Bucky Irving - , buccaneers Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-20 | Full transcript (primary source).
Bucky Irving addressed the media during a press conference for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 20, 2026, following a recent game. The discussion focused on the team's performance and mindset in critical moments of the match.
Transcript
Irving: What was going through your mind in those final moments out there on the field? I mean, we was waiting on the delay. I mean, we knew we had to go out there and won the football game. But I feel like when we come into games like this, we can't take teams lightly like this cuz this is the national football league that any team could give beyond any of this Sunday.
Irving: No, I won't say that we took them lightly, but just like when you have teams stick around that you know that you're supposed to be up on and you let them stick around, certain things like that happen.
Irving: I mean, just try to get off your feet, stay warmed up. And then when they say it's time to go back out there, put too much going warm up and get back to it.
Irving: I mean, try to go in the game. Those are not my try to go in the game, obviously that happened.
Irving: I mean, every time we got the ball, I think we're gonna score, but just being there to trust what our play callers. I mean, what Zach called and then try to execute at a high level. But we trust what play calls he calls and we're gonna keep leaning on them.
Irving: I mean, it happens when you don't execute at a high level, like that we're capable of and that we set the standard to be. But just being able to know that 24 hour rule on this game, put it to bed and move on to the next.
Irving: Not to really concern with the outside noise. I mean, we always start the season off on a high note. It's just some adversity right now. It's good to have some adversity early in the season. And then just learn from this game and move on to the Vikings.
Irving: No, we've seen a lot of man coverage. You got to make opportunities and get open for the quarterback.
Irving: At the same time, I feel like nobody can stop our offense. It's just self-evaluating and doing your job and doing the best ability. I want to say they didn't anything that we couldn't drive the ball down the field.
Irving: Yeah, I'll set up.
Irving: Honestly, I just got to do my best to make the opportunity, make the play for him when he gives me a chance.
Irving: It's always good to keep working and working on your connection. You can't put enough time and effort into it.
Irving: No, I'll say I just got to make that play.
Irving: We are on two, but at the same time, they're going to find us. We dug us up in a hole a little bit. But like Bucky said, it's just adversity. We got a great team. We're just going to shake back from here. It starts with practice.
Irving: Yeah, I'm always going to thank God. I'm going to score. Always.
Irving: We're in a bit of a hole. You know, we got to dig ourselves out of it.
Irving: It starts with Wednesday practice. That's really it. That's all you can do. Put one foot in front of the other. You know, we need to correct and then go from there.
Irving: For sure, yeah. No, we've got the guys. We've got the right group. It's just a matter of putting them together. And you know, there's adversity. In my experience, you hit adversity in different points in a season. And we're hitting it early. And we'll see where it goes. But this isn't something that's necessarily new to me. I've been in situations like this before. So you know, we just got to dig ourselves out of it.
Irving: I think, yeah, the first half, obviously, I'm only going to speak defensively, it was good. You know, I just think the one explosive touchdown, that kind of, you know, that was a big play. And then we just weren't able. It's hard for me to say without really watching the film. But you know, that one series, it kind of just felt like they were driving the ball down the field a little bit. And teams like that, you got to get them behind the sticks to really, you know, do what we do best. And we just weren't able to do it.
Irving: Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. It's sometimes, I'm just telling you, there's adversity in this league. And some teams hit it early, and we're hitting it early. And yeah, we have the right guys that know how to practice, know how to do things the right way. Guys have been there, done that. And some young guys that know how to play, too. So you know, that's all we can do, is just focus on one day at a time.
Irving: I mean, I don't know. I thought we were moving the ball well. You know, a couple of drives stalled out, some penalties. They're all posting that penalty. I mean, guys trying to play hard. This thing, it's never a question of the effort in this room. I think everybody cares a lot. Everybody feels sick about it. I don't know. It's just, yeah.
Irving: I mean, yeah.
Irving: No.
Irving: Yeah, everyone's trying to stay loose. Trying to stay away with the bikes in here. Just trying to, you know, not knowing how long it was going to be, how short it was going to be. Trying to, you know, get your calories in, stay hydrated. I don't know. I thought it was ridiculous. Two minutes left in the game to call a lighting delay, but 10 miles away. But I don't make the rules, so I think so.
Irving: I mean, we drove down the field kind of, and then, yeah, they call a lighting delay with two minutes left, lighting 10 miles away. I don't know. I thought it was stupid.
Irving: They kind of told us. They kind of told us, like, whenever they call it, they'll tell us, hey, like, we're going out of the field this time. We left 10 minutes to warm up. So, yeah, we kind of knew that.
Irving: Yeah, I mean, we're moving the ball. That's, you know, and I think that's a positive. We just got to sustain drives and always end up with seven instead of three.
Irving: Yeah, Bucky's explosive. I think we had a couple of big runs today. It was awesome to have him back, you know, getting him. I think we just got to keep doing that, get him up to the second and third level. You know, get a kind of sit on the radio. We'll get him one on one with guys. You know, he's going to make something miss.
Irving: Yeah, yeah. I mean, we practice hard. I, we practice hard. We get after it. I would say so.
Irving: I have the most confidence in these guys. You know, I know the work we put in all off season. I know the work that everybody put in training camp. I don't think everyone's going to wafer. You know, as it is, as much as it sucks, I think we're just going to keep grinding, and keep getting better, and keep trying to improve, and figure this out. Because, yeah, nobody likes this feeling. Don't want this anymore.
Irving: Thank you.
