Bucky Irving turned a quiet stat line into a loud one in Week One, piling up 42 yards after the catch as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell 33-27 to the Cincinnati Bengals.
That YAC total was the second-highest by any running back in the NFL in Week One, and it stood out because Irving finished with 48 receiving yards overall. Some of those catches came behind the line of scrimmage, which is why the yards after the catch number was so close to, and even exceeded, his receiving total.
For the Buccaneers, the number only tells part of the story. They did not punt in Cincinnati and moved the ball well in stretches, but four lost fumbles and a 4-1 deficit in turnover ratio turned productive possessions into a loss. Josiah Trotter provided one of the other bright spots in his NFL debut, with 10 tackles, an interception and the team’s only sack of Joe Burrow.
That is what makes Irving’s early production worth watching now. Tampa Bay is trying to regroup after its first season-opening loss since the 2020 Super Bowl season, and the next test comes Sunday against the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium in the 2026 home opener. The Browns arrive after a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Baker Mayfield will make it 12 for 12 as a Tampa Bay starting quarterback against Cleveland.
If Irving keeps turning short throws into real gains, the Buccaneers have a piece that travels well from one week to the next. If the turnovers do not stop, the running back’s numbers may keep shining while the results still slip away.
