of Barry Sanders to these eyes. You rarely see that type of athletic skillset…. maybe a handful of guys in the whole league have Bucky’s ability to “juke” defenders right out of their shoes so effortlessly….
October 30th, 2024 at 4:40 pm
Sanders was the best player I have ever seen.
October 30th, 2024 at 5:35 pm
You could prime Barry Sanders and Reggie White on this team and Todd Bowles would find a way to misuse them
October 30th, 2024 at 5:53 pm
The lack of doing what makes sense here with Irving would be….. Todd Bowles and his stubborness.
October 30th, 2024 at 6:33 pm
Ridiculous comparison BUT he does remind me of Warrick Dunn. That’s still high praise for a rookie. But Sanders was one of one.
October 30th, 2024 at 7:00 pm
Barry Sanders sat on the bench at Ok . State as a freshman. He returned punts that year and everyone knew he was the best player on the field. Those stubborn coaches wouldn’t let him play as the starting tailback that year. Thurman Thomas was the starter and I guess he had a hall of fame career at Buffalo. But nobody was electric like Barry.
October 30th, 2024 at 7:10 pm
WAY TOO EARLY! The best thing about the bucs in the early 90s was that Detroit was in our division and we got to watch Barry in person every year. So far, the only comparison I see in Bucky is stature
October 30th, 2024 at 7:12 pm
Imagine 2700 rush yards. 38 rushing TDs. Heismann trophy. All in 1988. Still the most dominant rushing season performance in college football history. By far. Bucky oughta be proud being compared. Hope he watches some old tape and channels some Sanders. Bucky is exciting to watch though. The difference is Sanders would take your breath away.
October 30th, 2024 at 8:51 pm
Do u remember who our 500 coach is.. he can’t make adjustments either in the game or before..Todd must go..
October 30th, 2024 at 9:40 pm
Great comparison Joe ! I believe Bucky is so shifty he can easily be compared to the great Barry Sanders or the “ Sweetness “ Walter Payton. It’s very probable that Bucky will be the number 1 back against the Chiefs. Not saying White and Tucker won’t play but I believe Irving will get the start.
Hopefully we can establish a running game and play turnover free football against the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium !
Go Bucs !!!
October 30th, 2024 at 10:31 pm
The Barry thing? I don’t know… but he had a run Sunday that had me thinking that Warrick Dunn sure could not have pulled that one off. Any of our past dozen RBs in Tampa would have been tackled for loss on that play.
Go Bucs!
October 31st, 2024 at 7:42 am
Next to the defense being absolutely awful, the Bucs not starting Bucky over White is the most bewildering thing about this season. The next one is why Tucker can go wild on the Saints and then go back to being number three. White is not a good running back. Move on already. Forget the three headed monster. Use Bucky and Tucker and use white in the passing game only.
October 31st, 2024 at 11:23 am
Bucky and Tucker are both very good deserving more or equal touch’s. I like Bucky but he is no Barry Sanders. Barry was much faster 4.37 vs 4.55 which helped him get 6+ 50 yard touchdowns against the best Bucs defense ever… Bucky has good moves but white and Tucker have longer runs. Tucker has more power than Bucky or White. While they all have good hands, Bucky has more drops/att than White or Tucker. Liam is making the calls, Baker can adj them. If Bucky was Barry Sanders he would be RB1 but he is not. Bowles deserves criticism over the defense but not the offense. If anything he deserves credit for hiring Liam…
1 last thing, all this hype just puts more pressure on players and coaches and sets up the fans for bigger disappointment, none of which is needed during this 1-3 run… the offense is hanging in the well, fix the damn Defense….