The scoreboard against the Rams read 34-7, but the real damage for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers goes deeper than one blowout loss. They have dropped three straight games, the offense looks lost, and the ground game has vanished without its spark.
Now, with the Arizona Cardinals next on the schedule, the Buccaneers finally got the news they have been waiting weeks to hear regarding running back Bucky Irving.
Will Bucky Irving Play Against the Cardinals in Week 13?
Head coach Todd Bowles gave fans a reason to hope this week. Pewter Report shared a key update, noting that Irving “will practice the entirety of the week” leading up to the game. Bowles added that the team would “evaluate his status on Friday” before making the final call for Sunday.
This is the best news the Buccaneers have received since Irving hurt his foot and shoulder. The team desperately needs a reset against Arizona, and getting Irving back on the field would be the first step toward fixing an offense that has fallen apart over the last month.
You can see how much they miss him just by looking at the standings. The Buccaneers are 3-1 when Irving plays and 3-4 when he watches from the sideline. That contrast shows just how much heavy lifting he does for this unit. Without him, Baker Mayfield has had to do too much, and the offense lacks the balance it had early in the year.
Irving has only played four games this season, but his impact was obvious when he was healthy. He caught all 19 passes thrown his way for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers made him one of the top receiving backs in the league during that stretch.
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His rushing numbers tell the rest of the story. He carried the ball 71 times for 237 yards. While his 3.3 yards per carry average isn’t explosive, and he hasn’t scored on the ground yet, his ability to handle both roles kept defenses honest. Rachaad White and Sean Tucker have tried to fill that void, and while they have had good moments, neither provides the same dual-threat reliability.
The analytics back up what the eye test shows regarding his value. According to PFSN’s RB Impact metric, Irving holds an Impact Score of 62.3, which is right at the league average. He currently holds a D- grade and a season rank of 52.
His overall rank of 608 among running backs since 2013 mostly reflects his small sample size rather than his actual talent level. He has handled a heavy workload when active, totaling 19 targets to go with his 71 rushes.
The Buccaneers sit at 6-5 and are tied for the division lead, but time is running out to turn things around. Irving practicing all week suggests he is closer to returning than ever, but everything rides on how his body responds before the weekend.
