Everyone remembers the show that Bucs running back Sean Tucker put on in Week 6 of the 2024 season. It was by far Tucker’s best game in the NFL, as he earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown and adding another 56 yards and a touchdown as a receiver out of the backfield.

Looking at the state of Tampa Bay’s offense without several key receivers, and with much of the talk at the team’s facility revolving around an emphasis of establishing and trusting the run game early, is Tucker primed for Deja vu in the New Orleans bayou?

Make No Mistake, The Bucs “Want To Get Sean Tucker More Snaps”

When Bucky Irving went down with multiple injuries after the Eagles game in Week 4, it became an opportunity for Rachaad White to get more involved as the Bucs’ lead back. That also brought an expectation that Sean Tucker would see the field more, as he has flashed a blend of physicality and explosiveness with the ball in his hands.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

Yet, after his big game against the Saints last season, Tucker has been patiently waiting for another chance to get even 10 carries in a game. There were rightfully calls to get him more involved, but despite earning national attention, he had just 34 carries the rest of the year. Playing just 74 offensive snaps during that span, he still had 165 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

In limited opportunities, Tucker has done exactly what good backs do – produce efficiently and force the question of why he is not touching the ball more. It has been frustrating to see his lack of involvement when knowing the potential he has to be a game-changer.

Well, it sounds like that could be changing.

Bucs RBs Sean Tucker and Rachaad White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Head coach Todd Bowles had a conversation with offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard following Monday night’s loss to the Lions, and it sounds like part of it was about getting Tucker more involved.

“It’s the way the game went,” Bowles said when asked about White playing 90% of the offensive snaps compared to Tucker’s 10% in the last game. “We definitely want to get Sean more snaps – we talked about that as a staff, and we understand he has to get more snaps. Rachaad can’t take that much of a load, week in and week out, or something is going to happen to him as well. So, we’ve got to get Sean’s reps up.”

Josh Grizzard Recognizes That Establishing Run Game Opens Up Bucs’ Offense

Josh Grizzard followed up on Todd Bowles’ statement the next day, first saying that 50 pass attempts in a game cannot happen and then diving deeper into why there must be more emphasis on pounding the rock.

“Yeah, 50 throws in a game cannot happen,” Grizzard said on Thursday. “It’s got to be through leaning on the run, trusting the run, and sticking to that – especially in the first half – being able to establish it. Once you got into the fourth quarter and it was, what, 13–14 minutes left and it essentially turned into a two-minute drill, then you’re really forced to throw it.

“If we can handle that earlier on and keep that thing closer, that way we can now turn the fourth quarter into having an opportunity to run some of them, I think it evens the game out a little bit.”

This all points back to Sean Tucker.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

Should the desired gameplan play out, a balanced offense ultimately means more opportunities for Tucker to make things happen. One can point to Week 6 against the 49ers when he turned six carries into 25 yards and a touchdown. The talent is there; it is just about putting it in the best spot to succeed.

“To go back to the point about running the ball, the more that we can run it and establish it earlier, you’re going to create longer drives,” Grizzard added. “And at that point, Rachaad would be out, ‘Tuck’ (Sean Tucker) would be in there to spell him, have fresh legs, be able to go pound it. I think both those things go hand in hand: by being able to run it, then you split the carries up a little bit more with having more opportunities at it.”

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs remembers all too well blocking for Tucker in last season’s 51-27 win.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker and C Robert Hainsey – Photo by: USA Today

It became an offensive onslaught late, and in total, the offense had 277 rushing yards. Wirfs would love to get things going in a similar fashion seeing No. 44 rips off powerful runs.

“The thing I remember most was the last touchdown ‘Tuck’ scored to get us to 50 [points],” Wirfs said. “I looked at him in the huddle, and I said, ‘You better score this mother-.’ It was good; we had a good day on the ground. Like I said, got them up to the second and third level. ‘Tuck’ runs hard as a mug, they all do. That was nice getting the run game going there and quieting that crowd down a little bit because it does get loud and rowdy in there.”

If there was any time for Sean Tucker to become a more important piece of the Bucs’ offense, it is the present. Not only would it help the run game get going, but doing so against the Saints just feels right for the success Tucker has already had against them in the past.

We will see how the future plays out on Sunday afternoon.