“Coach Wirfs” No More – Tristan Wirfs Is Back!

INTRO: Tristan Wirfs has shed his “Coach Wirfs” label and gotten back to playing football, as he joined his Bucs teammates on the practice field for the first time this year on Thursday. Wirfs was proud of the way Graham Barton played in his absence, but Barton has an even bigger challenge ahead in Week 2 at Houston. And safety Tykee Smith, who led the Bucs in tackles in Week 1, is eager to face Texans running back Nick Chubb and commit some Bulldog-on-Bulldog crime on Monday night. Enjoy!

FAB 1. Tristan Wirfs Is Back For The Bucs – Well, Possibly Next Week

Tristan Wirfs was sitting in front of his locker with a bigger smile than usual on Thursday, four days before the Bucs play the Texans in Houston on Monday Night Football.

Wirfs is usually smiling, and why wouldn’t he be? Life is good for Wirfs.

He’s arguably the best left tackle in the game. He’s one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL. Wirfs has a young baby boy and is in a relationship with the love of his life.

He’s playing football for one of the rising powers in the NFC – a Tampa Bay team that won a Super Bowl in 2020 and has won the NFC South every season since. Wirfs is a team captain and one of the most well liked and most respected players on the squad.

But Thursday was different.

Wirfs practiced with his team for the first time this year.

After missing the entire offseason rehabbing a knee that ultimately required surgery, Wirfs also missed training camp and the preseason. For a passionate player like Wirfs who loves the game, watching his teammates do something he wasn’t able to do – practice and play football – was pure torture.

“It sucks – it’s really terrible,” Wirfs said with a smile that was full of relief. “I did it last year, with the contract stuff, but not nearly as long. It was so nice to be back out there with them. It felt like I was missing out on all the jokes … it was so fun.”

Wirfs returned to practice on Thursday and was hitting the blocking sled for the first time since practicing to face the Commanders in the Wild Card playoff game back in January.

While head coach Todd Bowles didn’t rule out the return of Wirfs – or wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr., who also practiced for the first time since his serious ankle injury last October – for Monday Night Football, it’s clear neither player is playing.

It’s one thing to return to practice for the first time in eight months. It’s another thing to be in football shape. The kind of shape necessary to play at a high level on a 12-play scoring drive and logging 60 snaps in a game.

“That’s a big thing, for both me and Chris,” Wirfs said. “Just getting back into football shape. It’s different when you’re pushing on somebody versus just doing stuff on sleds. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes, but it’ll be fun. It’ll be good.”

The other issue is how Wirfs’ surgically repaired knee responds to football movements during a two-hour practice. How much swelling is there the next day? How much stiffness occurs? How much pain happens the day following practice?

“Just see how we respond after this practice and end of the week, too,” Wirfs said. “It’s my first time being out there and moving around, moving the sleds, moving a body. I think we’ll see how the rest of the week goes, and we’ll go from there.”

I’ve thought that Week 3 at home versus the Jets in the home opener would likely be the target game for Wirfs’ return to action. And with Thursday signaling his return to practice, next week might be the more likely week for the return of Tampa Bay’s All-Pro left tackle.

And that puts a really big smile on Wirfs’ face.

“It felt really good,” Wirfs said. “The biggest thing was just being with the guys. I missed that quite a bit. Being able to move around and push back on somebody was really nice.

“Getting hurt and getting back in shape. I spent all offseason getting in shape, and then you’re like, ‘Pretty shitty timing.’ Right now, I’m working with the trainers. Doing my best, getting my legs back and my cardio back. Being away from them, it sucks being in the training room alone. It was really good to be back out there.”

For not practicing at all during the offseason, Wirfs is in incredible shape. He told me he was 330 pounds – a few pounds lighter than last year. Now it’s just a matter of getting back into football shape.

“Today was the first day I’m pretty sure all offseason that he’s been in the stretch line with us,” said Bucs center Graham Barton, who has been tabbed to fill in at left tackle in Wirfs’ absence. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is weird! I haven’t seen you since January.’

“It’s good to have him back. You guys all know what he means to our team and our locker room. Several years as a captain, several years as an All-Pro. Just a stud in every sense of the word. He’s still coming along, but just even having him back on the field in cleats is pretty huge for us. We’re looking forward to getting him back, no doubt.”

FAB 2. Graham Barton Has Thrived At Left Tackle Thanks To “Coach Wirfs”

If Tristan Wirfs can’t help his team by protecting Baker Mayfield’s blindside due to knee surgery over the summer, then by God he was going to help the Bucs in other ways.

While Wirfs has always been more of a lead-by-example guy as a team captain over the years, standing helplessly on the sidelines as a very interested observer of the action in practice and in games – both in the preseason and the season-opening win on Sunday in Atlanta – has forced him to be more vocal.

That’s all Wirfs could do.

Yell encouragement to his offensive linemen from the sidelines. Talk trash to the defense. Chew out the refs on occasion. Coach up center Graham Barton, who was making the sudden switch back to the left tackle position he played at Duke to fill in for Wirfs at the start of the season until the All-Pro’s eventual return.

Wirfs became one part cheerleader, one part coach.

“Coach Wirfs” was born this summer.

“It was interesting,” Wirfs said with a smile. “Glad I got to travel, to be there for Graham and all the guys, really. Being out there and trying to chirp the refs a little bit, after some questionable stuff. It was nice, I really wanted to be there and be there for them because they would want to do the same thing for me.

“Graham, his first start at left tackle, I was like, ‘I’ve got to be there and help him.’ Just like Justin Skule did for me the past couple of years, I wanted to do that for him. Having a second set of eyes on things is pretty important. It gives you a different perspective. I thought they all went out and played great with the shuffle. They balled out.”

Of course, the shuffle Wirfs is referring to is the shuffling of Tampa Bay’s offensive line in his absence, with Barton moving to left tackle, Ben Bredeson sliding over from left guard to center and practice squader Michael Jordan filling in at left guard.

“I saw a lot, honestly,” Wirfs said when asked what he saw from Barton in his first NFL start at left tackle. “I told him going in, ‘You’re so athletic, you’re so strong, just go be an athlete.’

“I remember when I first started, that’s what I was thinking. Tom [Brady] told me, ‘Don’t get beat fast, don’t get beat inside.’ Trying to simplify it as much as possible. It’s silly – just stay in front of him. That’s what I told Graham.”

Usually teams don’t want to disrupt the chemistry of an offensive line by moving players around and potentially weakening other positions just to replace one starter. But Baker Mayfield’s blindside is that important.

Barton is a better athlete than swing tackle Charlie Heck is. And Bredeson has started five games at center in New York with the Giants. Jordan has started 41 games at guard in his various stops around the league.

The fact that the Bucs’ retooled offensive line only practiced together six or seven practices over a two-week span is quite remarkable.

“It was pretty impressive to do that big of a shuffle on such short notice and to go out there and play the way they did,” Wirfs said. “It’s just a testament to them and the work that they put in. It was really cool to see, really cool to watch.”

Wirfs was not just impressed with how Barton played at left tackle, but also how Bredeson’s snaps to Mayfield were flawless.

“Don’t want to glaze him, but he did great,” Wirfs said. “I know the work that all these guys put in; I watch it day in and day out. I honestly didn’t have any concerns about it. It was going to shock a lot of people, but they were going to get the job done. That’s what we do.”

Barton has always been a huge fan of Wirfs, the player and teammate. But over the last few weeks during his transition from center to left tackle, he’s come to appreciate “Coach Wirfs” too.

“He’s great,” Barton said. “He’s a great sounding board, probably not a lot of better coaches out there than Coach Wirfs. He’s for sure my hype man – and he’s pretty talented, too! He knows what he’s doing out there, so it’s good to have his eyes. Yeah, he’s been great.”

FAB 3. Graham Barton’s Triumphant Return To Left Tackle

Graham Barton was recruited to be a left tackle at Duke. But injuries to the starting and backup center in fall camp prompted the Blue Devils coaching staff to play Barton at center as a true freshman.

After a successful stint at center, Barton was moved back to his original position of left tackle where he became a first-team All-ACC selection in 2023 – and the Bucs’ first-round pick in 2024.

So when Tampa Bay needed a better answer at left tackle than the one swing tackle Charlie Heck was providing, the Bucs decided to move Barton there to replace the injured Tristan Wirfs for the first couple of weeks of the season. What started out as an experiment for an emergency situation if Heck were to get injured turned into the Bucs’ best option.

So the fact that Barton was back taking snaps at left tackle was just like riding a bike for him, right?

“I wouldn’t say that!” Barton said. “That’s the joke, for sure – that it’s just like riding a bike. Obviously, it’s a little different. Grateful for some pretty good tackles around me, just helping me learn. Got great coaches, great teammates. It was fun, and I’m looking to build, keep improving, and find ways to win games.”

Barton played very well in his surprise start at center, not allowing a sack and just three pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. And he wound up facing five – five! – different edge rushers in Week 1 in Leonard Floyd, Zach Harrison and Arnold Ebiketie, as well as both of Atlanta’s first-round picks, Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.

“It’s definitely a different animal,” Barton said about playing left tackle on an island as opposed to playing center. “I’d say, honestly, you break down rushers and you want to see their go-to moves, what they like to do, changeups, fastballs. You look at it almost like pitches.

“At the end of the day, it’s kind of a joke we say in our room. It doesn’t matter who’s out there; we’ve got to stick to our technique, our fundamentals, and we’ve got to be at our best to go compete with their best. That’s kind of our saying. It always comes back to yourself, but you absolutely break down rushers and study. For me, it’s just making sure I’ve got my technique settled in and we’re ready to go Monday.”

Monday night will present a much different and more difficult challenge for Barton at left tackle. After facing a pair of rookies and some non-descript veterans in Atlanta, Barton will have his hands full with Danielle Hunter, a five-time Pro Bowler and an edge rusher who has six seasons with double digit sacks.

“A hundred percent,” Barton said. “I mean, I’ve got to be ready for anything. No one’s dumb – we’ve got a center playing left tackle. You’ve got to be ready for whatever. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter are very talented rushers. It’s a very talented defense. We’ve got to be at our best, looking forward to the challenge, and that’s the story, right?”

Hunter played 34 snaps at right end against the left tackle in Los Angeles, while Anderson played six snaps on the right side of the line.

“They’ve got two arguably top-tier rushers on either side, and we’ve got to be ready for both of them,” Barton said.

FAB 4. Tampa Bay’s Revamped O-Line Looks To Get The Ground Game Going

The Bucs were one of the better rushing teams last year, averaging 146.5 yards per game, which was the fifth-best in the league. Yet Tampa Bay only ran for 101 yards in the team’s Week 1 win at Atlanta with quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the way with 39 yards on the ground.

That’s not ideal, as the Bucs want – and need – Bucky Irving to be the leading the rusher each week. Irving averaged 2.6 yards per carry with 37 yards on 14 carries versus the Falcons behind a make-shift offensive line.

With Tampa Bay heading into Houston to face a dangerous duo at defensive end with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., the best recipe for success for the Bucs offense will be to make them try to tackle Irving in the run game rather than try to sack Mayfield – which is what they do best.

“It makes life easier,” Bucs center-turned-left tackle Graham Barton said about establishing the running game. “I thought we had some good hits on Sunday. Overall, the running game wasn’t where we want it to be.

“There’s such a high expectation from not just us internally, but everyone about the run game. I think even if you look back to last year, it wasn’t just Week 1, ‘Oh man, look at this run game. Wow.’ It takes a second, you know? We’ve got to settle in, and we’ve got to work together a little bit in live game settings, which we are.”

While the Bucs hope to improve their efficiency and production on the ground against the Texans, Demeco Ryan’s stingy unit was very effective against Rams Pro Bowl back Kyren Williams in a 14-9 loss in Los Angeles in Week 1. L.A. ran for just 72 yards and Williams was held in check with 66 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries (3.7 avg.).

“Yeah, they did,” Barton said about the Texans stuffing the Rams’ ground game. “That’s what I’m saying, it’s a great defense and a great challenge for us. Both in the run game and in the passing game. We’ve got to be ready, we’ve got to be set straight, and we’ve got to play well.”

As much as the Bucs want to establish some continuity up front in Week 2, their O-line will be shuffled again with the eventual return of All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs – possibly against the Jets in Week 3. Then Barton will move back to center and snap for the first time this year, while Ben Bredeson will slide back in between them as the left guard.

But first things first. Tampa Bay will have a retooled offensive line for another week and will need to rise to the occasion in Houston and be more effective running the ball.

“I think we’ve got a great offensive line, and I’m excited to see our run game continually improve over the season and become a great product,” Barton said. “We had some big hits on Sunday, but overall, we could’ve been better, no doubt about it. We were rocky at the start, and we’re looking forward to establishing the run every week, but that’s a focus for us.”

FAB 5. Tykee Smith Shined At Safety In Week 1, Will Face Nick Chubb In Week 2

With the Bucs looking to replace Jordan Whitehead at strong safety this year, defensive back Tykee Smith went to head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles and volunteered for the job.

Smith, last year’s third-round pick, had a very good rookie season in Tampa Bay, tying for the team lead with two interceptions and forcing three fumbles. The only problem – outside of missing a few games due to injury – was that he wasn’t a full-time player. As the team’s nickelback, Smith only played about 70% of the snaps.

In Smith’s mind, more snaps meant more opportunities to make more plays and create more takeaways. Bowles agreed, and so the switch was made.

In his debut at his new position – mostly in the box as a strong safety, but also some reps deep as a free safety – Smith was the leading tackler in the team’s Week 1 win at Atlanta with 11 stops. After the game, Bowles was thrilled at how Smith played.

“Tykee probably had more tackles than everybody,” Bowles said. “I thought he played very well. He had like seven tackles, four assists. He had some good hits for us in the run game and plugged in there like a linebacker. I thought he settled in nicely.”

Smith was pleased with his first game at strong safety, a position he had also played in addition to nickel cornerback at Georgia and at West Virginia.

“It was a real blessing,” Smith said. “Just finally for me to be out there and showcase my versatility and help the team the best way possible. Week 1, missed a couple of tackles. Looking to be better this week. Making tackles that are expected to be made. Try to make the big plays that are expected to be made.

Yet at the same time, Smith’s debut at safety wasn’t perfect, as he did miss a couple of tackles. It wasn’t just Smith who missed tackles, though. Some of that sloppiness could be attributed to the fact that the starters on defense only played a couple of series in one preseason game over a month ago. Smith is looking forward to an even better showing in Week 2 in Houston.

“Another thing, it’s your job now,” Smith said. “Making sure you’re ready to go once your number is called, and then making sure you’re ready to go in Week 1. No matter if you played in the preseason or not. We take full accountability for that. Looking to grow from Week 1, not trying to make those same mistakes.”

Smith, who helped Georgia win a national championship, took great satisfaction in getting a win in Atlanta in Week 1, especially against a Falcons team that swept the Bucs last year.

“That was our second home when I played at Georgia,” Smith said. “We had a lot of SEC Championships there, we had a lot of games there. To be able to go and then start the season off right 1-0, especially a divisional team. Whenever you get a divisional win, it’s a big one. Especially going against a team like that, which we lost to twice. That was a big one; it’s hard to win, especially on the road in the division. It was a blessing.”

Speaking of Georgia, Smith will be charged with trying to stop a Bulldogs legend on Monday night as running back Nick Chubb is now a member of the Texans. Chubb ran for 60 yards on 13 carries (4.6 avg.) in his debut for Houston in last week’s 14-9 loss at Los Angeles versus the Rams.

“When I was at Georgia the last couple of years, that’s all [head coach] Kirby [Smart] preached about,” Smith said. “How hard he worked, what he did for the program, and how he went about his business. Definitely look forward to this week and seeing him in person and seeing how he plays because he’s been a household name in this league.

“We’ll have some Bulldog-on-Bulldog crime. It’s going to be a good matchup. I know how he’s wired, and he knows how I’m wired, being that we went to the same program. Coming from Georgia, you’ve got to be built differently to go there. I already know what type of time he’s going to be on.”

As for Jacob Parrish, the rookie who stepped in at slot cornerback, which was the position he played last year, Smith came away impressed. Parrish finished with four tackles, including a big stop on a screen pass, in addition to a few missed tackles.

“Definitely proud of the way he played, made some big-time plays,” Smith said. “Missed tackles are going to happen, as long as you shoot your gun and slow down the ball carrier. As long as he runs to the ball, that’s the biggest thing. You can’t teach effort, as long as you’re running for the ball and attempting, not tippytoeing. That’s the biggest thing that we preach. I’m real proud of the way he played. Hopefully, he continues to grow as the season goes on. We’re looking for him to have a big year.”

Smith, like All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., is one of the most versatile defensive backs Bowles has at his disposal. He sees the same quality in Parrish, the impressive rookie out of Kansas State.

“He can play inside, outside, and we’ll probably need him at safety,” Smith said. “He can play safety, and he is going to show up in the run [defense].”

Against Chubb, it will need to be all hands on deck on Monday Night Football in Houston. And the Bucs will need another big game from Smith.