Bucs RB Irving Beginning to Catch His Stride

Following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' shocking 24-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, the coaching staff must look to replicate the success found in the run game.

As a team, Tampa ran for 241 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.2 yards per carry and gashing the Cowboys for significant gains.

Third-year running back Bucky Irving had his most-dynamic game since his rookie season, running for 165 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He also added two catches for ten yards and an additional score in the receiving game.

The former Oregon standout looked great, making players miss and shedding off tackles for additional yardage.

Following the win, Sumer Sports' Shawn Syed noted that the Bucs recorded 173 yards after contact on the ground, which was by far their most of the season and ranks No. 4 in the NFL this year.

The offensive line's ability to set the line of scrimmage and form holes for Irving to burst through was evident, as the trenches have dealt with inconsistencies through the opening weeks.

For Irving, who was dynamic as a rookie two years ago, this season is about returning to his prior level of production.

In the offseason, Irving sat down with NFL Network, where he talked about his injury and how he is looking to attack the upcoming season.

"I found out a lot about myself last year..." Irving told Maurice Jones-Drew and Mike Garafolo. "And I came out even stronger."

Through the first five weeks, this seems to be the case, with Irving's 406 total rushing yards ranking eighth and his 5.3 yards per carry ranking seventh NFL-wide.

Despite appearing in just ten games last season, Irving was effective when available, but this looks like the closest he has been to his rookie production.

In 2024, Irving recorded 1,514 total yards and eight touchdowns, effectively taking over Rachaad White's role as the RB1.

According to PFSN's running back impact metric, Irving was the highest-graded rookie back over the last five seasons (88.5), beating out Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tailback Najee Harris by a significant margin (81.0).

Every time Irving touched the ball, it seemed like he was going to make a play, using his speed and agility to shake defenders and pick up additional yardage.

Heading into Tampa's Week 6 matchup against the Steelers, starting quarterback Baker Mayfield is still sidelined.

Expect the offense to lean on Irving early against a Steelers run defense ranking within the middle of the pack against the ground game this season.