If you asked me who among all NFL running backs with at least 60 carries, who would be in the top 10 in broken tackles and missed tackle percentage, I would probably give you a basic answer. Kenneth Walker, James Connor, David Montgomery. The usual.
Bucky Irving was No. 7 on that list, and I was a little misguided. In fact, Irving ranks third in the NFL in yards after contact per attempt. That's a pretty impressive number considering Irving is 5'10 tall and weighs 195 pounds. Despite being an undersized back, Irving brings a noticeable amount of life to the Bucs offense, and the way they involve him is also very interesting.
First off, I really like what Bucks OC Liam Cohen is doing in the run game. They threw split zone, many variations of counters, and against the Panthers they threw in some really dope derivative shots of Wham to confuse the Panthers' run defense. Irving made the most of every carry.
That's one thing that stands out about Irving so far. all yards From every run. Irving is constantly falling forward and can literally bounce off defenders. The Bucs run a HH counter here and the second tight end starts moving to kick out the EDGE. Irving saw the hole, hit it, slipped through the gap, and turned it into a big run for Tampa. I love how the Bucs dressed up that motion for their tight ends throughout the game. We'll talk about that later.
The Panthers committed a GT counter on this play, and I like how it shows Irving's footwork and ability to create when he doesn't have a hole. With both RG Cody Mauch and RT Luke Goedeke pulling, this play should hit between Mauch's crease as he kicks out the EDGE. But the kick didn't land cleanly, and Goedeke ended up getting caught in the wash, and the safety came down and was able to clean it up, giving Carolina the victory.
But Irving goes into improvisational mode. He put the safety on bended knee like a Boyz II Men song, took this upfield, and turned what was supposed to be a loss into a 6-yard gain. Irving is a true hooper, and he gets much more out of the Bucs on offense than previous backs.
What I like is how the Bucs get the ball to him in different ways. They can swing the ball out to him in the passing game, but it's his work on the field as a back two that intrigues me the most. Irving may be their most explosive back, but running backs Rashard White and Sean Tucker also provide a lot of value in this offense. Having a combination of these players on the field has helped keep the Bucs' offense versatile and dynamic, even without wide receiver Chris Godwin. With two backs, the Bucs are averaging 6.7 yards per carry, which is an incredible number.
I like this because you can get Irving the ball in space and let him create. EDGE takes the outside, but Irving is able to cut back this reverse and go upfield to keep the attack going as planned.
Another thing I noticed as the season progressed was how Cohen's run game was evolving. Coming from the McVay offensive tree, he tried to lead the Bucs to the majors in the midzone and outside zone. however, Joshua Quaipo of Pewter Report writes:the offense changed to more of a gap scheme to suit the players they had. One of my favorite run designs I've seen all season is this burst-motion wham play where Irving gains 43 yards.
With this burst of motion by the tight end, the Panthers are hoping for a split zone due to this effect. However, the burst motion ends up kicking EDGE out and the other tight end comes back and blocks the nose tackle. C Graham Burton, who normally blocks the nose, wraps around and blocks the EDGE when left tackle Tristan Wirfs moves up to the second level. Watch the linebacker get affected by the split flow and come over to protect the flow. Next thing you know, Wham! The right tackle blocked him and Irving gained 43 yards.
The work Irving and the Bucs' run game have done to keep this offense afloat could be the missing piece needed to push toward the playoffs. Atlanta has lost both games so it will be difficult, but Tampa is playing the Raiders. chargerthe Cowboys, Panthers, Saints and Atlanta will face off against the Vikings, Raiders, Giants, Commanders and Panthers, and the race will be decided. Still, I have more faith in the Bucs offense. That's because they continue to grow and modify their offense to accommodate players like Irving.
