It’s understandable that there’s a lot to be concerned about with the Bucks through the first two-and-a-half months of the 2024 season. In a very basic sense, their 4-6 record and effectively three games in the NFC South race stand out as the most problematic.
Under that umbrella, concerns include injuries, a lack of pass rush from the team’s edge rushers, poor play from the linebackers, and inconsistent performance from the secondary.
Bucks RB Rathard White – Photo courtesy of USA Today
But one of the bright lights that shined through the first 10 weeks for the Bucs was the dramatic improvement in the run game. The year-to-year growth of Tampa Bay’s backfield has been nothing short of amazing.
Tampa Bay’s rushing attack has been terrible for a long time. In 2019, Bruce Arians’ first year as the team’s head coach, he averaged 95.1 yards per game. It was only No. 24, but given what happened next, the Bucks probably would have achieved that ranking for years to come. They were 29th in 2020 (94.9 YPG) and 26th in 2021 (98.4 YPG) until everything really hit rock bottom.
In 2022, Tampa Bay averaged 76.9 yards per game on the ground. This was last in the league and was one of the reasons Todd Bowles fired Byron Leftwich as the team’s offensive coordinator after that season. There was some improvement in 2023 under first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales, with the Bucs’ scoring average jumping from 76.9 to 88.8. However, his 88.8 mark was still the lowest in the NFL.
Now, through 10 games in 2024, it continues to be a night and day difference. Tampa Bay averages 125.3 rushing yards per game. Going into Sunday’s game, they were ranked 11th in the entire NFL. The Bucs haven’t even finished in the top 20 in rushing since 2015, when they averaged 135.1 yards per game on the ground and ranked fifth. The following year, they averaged 101 rushing yards per game, but this was the last time their average reached triple digits.
What happened to this much-improved Bucs rushing attack?
There are many factors contributing to Tampa Bay’s improved run game. First, an overhaul of the offensive coaching staff helped. Canales replaced Leftwich as the Bucs’ offensive coordinator for 2023, but nothing else has changed. Although there was a change in philosophy with the addition of Canales, much of the staff remained the same as it was with the Arians.
Bucks OC Liam Cohen and C Graham Burton – Photo by Cliff Welch P/R
This offseason saw more changes. When Canales left the team to take the Panthers’ head coaching job, he brought along with him offensive line coach Joe Gilbert and Harold Goodwin (also the run game coordinator). As a result, Bowles hired new offensive coordinator Liam Cohen, along with offensive line coaches Kevin Carberry and Brian Picucci. This trio proved to be a huge upgrade to the team’s run game.
Part of that is Cohen’s scheme, and part of it is the work Carberry and Picucci have done on the offensive line. Personnel changes up front also helped, with first-round center Graham Burton replacing Robert Hainsey and left guard Ben Bredeson replacing the duo of Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinney.
Upgrading from Hainsey to Barton (even if you are new) was helpful. Big leap from 1st year to 2nd year Right guard Cody Mauch was another factor. Running lanes for Tampa Bay’s running backs are present much more frequently than they have been in recent years.
That’s helping Rashard White, who is entering his second season as the team’s starting running back. His carries are down from where they were last season, largely due to the rise of rookie Bucky Irving and the fact that he missed a game in October. White had a hot finish to the 2023 season, but fell just short of 1,000 yards. But through the 10 games of last year’s schedule, he averaged 3.3 yards per carry. He currently averages up to 3.8 yards per carry.
Bucks RB Bucky Irving – Photo courtesy of USA Today
But even though White is playing more efficiently, the biggest source of improvement to the Bucs’ rushing attack is the addition of Irving, a fourth-round draft pick out of Oregon State.
Through the first 10 weeks of the season, Irving is Tampa Bay’s leading rusher. He has 492 yards and four touchdowns on 92 carries, averaging 5.1 yards per game. Like White, he has benefited from Cohen’s run scheme and the lanes created by the offensive line. But Irving is more of a shifter and can break tackles like anyone. He was a creator, forcing 30 missed tackles after the rush (according to PFF). This is the 10th highest mark among running backs in the league.
Sean Tucker may have been completely back in the shadows in recent weeks for whatever reason, but it’s important to remember that he was a huge contributor to the Buccaneers’ rushing attack in Week 6. He won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award with 14 carries. He had a 136-yard performance on the ground (plus 56 yards receiving and two total touchdowns).
Bucs’ backfield will be the most improved in the NFL in 2024
The Bucs’ progress in the run game isn’t just dramatic by their own metrics. It’s also the most improved in the entire league, according to Pro Football Focus. Recent articles “Most Improved NFL Teams in Each Position Group in 2024;” Running backs beat Tampa Bay by a huge margin. Based on the overall PFF grade difference from 2023 to 2024, the Buccaneer running backs are up 23.2 points. The next closest teams in terms of improvement were the Falcons (+15.2) and Eagles (+11.0).
Bucks RB Bucky Irving – Photo courtesy of USA Today
PFF’s Bradley Locker had this to say about the upgraded Bucs run game:
“Tampa Bay may be incredibly understaffed at wide receiver, but their running back room has been impressive in Liam Cohen’s first year as offensive coordinator. Sean Tucker, Bucky・Irving, Rachi All three of Yard White have an overall grade of 72.6 or above, with Tucker and Irving above 80.0. We now have a veritable three-headed monster.”
What’s particularly impressive about the improvements at the Tampa Bay site is that they continue to be on display week after week. Even when the Bucs faced the Ravens’ top-ranked run defense and the Chiefs’ third-ranked run defense, the run defenses allowed 125 yards (4.2 avg.) and 95 yards (5.0 avg.), respectively.
With the rest of the schedule including six of seven games against a porous run defense, could the Bucks’ offense ride an improved run game and make a shot at making the playoffs?
Bucks’ remaining schedule and run times:
Giants: 28th (147.1 yards per game)
Panthers: 32nd (160.1 yards per game)
Raiders: 22nd (129.9 yards per game)
Chargers: No. 9 (110.6 yards per game)
Cowboys: 31st (152.1 yards per game)
Panthers: 32nd (160.1 yards per game)
Saints: 27th (141.0 yards per game)
