Bucky Irving gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers something to build on in Dallas, and the run game is a big reason the Bucs finally found a winning formula. Can he do it again against Pittsburgh on Sunday? He can be productive, but another 165-yard day would be a lot to ask.
The Steelers just held Jonathan Taylor to 45 yards on 15 carries, and their front is built to stop exactly what Tampa Bay wants to do. If Irving gets to 80 or 90 yards and keeps the offense on schedule for Jalon Daniels, that’s a win for the Bucs. Here are five questions fans heading to Raymond James Stadium are asking this week.
Can Bucky Irving do it again against the Steelers?
Maybe not to the tune of 165 yards. Irving ran 21 times for a career high with a 72-yard run and a touchdown at Dallas, and he forced 10 missed tackles, according to Next Gen Stats. He’s up to 406 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 77 carries this season.
Pittsburgh is a different animal. The Steelers have allowed 103.4 rushing yards per game, 13th in the NFL, and they gave up just 66 rushing yards as a team to Indianapolis last week. Taylor averaged 3.0 yards a carry and was bottled up all afternoon by a front led by Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Todd Bowles knows what makes Irving go. “Bucky is determined to win. He’s determined to play well. He’s determined to carry everything on his back,” Bowles said at Wednesday’s press conference. The Bucs’ line has to hold up, too, because Bowles said it’ll be “a challenge for us, fundamentally and technically, to stay on our blocks.”
Is Jalon Daniels starting against the Steelers?
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That’s the plan. Baker Mayfield (thumb) didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday, and Bowles wouldn’t put a timetable on his return until he throws. “If he’s not 100%, he doesn’t need to play,” Bowles said. We think the Bucs are right to slow-play Mayfield’s return, and Monday’s look at Mayfield’s timeline pointed to Carolina as a more realistic target.
Daniels was steady in Dallas, completing 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown without an interception. “He’s played two games. That’s not a lot in this lifetime, but he handles himself well, and he doesn’t look like a rookie when he’s out there,” Bowles said Wednesday.
Sunday is a bigger test. Watt and Highsmith have combined for 7.5 sacks, and the Bucs gave up 16 sacks in their first four games before allowing just one in Dallas. Daniels jumped two spots in the QB rankings after the win, but Pittsburgh’s pass rush is the toughest he’s seen.
Can the Bucs stop Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren?
It won’t be easy. Aaron Rodgers has 1,234 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes and four interceptions, and he’s thrown three touchdown passes in three straight games. “It’s a nightmare game planning against him. He’s difficult because he’s extremely intelligent. His football IQ is unbelievable,” Bowles told reporters.
Warren might be the bigger problem. He’s run for 410 yards on 70 carries and caught 19 passes for 230 yards, and he torched the Colts with an 80-yard touchdown catch and a 50-yard touchdown run. “He’s a very good pass protector. He’s an outstanding runner, and he can catch the ball very well, and he makes you miss,” Bowles said.
The good news is Rodgers is short on targets. Michael Pittman Jr. is on injured reserve, and Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek are out, which leaves the Steelers scrambling at receiver. The bad news is Antoine Winfield Jr. (rib) missed practice again, and Tykee Smith is “the only experienced one back there right now,” Bowles said.
Is Todd Bowles’ job on the line?
It’s still in play. FOX Sports’ Greg Auman wrote that the Dallas win eased the immediate pressure on Bowles, who entered Week 5 on the league’s hottest seat, but missing the playoffs could still cost him his job. Auman also noted the Glazers have never fired a coach in the middle of a season.
Bowles was asked this week about the scrutiny coaches face for late-game calls. “It comes with the territory. As soon as you enter the arena of sports, no matter what field you’re in, you win, you get cheered, you lose, you get booed,” he said.
We wrote that Bowles needs wins right away over the next five games, and Pittsburgh starts that stretch. A loss at home to a team missing three receivers would make the talk a lot louder from Ybor City to Brandon.
What does a win do for the Bucs in the NFC South?
It keeps them right in it. Carolina leads the division at 2-2, Atlanta is 2-3 and the Bucs and Saints are both 1-4. Tampa Bay still has six division games left, starting with the trip to Carolina on Oct. 25.
A win would move the Bucs to 2-4 heading into that game, with a chance to close the gap on the Panthers in Charlotte. A loss drops them to 1-5, and the 2027 draft order starts getting more attention than the standings.
Oddsmakers expect a close one, with Pittsburgh favored by 2.5 points. The Bucs are 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 games, though, so they’ll have to prove it. If Irving gives them another physical start, Tampa Bay has a real chance to make the NFC South a race again.
More on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need Rookie QB to Keep Game on Ground vs. Steelers
- How Do You Beat Aaron Rodgers? Todd Bowles’ Disguised Coverages Have Held Him to a 33.9 QBR
- Larry Foote Calls Josiah Trotter ‘Mean,’ and the Buccaneers Rookie Has Toned It Down Since Camp
- T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith Give Jalon Daniels a Reason to Wince in His Third NFL Start
