The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aim to build on last season’s significant improvement in the running game from 2023 to 2024. The offense had the worst rushing attack in 2023, ranking last in rushing yards, tied for the 4th-fewest rushing touchdowns, and last in yards per attempt. The Buccaneers were one of the best in 2024, finishing 4th in yards, tied for 14th in touchdowns, and tied for the 2nd-highest yards per attempt.
Their rookie deserved a ton of credit for the significant turnaround.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4th-round pick had a great rookie season
Bucky Irving had a great rookie season despite starting three games, playing 45% of snaps, and the offense using a running-back-by-committee approach in 2024. He rushed for 1,122 yards on 207 attempts and eight touchdowns, plus 47 receptions for 392 yards, finishing with 254 total touches for 1,514 yards from scrimmage, ranking 10th in the NFL. Irving also posted 77 yards on 17 attempts and two receptions for six yards and a touchdown in the playoffs.
Even though he performed well in his rookie season, he is unsatisfied.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ standout on rookie heroics
During Tuesday’s interview with Matt Matera of Pewter Report, Bucky Irving was asked about his standout 2024 campaign. Instead of focusing on the good, he pointed to his issues with the game moving fast in the beginning, but later settling in. Irving also said nobody cares about last year and is focused on 2025.
“I feel like once you always start something new, it’s going to have to slow down for you a little bit,” Irving said, via Matera. “When I first got thrown in, the game was moving pretty fast for me but yeah, as I just settled down and let the game – and just think about it like, ‘it’s just football.’ And not think about too [many] other things that are going on out there. But yeah, just always going back and looking at the film and looking at things that you can get better at and improve in and also not getting satisfied and stuck in last year, because it’s a new year.
“Nobody cares about what you did last year. It’s, ‘What can you do for me now?’ But I’ve always been that guy that pretty much never gets stuck in the past and always [am] where my feet [are] and work hard every day.”
Todd Bowles said they drafted a home run in last year’s draft
“Oh, yeah, [I’m] very happy,” Bowles said of Bucky’s rookie season, via Joe from JoeBucs.Fan. “This is a good running backs draft so it kind of goes to show you, last year we didn’t think it was as deep but we hit a home run.
“It doesn’t matter in a draft if the experts or the pundits are saying it’s very strong or weak at a certain position. You can still find a great player.”
