Feeding Bucky Irving
January 3rd, 2025
Ride (early) to win.
So last week Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen didn’t screw around. He knew the Bucs needed a win. So what did he do? He got the ball in his best players’ hands.
One of those players is Bucs running back Bucky Irving. Coen fed Irving early and often and the Bucs seal-clubbed the Stinking Panthers.
Joe doesn’t believe in coincidences in football.
“His ability to make people miss in space while also threatening the defense in multiple ways helps us get going early on,” Coen said. “It gets things moving and then we can really kind of say, ‘OK, now let’s get the guys in specific [spots] where we want [them].’”
Coen said using Bucky early was following his motto.
“We’re just trying to start fast and continue to do so, knowing that, obviously, that’s been a decent recipe for us,” Coen said. “Just getting him going helps us get going. He’s done a great job so far. Really, again, I don’t know how many times he touched it during the game – it was under 20, I think. He’s still not getting beat on while also having high production, while now, also, some of those other guys can get in and help us out that way, as well.”
Starting fast is critical for this team. Joe will type again one of the weirdest stats out there. The Bucs are 9-1 when they score first; winless when they don’t.
Even when a team gets a 3-0 lead, even with the Bucs having one of the best offenses in the NFL, they somehow cannot overcome a 3-0 deficit. That’s just weird.
So Joe wouldn’t be surprised if Bucky gets the ball a lot in the early going on Sunday. Don’t fix what’s not broken.
January 3rd, 2025 at 7:39 am
This is in a first year new offense. Imagine if Coen remains for next year providing the stability and improvement vs installing a new scheme…..again. Defensively, well, thats going to take a lot of work and getting healthy again.
January 3rd, 2025 at 7:41 am
Or don’t break what is working
Praying for a early lead followed by a lot of Sean Tucker
January 3rd, 2025 at 7:43 am
Its great to see a real rushing game again, I can’t remember many decent Bucs running backs since the muscle hamster Doug Martin. Great job Bucky Irving, I hope we see a repeat of Buck and Tuck against the Slimy Saints Sunday.
January 3rd, 2025 at 8:15 am
@Statistically Insignificant Reader…agreed… let’s hope 1. The org offers him a nice contract to stay a couple more seasons in Tampa, 2. Coen shows the maturity and bets on himself, and stays regardless of what he is offered, there are terrible re-builds out there, and most don’t go as smooth as DeMeco Ryans in Houston, its typically a struggle, and with a Coen, who is a no name to those outside of Tampa, fans will have little patience to wait and see the team improve. Coen is not dumb, he knows this team’s talent, especially on that Oline, which played a huge factor in his offense’s success. We’re not drowning in cap, and our defense will have new pieces to make it better in 2025.
Look, I’m not saying Coen is expendable, but he’s had a lot to work with here in Tampa, from an improved offensive line to a stud running attack. Frankly if we were as an org where we were at when Lovie was fired for Koetter to take over, I’d say timing would be right to take that chance, but we are so close to making a serious run. Blowing up this defense, thinking Coen, who has had a damn good season is ready to take on the whole coaching operation is wishful thinking. Look around the NFL, the youth movement at HC hasn’t necessarily worked out. I guess from my perspective, it’s easier to figure out a way to keep 1 guy coaching the offense who has already shown that he’s got skin in the game here in Tampa, vs firing a HC, blowing up his defensive coaching staff, hiring another defensive coordinator, whoever that maybe, and then fitting the current pieces into whatever scheme he runs. It’s just so much more complicated getting rid of Bowles.
January 3rd, 2025 at 8:32 am
I’m concerned Bucky is getting beat up and will have little left if we make the playoffs. I’d have White in for the majority of the snaps especially if the Saints aren’t planning to put up a fight. Get Evans his record early and get him off the field by the second half. Tucker can play a huge part in just moving the chains later in the game as well. Score early and often so we can get a few more guys healthy. If it comes down to the wire how much energy will the team have going into the playoffs?
January 3rd, 2025 at 8:42 am
Yes let’s end this game by halftime. I want to see Trask, Tucker, Culp and the backup oline in the second half.
NFC SOUTH CHAMPIONS AGAIN!!!!!!
Let’s Buck,Tuck, White and BAKE!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 3rd, 2025 at 9:24 am
@Zoocomics
I used to think like you do know: “Thinking Coen, who has had a damn good season is ready to take on the whole coaching operation is wishful thinking. Look around the NFL, the youth movement at HC hasn’t necessarily worked out.”
Lots of ways to win in the NFL, so getting a young OC without a lot of head coaching experience is one of them.
I give you for example. Sean McVay, Matt LeFleur, Kevn O’Connell, Mike McDonald, Zac Taylor, and Nick Sirianni. None of those guys had previous head coaching experience and event were’nt long term OC’s. They got their shot soon after being an OC for a short time.
Coen is the son of a head football coach. He is actually older than some of those other guys when they got a shot. He has been an OC with two different NFL organizations and we are pretty certain that he works well with the QB currently on this team.
I am not saying your thought process is wrong. There are lots of failures of NFL OC’s who could not do the job. But they way the NFL is run now as an offensive league, I personally would love a guy that appears to utilize from game to game either the pass or run as his weapon and a coach that runs a lot of motion. By the way, all that motion has not lead to more pre snap penalties.
IMO, this guy has it figured out. ROLL THE DICE. Give a chance for offensive GREATNESS for lots of years.
January 3rd, 2025 at 10:21 am
JOE, I get it, I so get it. Statistics are right beside “I just have a feeling” when fans make an argument. Rarely will you sway someone with a rebuttal but alas, here I go….
KC is the only team that was ahead of the Bucs this year with a score of 3-0. Just one team. A team that the Bucs lost to in OT… with five lead changes. Everything about that game sayid someone had to lose. Arguably the poorest defense did (I refuse to nitpick on one or two plays when the same thing can statistically be said for the opponent 100% of the time).
So the defending SB champs beat the Bucs in one game one time this season. Hardly a statistic to hang your hat on.
Regarding scoring first, it also stands to reason that most teams will have a winning record in that situation. There’s always at least one point in time in the game that statiscally they would be considered a better than 50/50 chance to win.
I could go on and on but in short, you have to score to win. It stands to reason that scoring first gives you the best chance. TB’s record is actually proof of the statistic that you find confounding. Lots more I could type but this is your blog, not mine.
January 3rd, 2025 at 11:05 am
well said @Zoocomics
keep things rolling…
sew up the defense in the offseason…
continuity with the offense can only be a good thing to build on…
keep coen and give him the bag…
sign CG14…
maybe draft a wr or rb…
use all other pics on defense…load up
January 3rd, 2025 at 11:08 am
OhBucFan – I don’t have a lot of time to dive into this, but the team that scores first does win more often – a 538 article from 2021 said it’s about 2/3 of the time. That’s nowhere near the numbers for the Bucs this year. Using the 2/3 stat, Bucs should be 7-3 or 6-4 when scoring first and 2-4 when they don’t. It’s a smallish sample size, so it’s not crazy, but it’s a bit unusual.
January 3rd, 2025 at 11:56 am
Give it a rest guys. Coen is gone. I wish that wasn’t the case but teams would be foolish to not consider him. He’s probably better than all of the OCs hired as new head coaches last year.
January 3rd, 2025 at 12:32 pm
Pair Bucky with Skattebo and cut White. Now that’s a power duo. You don’t roster an inconsistent fumbler with poor vision for one down.
January 3rd, 2025 at 12:51 pm
I think the Bucs need to win this first before anyone gets pulled. The Bucs are not in the playoffs yet, don’t sleep walk on the Saints, do what they do best, run the football with Bucky, feed Mike Evans and pepper some targets to McMillan and Otton/Durham. If this game is tight at halftime, they have to play all of their starters until they have at least a 3 possession lead.
If the Bucs hit 30 points by Q3 and the Saints have less than 10, certainly at that point starters should sit.
January 3rd, 2025 at 1:05 pm
Whaaaat 9-1 if we score first? Even with no edge rush? Please explain how that’s possible. Best stat is scoreboard. Go BUCS
January 4th, 2025 at 1:24 am
Pulling players has never helped the Bucs going into the playoff. Bowles did that in the ATL 2 years ago, giving Brady a losing record and still got boatraced by Dallas. Dungy pulled starters in his last regular season as Bucs HC against Philly, letting Philly win and then got boat raced by them in the playoffs the following week, then he got fired. I remember Spurrier criticizing the move saying that he would at least have tried to beat Philly in week 16 when he was putting out feelers about coaching in the NFL. Play to win Bowles, only pull starters if you are up by 30 in the 4th quarter. You do not want to be remembered for having a monumental collapse to end your head coaching career.
January 4th, 2025 at 12:08 pm
Bucky learn the Franco Harris way
January 4th, 2025 at 2:57 pm
If we get a two TD lead rest Bucky for the playoffs if needed you could always bring him in later. If we are fired up we should stomp the Saints they stink.