The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter their first NFC South game at 1-5, with a Sunday, Oct. 25 road trip to the 3-2 Carolina Panthers offering little room for another uneven offensive day. Tampa Bay has an immediate chance to narrow the division gap, but a loss would put even more pressure on the club before next week’s home game against the Atlanta Falcons.
The clearest route to a different result starts with running back Bucky Irving. Irving carried 19 times for 46 yards in the overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, his lowest rushing total of the season. He also did not participate in Wednesday’s practice and was Limited on Thursday because of an illness, adding another variable to a game in which the Bucs need their rushing attack to set the tone.
Locked On Bucs host James Yarcho made Irving the center of Tampa Bay’s formula in the crossover episode with Locked On Panthers. Yarcho argued that the offense has worked best when Irving establishes the run, keeps the unit balanced and prevents opponents from making the quarterback carry the entire game plan.
The difference in Irving’s past two outings shows why that matters. He ran for 165 yards and a touchdown in the Week 5 win at Dallas, then Pittsburgh held him to 2.4 yards per carry a week later. Tampa Bay did not have the same control of tempo against the Steelers, and its 19 points were not enough to avoid a fifth loss.
Tampa Bay also has uncertainty at quarterback. Quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb) is expected to start barring a setback, but he has not played in the last three games. Rookie Jalon Daniels started in his place.
A productive day from Irving would help either quarterback. If Mayfield returns, a reliable rushing attack can limit the strain on his throwing hand and create more manageable throws. If Daniels makes a fourth straight start, it would give the rookie a better chance to avoid the long passing situations that turned costly against Pittsburgh.
Yarcho called Sunday a game Tampa Bay needs to win to keep its season from slipping further away. That is a fair measure of the stakes for a team that has one victory through six games. The Bucs do not need to solve every offensive issue in one afternoon. They need Irving available, a more efficient ground attack and a result that gives the division race some life.
Tampa Bay and Carolina kick off at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. The Bucs will release their final injury report Friday, when Mayfield’s status and Irving’s availability should become clearer.
Buccaneers News and Notes
– Outside linebacker David Walker has four sacks through six games, according to the team’s Week 7 preview. Yarcho argued that Walker should receive more snaps against Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, and Tampa Bay will need pressure without relying heavily on blitzes.
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