'All Our Success is One' in Strong Buccaneers Running Back Room

Bucky Irving and Rachaad White made for a formidable duo for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 13 against the Carolina Panthers.

Oct 21, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) hands the ball off to running back Bucky Irving (7) against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving exploded on Sunday night, busting off for 152 yards rushing and a touchdown to boot. But it wasn't just him making plays from that backfield — he was joined by fellow running back Rachaad White.

Irving certainly had the best game in the running back room, but White was still a contributor. He ran for 76 yards himself, including a crucial 38-yard scamper that set up the game's winning field goal. The two were in sync on Sunday, and sometimes, through Tampa Bay's 21-personnel line-up that offensive coordinator Liam Coen calls "pony", they're on the field at the same time.

That, per Irving, makes things difficult for offenses.

“Coach has always said, ‘We have to get our best players on the field,’ but ‘21’ personnel is pretty much, you don’t know which back is getting the ball because [of the] variety," Irving said. "We can run routes, we can do different runs, different schemes out of that package so we just have to keep putting our head down, getting it right, and hopefully expand on the package.”

Pony has given Tampa Bay a lot of room to confuse defenses and open up the offense. But they team up outside of that formation, too. And when it came to giving the Bucs a chance to even the odds late in the game, Irving said that both of them knew they had to get the ball moving.

“After the TV timeout, we pretty much said that we have to run it down the field," Irving said. "Me and Rachaad [White] pulled each other to the side and said, ‘we gotta do it,’ and pretty much put everything to the side and wanted to take over the game.”

That they did. Tampa Bay's rushing attack ended up being the offense's most potent burst, rushing for 236 total yards at 6.1 yards per carry. Most of that was Irving, of course, but White's 76 yards is nothing to scoff at — especially since 38 of those yards ended up winning the game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Irving can't be out there on every play. He knows that, and so he made sure to stress that when Rachaad White is doing well in his stead, he's doing well, too.

“In our room, all our success is one. If I’m having success, everybody in the room is having success. Seeing your brother going out there, knowing he has your back, knowing that I couldn’t be out there at the time, I have faith in Rachaad," Irving said. "Rachaad is a great guy. Rachaad is a guy that can make explosive plays and we all in the room are capable of doing that.”

Irving and White will team up once again when the Buccaneers play the Las Vegas Raiders at home at 1 p.m. on Sunday for Week 14.

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