The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got their groove back against the Arizona Cardinals, in a 20-17 win, and what made the win even better was that it saw the return of running back Bucky Irving.
Having missed nearly two months, Irving's first game back saw him pick up where he left off, rushing for 61 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries to help push the Buccaneers over the line.
Now at 7-5 and still leading the NFC South, the Buccaneers are going to need his talents in the final five games of the season, and for ESPN's Jenna Laine, she's named Irving as Tampa Bay's x-factor down the stretch.
“Since entering the league last season, Irving has a missed tackles forced rate of 35.2%, according to NFL Next Gen Stats,” Laine wrote. “That's the best rate among players with 250 or more carries over that span. With quarterback Baker Mayfield dealing with a shoulder injury to his non-throwing arm and Chris Godwin Jr. Just now getting healthy, the Bucs have needed Irving to move the chains.”
More: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield gets huge praise from coach after Cardinals performance
Irving key to Tampa Bay's second-half resurgence?
You could certainly make that case, and given how potent the run game has been with Irving at the center of it, the Buccaneers' passing attack also benefits.
We saw that against the Cardinals, and yes, 61 yards from 17 carries isn't what we are used to seeing from Bucky, but it was his first game back in a while. So expect his form to increase with each passing week.
And with the Buccaneers having a healthy Irving, along with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, who Todd Bowles stated is a "possibility" to return to practice this week, the Tampa Bay offense is getting healthy at the right time.
If the Buccaneers are to consolidate their spot at the top of the NFC South and punch their ticket to the playoffs, Irving might just be the driving force that makes it happen.
More Buccaneers news:
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- Todd Bowles offers huge injury update for forgotten Buccaneers WR
- Todd Bowles has best response to Buccaneers' returning star duo vs. Cardinals
- Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield offers update on injured shoulder after Week 14 win