The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Washington Commanders on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Who will have the upper hand when the Buccaneers offense is on the field? Let’s go further.
At Raymond James Stadium, the Buccaneers will welcome Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne, middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, outside linebacker Frankie Luvu and safety Jeremy Chinn. Their 20th-ranked defense will aim to slow down the third-best unit in the NFL. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and Commanders head coach Dan Quinn like to bring pressure, and this game could come down to which defensive group can win the battle in the trenches. Baker Mayfield may not have the wheels of Jayden Daniels, but he is effective at buying time, avoiding sacks and keeping his eyes down the field to connect with weapons. He had 68 rushing yards against the Saints in Week 18 and his mobility and fearlessness in scrimmages kept drives alive for Tampa Bay and helped secure the victory. He sparked the turnover with his legs on third down, energizing the offense with Bucky Irving.
The Bucs finished the 2024 season as the only NFL team to rank in the top five in total yards per game (399.6 – fourth), rushing yards per game (149.2 – fourth) , passing yards per game (250.4 – third) and points scored per game. (29.5 – fourth). Additionally, the Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to complete 70% or more of their passes. And averaged over 5.0 yards per rushing attempt in the same season. Tampa Bay’s 5.3 rushing yards per attempt in 2024 set a new franchise record, as did its 2,536 total rushing yards. The Bucs have rushed for 100+ yards in 14 of 17 games (82.4%) this season after doing so in 9 of 34 games (26.5%) the previous two seasons. At the helm, Baker Mayfield had the best year of his career in 2024. He concluded the season by setting new career highs in completions (407), completion percentage (71.4%), yards passing yards (4,500), net yards per pass attempt (7.9). ), passing touchdowns (41) and passer rating (106.8). He set new Buccaneers single-season franchise records in completion percentage and passer rating.
Rookie running back Bucky Irving has reinvigorated the Bucs’ ground attack in 2024. Tampa Bay went from the lowest-ranked offense the previous two seasons to a top-three spot in 2024. With lateral jumps efficient, rare contact balance and Thanks to his exceptional short-area quickness, Irving has found lanes during the season that most would not exist. Irving’s lateral movement can’t be taught, and his forced missed tackle percentage led the NFL in 2024. The Oregon product finished the season with 207 carries for 1,122 yards (5 average, 4) and eight rushing touchdowns. He also had 47 receptions for 392 yards, giving him a total of 1,514 yards from scrimmage this season. In reaching 1,500 scrimmage yards, Irving passed Warrick Dunn (1,440 in 1997) for the second-most scrimmage yards by a rookie in team history, behind Doug Martin (1,926 in 2012). .
Irving’s 5.4 yards per carry was the third-highest mark in NFL history among rookies with at least 200 rushing attempts in a season, behind Adrian Peterson (5.6 in 2007) and Clinton Portis (5.5 in 2002). His 5.4 yards per carry set a new Bucs single-season record for any qualified rusher. Irving excelled in the Bucs’ wide-spread system, where offensive linemen block and guide shooters. The goal of gap runs is to create a numerical advantage and double teams (two players essentially having to double the gap following shots towards the playing area) at the point of attack. As a result, a hole is created by the shooter on the kickout and Irving has the patience to let the lane develop and the ability to maximize the block. With a small frame and nimble feet, Irving can bounce off defenders and navigate traffic with ease, pressing the crease to reach daylight.
Conversely, the Commanders’ defense ranks 30th in the NFL against the run, allowing an average of 137.5 rushing yards per game. Washington allowed the second-highest explosive rush rate in the NFL (13.5%) to running backs and they gave up an average of 2.0 yards before contact per carry – getting beat off the line in the trenches . On Sunday, the Bucs will look to gain a home-field advantage thanks to the prowess of Irving. As the Commanders defense allocates resources to limit the ground attack, advantageous matchups will open up for Mike Evans and company.
