At Paycor Stadium, the Buccaneers were able to achieve balance between the run and the pass game. A diversified run game approach took shape throughout the offseason under the tutelage of Liam Coen, and it made a difference in the outcome of Preseason Week One. The retooled run scheme, which includes a variety of mid-zone, wide-zone, tight-zone, duo and gap runs, opened up the offense against the Bengals.
Todd Bowles opted to rest the majority of the team's starters on Saturday, resulting in Rachaad White looking on from the sideline. That provided the rest of the running back room with an uptick in snaps and the group took full advantage. The Bucs finished with 136 total yards on the ground, including an average of 4.3 yards per carry.
Sean Tucker led the group with 68 yards on 10 attempts. He averaged over six yards a tote and produced the longest run of the night with a 26-yarder. On a split zone run, with the offensive line zone blocking in one direction, Tucker came across the formation and picked up yardage post-cut. Tucker, who signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in April last season, rushed for 23 yards on 15 carries in 2023. He made an impact in the preseason scrimmage, along with rookie running back Bucky Irving.
Irving finished with 28 rushing yards on six carries and a touchdown. Late in the first quarter, Irving capped off an eight-play, 77-yard drive with a five-yard rush up the middle. The first-year player was a two-year starter for the Ducks, serving as the lead back in Oregon's zone-read rushing attack. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing marker in each of his two seasons in Eugene after transferring from Minnesota. Throughout camp, Irving has elevated the Bucs' screen game and has shown his ability on the perimeter. Irving has short-area quickness and elite acceleration, both of which he displayed on Saturday evening.
Ramon Jefferson, who sealed the victory for Tampa Bay with a three-yard touchdown rush in the last minute of regulation, put an exclamation mark on the game. The Bucs finished last in rushing the previous two seasons and the exhibition in Cincinnati made a statement. When Coen was the offensive coordinator at the University of Maine, he recruited Jefferson and as a redshirt freshman, he rushed for over 1,000 yards. The two reunited at Kentucky and once again shared a sideline after Jefferson was one of the 26 players brought into Bucs' rookie minicamp. The Bucs took strides in the run game on Saturday, spurring the road win.
