Bucky owns the Panthers
After the Bucs full-blown curb-stomping of the Stinking Panthers on Sunday, the stats from NextGen Stats and other sources began sifting out of the smoke left by the Bucs’ running game bulldozing through the Carolina defense.
And it seems Bucs running back Bucky Irving loves to play the Stinking Panthers.
Of Bucky’s top five games for yards after contact, three of them have come against Carolina, including [Bucky’s best game](https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-season-week-7-what-we-learned-from-sunday-s-games#car) for yards after contact on Sunday, documented Bobby Kownack of NFL.com.
> Bucky Irving gained a season-high 73 yards after contact, his fifth-most in a game in his career. Three of Irving’s top five games in yards after contact have come against the Panthers.
But there are more fun running numbers from Sunday’s game.
\* The 258 yards on the ground was the third-most by any Bucs team.
\* The Bucs as a team ran for a total of 171 yards (most by any NFL team in a single game this season).
Just a fun, fun game.
Hey, Joe is like most guys. Joe loves a good downfield-passing game. You know, like the no-risk-it, no-biscuit Bucco Bruce Arians offense run by America’s Quarterback Jameis Winston and Mr. Seven Rings Tom Brady.
But there’s something about a dominant run game that gets the testosterone flowing.