The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made one thing clear this season: they can win without leaning on the passing game. Given how Baker Mayfield has looked under center lately, despite signing a $55 million per year contract this offseason, the ground attack may be the safer bet anyway.
That rushing identity was on full display in the shutout win over the rival Atlanta Falcons, when Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell combined for more than 300 rushing yards. A week earlier, when all three backs were involved, including Sean Tucker, the offense looked even sharper, piling up 43 points against the Carolina Panthers and rushing for 258 yards as a unit.
Irving and Gainwell have been carrying the load in the backfield. Irving, now healthy, has reestablished himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL and is on pace for more than 1,500 rushing yards. Gainwell has added 305 rushing yards on just over 60 carries, and he has been moving the ball at a level that matches Irving’s production.
Still, Tucker has been easy to overlook in the mix, and that’s a mistake.
He broke out in the second half of the 2025 NFL regular season and made his name by hammering defenses between the tackles with ruthless efficiency. But with Irving and Gainwell taking center stage, Tucker has slipped into the background and hasn’t gotten enough work.
Through the season, Tucker has 15 carries for 80 yards. That’s more than five yards per attempt, yet the Buccaneers’ talented No. 3 back has fewer rushing attempts than either of the team’s quarterbacks, Jalon Daniels and Baker Mayfield, neither of whom has played in every game this season.
The efficiency numbers are even more striking. Tucker is averaging 4.4 yards after contact per carry, which is nearly two more than the next-best Buccaneers runner, Irving.
That number is outrageous. Tucker is gaining more yards after contact per carry than most NFL backs average per rush.
He’s a physical, tackle-breaking force, and while the Buccaneers should keep riding Irving and Gainwell, they also need to find a bigger role for Tucker. He’s too good to keep tucked away.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield Is Creating A Buccaneers Problem They Can't Ignore
Baker Mayfields uneven play has become hard for the Buccaneers to brush aside, especially with the passing game sputtering and the decision-making looking shakier than Tampa Bay can afford. The contrast with rookie Jalon Daniels only sharpens the conversation, because even with his inexperience, Daniels has started to look like a more viable option if the offense keeps stalling.
Todd Bowles is now in a spot every coach wants to avoid, weighing whether patience with his starter is helping the team or simply delaying a tougher call. If Mayfield does not clean things up soon, the Bucs may have to confront a quarterback question they hoped would stay theoretical, with the bye week looming as the next natural checkpoint. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Face One Offensive Problem That Could Decide The Division
At the midway point of the season, the Buccaneers are still very much in the NFC South race despite a 3-6 record, sitting just half a game behind the division leader. What stands out most about Tampa Bay, though, is how unusual its offense has become. The Bucs have piled up more rushing yards than passing yards, a rare shape for any modern NFL attack, and it reflects how much the passing game has lagged while the team has tried to stay afloat.
The bye week now looms as a chance to straighten that out before the stretch run. Tampa Bay knows it needs a more balanced offense if it wants to turn a shaky first half into a legitimate division push, and the passing game is the clearest place to look for improvement. If the Buccaneers can get that side of the offense moving again, the rest of the season could look a lot different. [Read more 🡒]
Bucky Irving And Tampa Bays Breakout Defense Are Keeping Hope Alive
At the midway point of a 3-6 season, the Buccaneers are still hanging around the NFC South race, sitting just half a game back of the division lead. The record is hardly where Tampa Bay wanted it, but there have been enough bright spots to keep the season from slipping away entirely, starting with Bucky Irvings emergence as a reliable offensive spark and a defense that has found ways to make life difficult for opponents.
The secondary has been a big part of that turnaround, with Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish both making their presence felt in coverage while rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter has added value against the run. Irvings production has given the offense a steadier floor, and the defenses playmaking has helped keep Tampa Bay in games it might have lost earlier in the year, leaving the Bucs with at least a path to matter as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]