Don't look now, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a running game. After finishing last in rushing the last two seasons, the Buccaneers have the 10th-best rushing attack in the league, averaging 130.9 yards per game.

The Bucs' success on the ground almost became a hindrance in Week 8 when Irving appeared on the injury report with a toe injury. After speculation about whether or not he might play, the rookie runner overcame the injury and led the team with 44 yards rushing. Heading into practice on Wednesday, Irving was again out of practice and listed as a non-participant. Head coach Todd Bowles was asked after practice if there was any update on Irving's health, and he said that the trend of Irving missing practice earlier in the week will likely continue to be a trend for the rest of the season.

“Bucky (Irving) will be the same as last week,” Bowles said. “He will probably train towards the end of the week, but he will probably have this problem all year round.”

Although Irving has proven himself as a rookie rusher, he still needs valuable backup as he grows into his role over the course of the season. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen was asked about the difficulties in game planning and preparing for an opponent when the breakout running back doesn't play and made it clear how challenging it is.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Coen said. “Do I trust him? He’s here at 5 p.m. every day doing what he needs to get done, but he’s still a newbie who needs repetition, who needs the muscle memory, the way we do things, your track, your reading.” So not being able to have him is definitely a little bit of a challenge, and it's not necessarily just for some of the '21' (personnel) stuff, but more for the regular offense. So not being able to get those reps is definitely a challenge. He's tried to take the necessary steps to make sure he stays ahead of schedule, but I wouldn't say it's easy.

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To compensate for Irving's injury, Coen set up secondary walkthroughs with the team to get him up to speed before game day.

“We did that last week before our Saturday practice there,” Coen said. “Previously, we had another walkthrough as a unit, and it really was a walkthrough for Bucky. So we have to continue to do that and bring him up to speed.”

As long as Irving continues to battle his toe injury (which sounds like it will last all season), the Bucs will need to find ways to keep him involved during practice and carefully build his reputation. At the same time, they must ensure that he does not suffer any setbacks in the future. The coaches will continue the demanding process of getting Irving up to speed and also conducting secondary walkthroughs. However, the results in Week 8 were good, and if the results against the Chiefs go the same way, this won't be a story going forward.

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