Bucs Gameday

Explosive Rookie Provides Buccaneers First Score vs. Dallas Cowboys on SNF

Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving provided his team with a huge boost after they fell behind early in Dallas against the Cowboys.

Collin Haalboom

Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) blows a kiss to the crowd after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) blows a kiss to the crowd after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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The Bucs have been one of the NFL's best teams when it comes to scoring points on their opening drives.

Unfortuantely, that wasn't the case when the Bucs took the field against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

READ MORE: Sterling Shepard Steals the Show in SNF Intro Before Bucs-Cowboys

Instead, it was the Cowboys who jumped out to an early lead, while the Bucs' squandered their first two offensive possessions and were unable to put any points on the board. Thankfully for Tampa Bay, their third chance provided a different result.

A beautiful catch by Mike Evans resulted in a 26-yard gain for the Bucs. From there on out, it was the Bucky Irving show. First, the leading rusher among all rookies scampered for 15 yards to move the ball toward the Cowboys' red zone. Another strong gain by Irving set the Bucs up at the 2-yard line, where he finished the job himself, scampering into the endzone untouched.

Irving's 7th TD of the season came at a crucial time for the Buccaneers, who fell behind 10-0 to start the game. Thankfully, Bucky Irving did what he's done all season long, and gashed the Cowboys defense to help his team put points on the board.

The Bucs will need plenty more of that from their talented young back if they hope to secure a victory in a crucial road game on Sunday Night Football.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.

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