Against the Saints in Week Six, the Buccaneers finished with a robust 277 yards on the ground for the third-most in franchise history. Sean Tucker became the catalyst, finishing with 136 rushing yards, a 9.7 average per tote and a touchdown. In the second quarter, he gave the Bucs' a 24-20 advantage, hauling in a catch from Mayfield as he sat in space and made defenders miss en route to the end zone.
"It speaks to the character of a guy," said Chris Godwin. "Sean has never complained since he's been here, even though he waited and worked his tail off to be prepared for this opportunity. When it arrived, he was ready for, and he took full advantage. And I think you could kind of see his confidence growing. He's a tough guy to bring down. I think he's faster than people think, and he runs really strong. I'm proud of him. It's a big part of what we have. We have a lot of guys."
Tucker, an undrafted rookie who signed with the team in 2023 out of Syracuse, had been projected as a mid-round pick but drew a medical flag at the NFL combine that kept him from participating, one that was later cleared by doctors. He has continued to make the most of his opportunities on the field and sports No.44, a number worn by legendary running backs Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little. On Sunday against the Saints, he spurred the ground onslaught.
"That was a physically imposing game for the guys up front [and] the tight ends, all the skill guys blocking," noted Baker Mayfield. "I mentioned it early, the backs, when [the Saints] know we're running the ball late in the game, to make people miss over and over again, unblocked, that's huge. We need to build on that. We have to be able to bring that mentality week-in and week-out."
Tucker runs with outstanding contact balance to move forward after contact. He evades defenders in the open field and is patient, letting his blocks develop. With good lateral cut ability from inside, to his strength to fight through arm tackles, Tucker is adept. He has an innate feel for maximizing space from tacklers and became a key cog in the Bucs' successful offensive output in New Orleans. With Rachaad White sidelined due to a foot injury, Tucker flashed on the gridiron when his number was called. His prowess in the open field and urgency to fight for additional yardage sparked the team's ground output.
