FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The three-headed monster had not yet emerged the last time the Atlanta Falcons played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it'll surely make an appearance Sunday when the NFC South rematch takes place at Raymond James Stadium.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris gave the Buccaneers' trio of running backs – Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker – the nickname in Wednesday's press conference as he previewed Tampa Bay's offensive weapons.
The moniker fits. One was never really mentioned without the others.
"I'll speak to them as a collective group," Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. "All three of them, I think they're strong, I think they're quick and I think they're shifty. How they do it may be different. But I feel and see each one of them getting the same type of run plays."
White is ostensibly the Buccaneers' starter and has been with the team since 2022, when the Buccaneers drafted him in the third round. He has played in all but one game this season – sitting out the Week 6 win against the New Orleans Saints due to a foot injury – and totaled 227 yards rushing on 61 carries so far. He's averaging 3.7 yards per carry and 37.8 yards per game.
Irving is the No. 2 runner and a 2024 fourth-round draft pick. He has tallied 67 carries for 351 yards and three touchdowns through every game this season. He's averaging 5.2 yards per carry and 50.1 yards per game.
Tucker is a second-year undrafted free agent who mainly played on special teams until Week 6, previously popping against the Falcons with a 53-yard kickoff return. It wasn't Tucker's offensive debut – that came in 2023 – but it was his breakout performance. Tucker produced a career-high 136 yards rushing on 14 carries and scored his first-ever touchdown. He has 172 yards rushing overall on 21 attempts, giving him an average of 8.2 yards per carry and 24.6 per game through seven games.
"I don't think they get enough (credit)," Falcons safety Jessie Bates III said of Tampa Bay's run game. "I think, last time we played them, I see No. 7 (Irving) popping off the tap. Now, you see No. 44 (Tucker) starting to get a little more touches for them. So, yeah, they don't have a big-name guy back there getting all this national media (attention). I think they have a group that takes it."
In other words, the group is getting the job done.
The Buccaneers are ranked eighth in the NFL with 135.1 yards rushing per game. They've put up at least 100 yards rushing in five games overall, including the last four.
That could present an issue for the Falcons, whose defense is ranked 24th in the league, allowing 137 yards rushing per game.
"It always starts with the run, just in general," Morris said. "I think most coaches say that as a cliche type of thing. But realistically, with these guys and how they've been running the ball the last couple of weeks — what they were able to do having success against the Saints and as well as Baltimore (Raven) and us, spitting out that big play — I think it's really something that they've really done a nice job."
In their win against the Saints, the Buccaneers managed a season-high 277 yards rushing. Take that number with a grain of salt, though: New Orleans' defense is ranked 29th with 146.7 rushing yards allowed per game.
The Ravens, though, have the top-ranked run defense, allowing just 68.4 yards rushing per game, and the Buccaneers still ran for 125 yards in their loss.
And then, to touch on Morris' last example, the Buccaneers had 160 yards rushing in loss to the Falcons. White had a massive 56-yard run in the second quarter, accounting for a majority of Tampa Bay's 82-yard touchdown drive.
Those are the Buccaneers' most recent three games. Each still featured more yards passing than rushing. But both of the Buccaneers' top wide receivers, Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle; will miss the remainder of the season) are now injured, leaving quarterback Baker Mayfield without his favorite targets.
"I'm definitely sure they'll want to try to lean on the run a little bit," Jarrett said. "But I don't think they're going to shy away from passing the ball."
They may have to.
That's why taming the three-headed monster is vital for the Falcons to have success Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
"They've really been productive in running the football the last couple of weeks, which I know was something that wasn't a perceived strength for those guys," Morris said. "It's just become that."
