Welcome to the good, the bad, and the brilliant. In this series, we will break down what a good, bad, and brilliant season would look like for different facets of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ organization. Last season, the team’s ability to run the ball was a big part of their success. The Bucs were able to let their backfield carry their offense— 2024 was the first time in 10 years Tampa Bay consistently had that ability in their back pocket. Heading into 2025, what would constitute a good season for Tampa’s
run game? Conversely, what might leave fans disappointed? What would be a brilliant campaign for a running game that was near tops in the league a season ago? Introducing the good, the bad, and the brilliant: Featuring the Buccaneers’ rushing attack.
Tampa Bay’s rushing attack: The Good
The Tampa Bay Bucs’ run game is in a very new position, in comparison to years previous. The Buccaneers spent the better portion of the last decade operating as a truly horrendous rushing offense. Save for a spectacular, short-lived run by Leonard Fournette, Tampa’s rushing attack was consistently abysmal. 2024 served as a reset. Tampa’s offense found its footing on the ground and became a truly great running offense. A year ago, Tampa’s ground game wracked up the fourth-most yards in the league— 2,536, averaging 5.2 yards per rush (One of only three teams in the league to average more than five yards per attempt). Along with the 2,536 yards, came the team’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015 when prime Doug Martin surpassed the mark.
The Buccaneers have the blessing and curse of a deep backfield. While depth is never a bad thing, it can force a play caller to divvy up touches with greater regularity. Last year, Bucky Irving went for over 1,000 yards on the ground as he commandeered a majority of the team’s touches in the run game, however, is it possible that Rachaad White, or Sean tucker (both who have been proven as capable runners) steal reps away from Irving, leaving him slightly beneath the century mark? Certainly. Individual statistics do not exclusively determine the overall success of the group. If that is the case, and Bucky Irving finishes with a lower yardage total than he did as a rookie, but the Buccaneers remain fairly consistent rushing as a team, that statistical regression for it’s lead man is palatable. Tampa Bay’s focus should be on ensuring that last season is not an outlier. 2024 has to become norm— Put it on repeat, run it back, and you have yourself a good season for the Buccaneers’ rushing attack.
Tampa Bay’s rushing attack: The Bad
The Buccaneers managed to retain all 11 offensive starters from last season. They will enter 2025 with the same staple of backs— All three returning for another season in the red and pewter. Only one thing has changed— The man calling the plays. After an awkward exit, there will be no more Liam Coen in Tampa Bay. Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, and Sean Tucker are still talented and ready to run behind an offensive line that has both skill and cohesion. The challenge for Tampa will be managing to maintain the success they had under Liam Coen, without Liam Coen. That, in part, will fall on new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, however, it would be a steep standard to expect a first-time play caller to step in and mimic the exceptional job Tampa Bay fans were treated to a year ago. It falls on coaching, but it also falls on the players.
The Buccaneers went out of their way this offseason to ensure the team’s offense was even more talented than the already talented unit from 2024. The group may even be over-talented at the expense of other elements of the team. That extreme level of first-rate ability has to pick up the slack (if there is any) between Coen and Grizzard. Tampa Bay’s backfield has a trio of backs who, regardless of who is calling plays, must not allow the team’s rushing attack to revert to what it has been. A bad season for Tampa’s rushing attack is regression— No Coen, no problem needs to be mantra.
Tampa Bay’s rushing attack: The Brilliant
‘The brilliance’ for the Tampa Bay Bucs’ rushing attack is simple— Keep it up, but better. The Bucs’ rushing attack from a season ago was already fantastic and if it picks up exactly where it left off Bucs’ fans will have nothing to complain about. Bucky Irving putting a second good season on his resumé— avoiding a sophomore slump, Rachaad White continuing to be a phenomenal change-of-pace and third-down back, while Sean Tucker remains reliable in spirts. For the Buccaneers, last season was brilliant— at the time, but it also resets the bar.
With all the same faces, 2024 becoming the norm would be a good. Brilliance, for the Buccaneers’ rushing attack, must revolve around a step forward. Last season, the Buccaneers’ offense had 12 fumbles —credit a chunk of those to Baker Mayfield— however, 12 was good (or bad) for second-most in the league. Most notably, both Bucky Irving’s fumble against the Atlanta Falcons and Rachaad White’s against the Dallas Cowboys played a huge parts in Tampa suffering defeat in those games, respectively— Each coming late in the fourth quarter, when the Buccaneers’ offense was in control of the outcome of the game. Ball security, though it did not involve the running back room, was a crucial element in ending the Buccaneers’ postseason run as well.
The 2025 Tampa Bay Bucs are in position to compete for a championship. Nothing takes a way a team’s chance to win games quicker than turning the ball over. Late in games, when the Buccaneers are pitted against their toughest opponents, they need to know that they can turn around and hand the ball to Bucky Irving to close out games. They need to know if they’re in a two-minute drill with the game hanging in the balance, they can check it down to Rachaad White and keep the drive alive. There is little room for growth when you’re already near the head of the class, however, staying at the top of the league in yardage, while dodging turnovers in critical moments is that growth— The difference between good and brilliant.
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