The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going through a rough patch, having lost seven of their last eight games. They’ve fallen from a promising 6-2 start and top NFC seed contender to fighting for a playoff spot against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. It’s a massive collapse, and the team’s frustration is totally justified. Frustrations ran high during the Buccaneers’ 20-17 loss to the Dolphins last Sunday, with a viral video showing left tackle Tristan Wirfs and running back Bucky Irving getting into a heated argument. The spat seemed to stem from Irving’s frustration on a running play.
“A Little Tiff”
Wirfs downplayed the sideline spat with Bucky Irving, calling it a “little tiff” and explaining that he was just reassuring Irving the offensive line was working to improve. He elaborated on the incident during Wednesday’s media availability, emphasizing his role in calming Irving down amidst the team’s frustrations.
Wirfs explained he was trying to calm Bucky Irving down, who was frustrated with Tampa Bay’s struggling offensive line, especially since they’re fielding two backup guards. Wirfs saw Irving’s frustration as understandable, but stepped in to mediate the situation.
“I think my role was calming him down a little, de-escalate. Obviously, he’s frustrated — we’re all frustrated,” Wirfs stated. “Little tiff. That’s my little bro. Just trying my best to be the moderator, the mediator. I think me and Bucky are great, we’ll always be great.”
Wirfs acknowledged the Buccaneers’ frustrations are natural given their losing streak, but isn’t concerned about internal tensions affecting the team. He’s focused on snapping the streak with a win against the Panthers.
“Going one in your last seven is tough, it’s something a lot of us haven’t done. Frustrations were a little high, and that’s alright,” Wirfs stated. “You get annoyed with family. And here we are, still coming to work and still trying to get better. The video did look funny, but no, we’re all good.”
The Buccaneers’ frustrations are understandable, given their struggles across the board since the bye week. Tristan Wirfs returns to action in Week 18, giving Bucky Irving a boost with an extra lineman to block for him against the Panthers.
The Buccaneers host the Panthers at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday at 4:30 PM.
Follow, Like and Subscribe to Bucs Report
