Admin December 5, 2024
NFL Week 14 picks: Why you should consider Seahawks, Saints and Chargers on Sunday
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his three best bets ahead of Sunday’s games.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving suffered an injury in Week 13, and the rookie running back’s possible absence in Week 14 would be a significant blow to Tampa Bay as they push for a fourth consecutive NFC South title.
The Buccaneers lost Chris Godwin for the remainder of the season in Week 7, while Mike Evans has missed significant time in 2024. Despite the litany of injuries, Tampa is 6-6 and clinging to the top of the division entering their Week 14 tilt against the Raiders.
Irving was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 14) and has been one of the premier breakout players in the NFL in 2024.
Here’s the latest on Bucky Irving’s injury and status for Week 14:
Bucky Irving injury update
The Buccaneers star rookie did not practice on Wednesday. Head coach Todd Bowles said it was a walkthrough, so the participation is an estimation. The official injury report lists Irving as having hip and back injuries.
It appears Irving is dealing with multiple minor injuries right now, and the hope is that he can return to practice later in the week. Irving has led Tampa’s backfield in opportunities and snaps in Weeks 12 and 13.
According to Bowles, Irving was injured on a kick return in the fourth-quarter win against Carolina.
On Tuesday, Dec 4, Irving told reporters, “I’m feeling good.”
Irving was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against the Panthers in Week 13. Irving led the NFL in Week 13 with his career-high 152 rushing yards despite facing a stacked box on a season-high 32% of his carries on Sunday, according to Next Gen Stats. He contributed another 33 yards receiving to give him a career-best 185 scrimmage yards.
Bucccaneers RB depth chart
Here’s how the Buccaneers depth chart would look if Irving missed time:
The Bucs have two healthy running backs on their 53-man roster outside Irving. Veteran Rachaad White would assume most of the workload, but second-year back Sean Tucker would be a complement. Tucker received his largest workload this season when White missed Week 6. He finished with 135 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground and added 56 receiving yards and a score through the air.
Irving leads all rookies in scrimmage yards (1,017) and rushing yards (732) while tied for the rookie lead in rushing touchdowns (6). He also ranks fourth among all NFL players in yards per touch (6.1), trailing only Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry.
With Irving as the leading rusher, Tampa Bay has improved its rushing offense from 32nd in the NFL in 2023 in both yards per rush (3.4) and rushing yards per game (88.8) to fourth (5.1) and eighth (137.2), respectively, in 2024.
Liam Coen’s offense can deploy multiple running backs, making Irving a valuable piece of the backfield.
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