TAMPA — Bucky Irving tallied 93 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown in his third-season debut, but four turnovers doomed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener.
Irving rushed eight times for 45 yards — 5.6 yards per carry, his best average since Week 15 of 2024 — and tied a career high with seven receptions for 48 yards. His 10-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, a sharp jump cut to the outside off a handoff from Baker Mayfield, already matched his rushing touchdown total from all of 2025, a season cut short by injuries.
“He was very sharp running the football wise,” Head Coach Todd Bowles said. “Obviously, you have to protect it better and understand. He has powers of the Hulk, but his size is probably of Ant-Man, so he has to understand when and when not to take on certain things in certain situations as well, at least put two hands on the ball and he understands that.”
Irving was responsible for one of the Bucs’ four turnovers but recovered to produce consistently the rest of the game. His receiving workload signals how new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson intends to deploy him as a dual threat. Robinson leaned heavily on the passing game with running backs during his time in Atlanta, where Bijan Robinson accumulated over 1,250 receiving yards across two seasons. Irving’s seven-catch opener suggests a similar blueprint in Tampa.
The performance offered the first real look at Robinson’s offense and confirmed Irving’s ability to create yards behind the line of scrimmage with his trademark cutting. His 5.6 yards per attempt stood out on a day when the Bucs’ offense otherwise struggled to sustain drives without giving the ball away.
Tampa Bay will look to eliminate the turnover problems when the Bucs return to action in Week 2.