Todd Bowles: Bucky Irving “Probably” Earned More Touches But He’s Still A Situational Back
November 21st, 2024
Situational? Really?
Joe put this quote from Todd Bowles out on Twitter yesterday and Bucs fans erupted. But Joe understands what Bowles is trying to say.
Doesn’t mean Joe agrees with it, but Joe understands what Bowles and offensive coordinator Liam Coen are trying to do.
Joe doesn’t think anyone who even casually has watched the Bucs the past two or three years can say with a straight face that Rachaad White is a better running back than Bucky Irving.
When it comes to pass blocking and catching the ball, White is better. In fact, Joe thinks there aren’t too many backs who are as dangerous catching passes out of the backfield as White.
Yesterday, Bowles was asked if Irving has earned more carries. Currently, Irving averages just under 10 carries a game.
Bowles didn’t deny Irving has proved worthy of a bigger load. However, Bowles added Irving is still currently a situational player.
“He probably has earned more touches, but there are certain situations that other guys have certain responsibilities that they have to play, too,” Bowles said.
And this is where White comes into play. He can pass block better and catch the ball better.
But as a running back, Irving, Joe believes, should be the Bucs’ No. 1.
“It’s going to be by committee,” Bowles said of who gets on the field. “It’s going to be who’s hot during the week.”
Now Joe didn’t like that quote.
Who gives a flying s(p)it how a guy does in non-padded practices on a Wednesday? If a guy is tearing up a defense on Sunday, keep him on the field and feed him. This really isn’t rocket science.
“We know Bucky can do a lot of great things, we know Rachaad [White] can do things, as well as Sean [Tucker],” Bowles explained. Irving will “continue to get his touches. Sometimes it may be more, sometimes it may not be. Depending on the situation that we’re in from a football standpoint, we’ve got to play it how we play it and see it – but he’s definitely earned more touches.”
Joe thinks the crux here is the Bucs’ final drive against the 49ers. A touchdown would give the Bucs the lead. The Bucs had to kick a field goal to instead.
And even a dude walking around with a white cane could see what was going to happen at that point: The Bucs’ soft defense once again bent over and allowed the 49ers to march down the field like it was an underwear football practice and kick the game-winning field goal.
Thank you sir, may I have another?
On the Bucs’ final drive, White was on the field. OK, Joe doesn’t have a problem with that if you were going to use him as a blocker (remember, Tristan Wirfs wasn’t in the game as he injured his knee). Or if the Bucs were going to throw the ball, one could argue White was the team’s best receiver available.
But what did Coen do? He called for two runs between the tackles in the red zone, the very type of runs White is horrible at. The results were too predictable.
If the Bucs planned to run, it was indefensible not to give the best running back the ball.
Not using Irving there might have been the first egregious error Joe has seen Coen make.
Joe just hopes come the middle of January we don’t look back at that decision possibly costing the Bucs a playoff berth like Hey Jude did in 2016 or a zebra did in 2010.
November 21st, 2024 at 4:40 am
Joe you have said that it’ll take til Thanksgiving for our OLine to be hitting on all cylinders. We bought our Butterball yesterday. It’s time to let the dogs out. Bucky is one third of the trifecta that is the 3 best backs on one team in the NFL. All these guys can catch the ball and they aren’t afraid to block. Liam needs to get the focus on our strengths? How about we start with our OLine, QB, running backs, and tight end. That group can beat anybody down. Probably the youngest group in the league. And when Evans is playing the whole offense benefits. Hope Godwin gets back for the NFC championship. We oughta be darn near unstoppable by then.
November 21st, 2024 at 4:44 am
All this second guessing won’t change a thing. We had to run the ball to kill the clock. niners knew
it and were ready for it. There is no guarantee that Bucky would get in either.
The real failure ,IMO is not playing to win the game. Herm Edwards needs to give that talk to Todd. Call me frustrated with Bowles decision making in Valrico!
November 21st, 2024 at 4:53 am
Sad really. This article says it all. This is basic stuff we are struggling with here. Seems like we have a coaching disadvantage. Add that to some bad ref calls and there are all the one play losses. This league is too competitive to be playing with a handicap. It’s who has the hot hand during the game. Like the one game White missed we had two hot hands that game. It a BUCS life.
November 21st, 2024 at 5:05 am
Watch how Bucky carries the ball with one hand away from his body. You can see why he wasn’t getting carries late in the 49ers game. Unfortunately his ball securement is a little bit scary in a close game in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
November 21st, 2024 at 5:56 am
He is a situational back, he can play in any situaton.
November 21st, 2024 at 5:57 am
SeanTucker……
November 21st, 2024 at 5:57 am
That 2010 call and subsequent loss to Detroit still bothers me, just behind the Bert Emmanuel call. Think about it…If we win that game, we win the wildcard berth. Instead, GB wins with the tie breaker. Aaron Rogers then goes on to win the SB and SB MVP. Without that one call, that doesn’t happen, and Rogers goes down as a great QB who never won the big one…a whining, crying, bitchy and somewhat reviled version of Dan Marino…Killin’ me!!
November 21st, 2024 at 5:58 am
@Oilfield
Bucky @ 122 touches vs White @ 117 and both have 1 fumble. Ball security isn’t really an issue with either guy.
November 21st, 2024 at 6:14 am
We have seen so many times in end of games when crucial SITUATIONS come that Coach Bowles keeps making mistake after mistake. From playing scared to mismanage the clock to not call good plays. When tough SITUATIONS come this team lose the game instead of winning it.
We fail in SITUATIONAL football over and over again.
That falls to coaching
Go Bucs
November 21st, 2024 at 6:22 am
Question: Where the hell is Tucker and why is Bowles keeping him off the field? Has to be Bowles because he kept him on the bench all last year and this year pretty much the same. Bowles is destroying this team by playing favorites and by being out coached by every OC we have faced this year.
November 21st, 2024 at 6:49 am
Bucky isn’t getting touches because of his toe injury that needs surgery after the season. That’s the only reason.
November 21st, 2024 at 7:07 am
Bowles is clueless. White is the situational back. When you need rushing yards that’s not his situation to be put in. Bucky Irving was an every down back at Oregon and can be for us.
November 21st, 2024 at 7:10 am
Bucky Irving is one of my favorites, but he lost us a game with a late fumble while we were trying to run the clock down. Plays like that stick in the mind of coaches.
November 21st, 2024 at 7:15 am
It’s inexcusable Bucky didn’t get more carries with 1st and goal. Liam please use the best players!!
November 21st, 2024 at 7:34 am
Ugh can we fire this guy already, please? This is just criminal that Bucky and Tucker aren’t getting 10-15 carries each per game
November 21st, 2024 at 8:03 am
Is there a new rule that says there can only be one running back on the field? No? Well, if you can have two on the field and you’re down your best receivers, why not have two running backs on the field? How hard is it to modify existing plays to do that? It seems that it would be pretty easy to have both backs in the backfield then occasionally have White move to the slot with pre-snap motion. It seems to me, the only person who would have to learn something new is White, and just on a handful of plays. Am I missing something?
November 21st, 2024 at 8:05 am
That whole post is more evidence that Bowles is NOT head coach material.
November 21st, 2024 at 9:09 am
This article is the perfect example of why I have been calling him “The ReTodd” since day 1. Complete buffoonery.
November 21st, 2024 at 9:10 am
I think Bucky is on a play count, and Coen remembers Bucky’s late fumble (against the Falcons?). Tucker needs more snaps throughout the game and that will help Bucky’s play count. Bowles answered the question in the presser, but I think it was Coen’s call to use White over Bucky. Coen was trying to score and run down the clock because we all know the defense can’t stop anybody at the end of games. Fix the defense so the offense can be 100% aggressive.
November 21st, 2024 at 9:30 am
This has to be the worst most ridiculous coach in Bucs history
Bucky is the better runner, Rashaad white is better at pass catching and blocking
That makes white the situation player on any team that has a coach with any damn common sense.
November 21st, 2024 at 9:38 am
This is just Raheem-level stupidity.
The entire stadium lights up with Bucky gets the ball. He’s a sparkplug. No one chants “Ra-chaad” at RJS. If he’s not a good pass blocker TEACH HIM, COACH HIM. That’s your g.d. job. I bet you’ll have more luck teaching Bucky to block than teaching Rachaad to run with his eyes open and put his head down after THREE YEARS.
Bowles has to go. He’s the Buccaneers’ Barry Switzer.
November 21st, 2024 at 9:56 am
This constant talk of who’s hot is the same as TB saying there was going to be a QB competition and we really have to watch out for the Giants third string QB.
November 21st, 2024 at 9:56 am
Adam’s Angry Says:
This is just Raheem-level stupidity.
Raheem is a better coach than him. He won 10 games with less talent and at least had the excuse of being a first time head coach.
November 21st, 2024 at 10:11 am
Ding!
November 21st, 2024 at 10:36 am
@Kenton Smith
You actually said, “Hope Godwin gets back for the NFC championship”.
Why? Will someone be providing him with suite tickets to watch the game?
In what world is a Todd Bowels led team making it to the NFC title game?
Perhaps in Madden football on your PS5 console.
Anyone seriously thinking we are good enough to make it that far is beyond dellusional.
November 21st, 2024 at 10:44 am
Only reason I can defend this is because Bucky has a bad toe.
November 21st, 2024 at 11:08 am
Pewter Power
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“This has to be the worse most ridiculous coach in Bucs history.”
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Are you for real? You claim to be a Bucs fan? Seriously?! Only a Central Florida MORON would come up with a whopper like that one. Learn some punctuation while you’re at it.
November 21st, 2024 at 12:22 pm
Why the hell would the O-line and Coen not share some responsibility for run play failures?
Hell, Barton even admits to whiffing on blocks at the end of the San Fran game but for the minions it’s all cause RW is not a good runner and Bucky is great.
Do y’all record and replay any of these plays in question?
Or are you all just casual fans who just wait for Joe or somebody else to tell you what to think?
Bucky is great… Very happy we have him. Very happy we have Rachaad too 👍🏼
November 21st, 2024 at 12:28 pm
Should be using Sean Tucker more.
Bucky is supposedly not 100%, and Rachaad White is a shotgun/3rd down back.
November 21st, 2024 at 12:29 pm
BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR BEST RB, SEAN TUCKER???!?