Bucs 2nd-year back Sean Tucker runs wild against Saints

NEW ORLEANS — The Bucs had the league’s worst running game again last season.

They handed the football off only to give Baker Mayfield’s arm a rest.

But darned if the answer to their problem hasn’t been sitting on the bench since last season, not allowed to stretch his legs or opposing defenses.

In Sunday’s 51-27 win over the Saints, Sean Tucker finally got to tote the rock and the Bucs’ biggest offensive discovery turned out to be right under their noses.

Tucker, the second-year running back from Syracuse who had only 17 rushing attempts in the 16 games he’d played in prior to Sunday, led the Bucs with 136 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

His 36-yard touchdown reception gave the Bucs a 24-20 advantage in the second quarter.

“This is the Sean Tucker we thought we would get when we got him last year, and he’s coming into his own,” coach Todd Bowles said.

With starting tailback Rachaad White out with a foot injury, Tucker and rookie Bucky Irving provided the 1-2 punch in the backfield the Bucs have longed for.

Irving finished with 81 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown, including a 31-yard run. But it was Tucker who controlled the game in the second half, slashing and dashing around and through a tired Saints defense.

“For guys to be able to step in and play like that? That’s more than just the next man up mentality,” Mayfield said of Tucker. “That’s a huge jump he just took (Sunday) and I’m really, really happy for him.”

Tucker and Irving combined to only rush seven times in the first half. That was thanks to a combination of penalties and three Mayfield interceptions. The Bucs entered Sunday’s game as the least-flagged team in the NFL but finished with a season-high 12 penalties for 86 yards.

But in the second half, they put the game in the hands of Tucker, who left Syracuse after rushing for 3,182 career yards, just behind guys like Joe Morris and Walter Reyes, and ahead of players named Larry Csonka, Jim Brown, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis. In fact, he shattered the Orange’s single-season rushing record with 1,496 yards in 2021.

But coming out of Syracuse, he was flagged for a heart condition the day before his position group was supposed to run at the NFL scouting combine in March 2023.

That forced Tucker to go undrafted. But the Bucs still believed in his talent and signed him as an undrafted free agent.

“It’s just a testament to all the hard work I’ve been put into the game,” Tucker said of his performance Sunday. “And the work I did growing up. From me being here and getting an opportunity to show what I can do.”

Prior to Sunday, Tucker had been used primarily as a kickoff returner. He had two for 86 yards in a loss to the Falcons.

“It speaks to the character of the guy,” receiver Chris Godwin said. “You know, Sean has never complained since he’s been here. He’s waited and worked his tail off to be prepared for this opportunity and went in and thrived. He was ready for it. ...

“And 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, man.”

Credit the offensive line, which was missing rookie center Graham Barton. Veteran Robert Hainsey stepped in for him and the Bucs turned in a historic performance. They rushed for 277 yards on 35 carries, good for a 7.9 yards-per-carry average.

Tucker said he entered Sunday’s game not knowing how many times he would touch the football.

“Just whatever I got, I wanted to take advantage of it,” he said. “I wasn’t really worried about how many touches I would get. I just wanted to play great out there.”

He wound up combining for 192 total yards against the Saints.

Does Tucker think he should start?

“I mean, I always think I should start,” he said, smiling.

Maybe the Bucs should start thinking that way, too.

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