Third-Down Questions For Zac Robinson
January 25th, 2026
Joe’s trying to get excited about the Bucs hiring offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.
It’s a process.
Robinson has experience calling plays (2024 and 2025 in Atlanta) and he’s from the Sean McVay tree. Both are big positives. However, Robinson was not in demand as a head coach candidate. Why?
Aren’t young McVay disciples supposed to be in high demand?
That makes Joe a little skeptical. Another factor that has Joe raising an eyebrow is the Falcons’ third-down conversion rate last season. Atlanta converted only 33 percent of third downs. That ranked 30th in the NFL, 19 spots below Tampa Bay and fall guy Josh Grizzard at No. 11.
How did that happen, Mr. Robinson? You had weapons and a solid offensive line. In 2024, Atlanta ranked 16th on third downs.
(For those wondering, Atlanta was great on fourth downs in 2024 but fell to middle of the pack this season on fourth downs.)
January 25th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
5th downs are usually running affairs, something they’re much better at. I just don’t think either of their QB’s are that good
January 25th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
Zac’s numbers from 2024 are great, then he fell off last year. What I like is that he uses a ton of motion – that is a must in the modern game. What I really disliked was the lack of playaction pass, which makes no sense considering they had a very strong run game — but it was also paired with a very high usage of shotgun, so I wonder how much those two stats were related to Kirk being completely immobile and having to have him sit in shotgun.
Overall though, with the options that were available, with a very good year under his belt recently (2024) – I’m totally onboard with it. So long as I don’t hear any stupid comments about throwing deep more. If Zac is a smart guy, he’ll watch the 2024 Bucs offense on a loop and see what Baker did well, and that was short, quick passes and/or moving around and keeping plays alive. What Baker has been terrible at is accurately throwing the deep ball – so simple solution, don’t do that. Sure, take a few shots here and there, he won’t miss them all, but don’t waste a bunch of downs taking deep shots since the receivers will get open, but Baker will miss them and kill morale — and drives.
January 25th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
As always on a Todd Bowles team it’ll be the Bucs defense who has the worst 3rd down conversion rate. Go ahead and compare if you’re saying drake london = Mike Evans and they have weapons just as good as ours if not better than us. Otherwise Zac starts in Atlanta don’t mean much especially having two polar opposite quarterbacks in both seasons
January 25th, 2026 at 1:26 pm
Get ready for 3-5 win season. The Bucs managed to divert from sorry defense to offense. Either a defensive coordinator or a new head coach . He sucks!
January 25th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
Even more they need a back up QB that can score 30 plus a game. They then should win about half the games using the Bowzo Defense and HC fails.
January 25th, 2026 at 1:46 pm
Jack Ball it will not help Bowzo as HC hurts on many different levels. He is an incompetent boob.
January 25th, 2026 at 1:54 pm
“Lack of play-action”—Falcons were always in pistol or shotgun, owing to Penix’s inability to operate from under center, and probably Cousin’s inability to a 7 step drop or pivot on his bad wheel
January 25th, 2026 at 1:56 pm
Mr. Robinson, you have agreed to take responsibility over the Bucs offense which happens to be the better half of a crappy team… What are your plans to adjust for one of the most incompetent, least desired DC in all of NFL?… Do you really believe you have what it takes to hid how bad the defense is like Canales and Coen and listen to people give the credit to IBS undeservingly?
January 25th, 2026 at 2:05 pm
At least he’s called plays before.
Liam Coen was a genius at situational calls.
He knew when to take deep shots.
He knew when to call screens.
Our offense looked so confused last year.
January 25th, 2026 at 2:06 pm
HC Grover Says:
January 25th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
Even more they need a back up QB that can score 30 plus a game. They then should win about half the games using the Bowzo Defense and HC fails.
————
Over the final 6 games…
Defense, 10th in points against
Offense, 26th in points for
Over the final 7 games, the offense averaged 18.2 points per game, which would have been 28th in the NFL over the course of the season.
The Bucs missed the playoffs because of the offense, not because of the defense.
January 25th, 2026 at 2:09 pm
The Baker can’t throw an accurate deep ball is the biggest load of crap. No one can throw an accurate deep ball when the pass rush is so disruptive that the QB can’t stand o. The pocket and let the play develop.
Get Mauch back. Get the C to come prepared. Have a healthy Wirfs, Bredeson and Goedeke and get some capable backups and give Baker some time.
January 25th, 2026 at 2:21 pm
Baker was hitting all manner of long tight window throws early on, THEN, he suddenly couldn’t
January 25th, 2026 at 2:25 pm
Aren’t you the one who says “It’s all about the Quarterback” or is that only when it fits your narrative?
January 25th, 2026 at 2:33 pm
Watching Grizzard’s hands shaking while calling plays (go watch again and see the call sheet shaking) caused me serious concerns early on. Figured he’d settle down as the season progressed. Nope, shaking throughout the season. Scared and unsure of himself it appeared.
Let’s hope Zac can provide true leadership with actual strategy to attack a defense and adjust accordingly (something Grizz failed at).
January 25th, 2026 at 2:42 pm
The past 2 seasons, I think half of all combined comments I heard from Falcons fans were talking about how Zac Robinson was the worst Offensive Coordinator in the league and begging for his firing…
January 25th, 2026 at 2:56 pm
enjoy watching paint dry?
January 25th, 2026 at 3:35 pm
@RodMunch, @Lakeland, @BakerHaters, answer the question that I’ve posted a few times. Other than Doug Williams and Tom Brady, how many quarterbacks in franchise history have been THAT much better than Baker?
January 25th, 2026 at 3:42 pm
No excitement to be had as long as the glazers sit on their hands
January 25th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
All the know-it-alls on JBF: How many of you thought New England would be playing Denver for the AFC championship? How many thought Seattle would be favored to win the Super Bowl?
January 25th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
I’ve been a fan since ’78 and maybe it’s just me but . . . the misremembering of Doug Williams is strange. Go look at his stats. Sub 50% completion for his career and some horrid ones in Tampa. Unheard of these days. He was a warrior though but come on . . .
January 25th, 2026 at 3:49 pm
Well the Falcon fans are laughing at us for hiring Zac. It could be a trifecta with Zac as OC, Todd as HC/DC, and Jason drafting another world class, all pro Edge. Another off-season full of hype on the way to a 5 win season……
January 25th, 2026 at 4:08 pm
From A.I. …
A “fall guy” (or “fall man”) is slang for someone who takes the blame or punishment for others’ mistakes, essentially a scapegoat, or someone easily tricked/duped. The term originated from early 20th-century slang, possibly from prison life where “fall” meant arrest, or from movie stuntmen who would “take the fall” (get injured) for lead actors.
Key Meanings:
Scapegoat: A person unfairly blamed for a group’s failure or crime, like a junior executive blamed for company troubles.
Easy Victim: Someone gullible, easily fooled, or taken advantage of, like a “mark” or “patsy” in a con.
… Oh, now I understand. Gullible and easily fooled. Yes, of course. My mistake about previously misinterpreting how the term was being used here.
January 25th, 2026 at 4:11 pm
StAugBuc…okay, further proves the point. Why are people hating on Baker? We are a franchise ridden with garbage quarterback play. Bakers actually one of the best WE have had. And few played hurt. Vinny was out like every other game.
January 25th, 2026 at 4:22 pm
Hey Joe how excited are you about the DC for Tampa running it back lol
January 25th, 2026 at 4:26 pm
Not very.
January 25th, 2026 at 4:47 pm
Over the final 7 games, the offense averaged 18.2 points per game, which would have been 28th in the NFL over the course of the season.”
The Bucs missed the playoffs because of the offense, not because of the defense.”
Go even further.
In our last last 11 games we turned the ball over 14 times in 9 of our last 11 games.
In that same span, our defense took the ball away 17 times in 8 of our last 11 games.
We literally finished the season averaging 2.4 TDs a game, and averaging 3.8 punts per game which would leave me to believe there were more games than not we punted twice as much as we scored.
January 25th, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch: 3rd and 28. 4th and 14.
That, and only that, is why they missed the playoffs.
January 25th, 2026 at 5:39 pm
Penix and Cousins ain’t Baker. That’s how. If he improves drastically on that then
It says our roster is better even though some don’t think that
January 25th, 2026 at 5:42 pm
Yea right WBL just remember 3rd and 28.
January 25th, 2026 at 6:12 pm
ModHairKen Says:
January 25th, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch: 3rd and 28. 4th and 14.
That, and only that, is why they missed the playoffs.
——–
And yet the defense isn’t on the field to lose the game if Baker makes a pass that literally I can make, that any middle school QB can make. If he hits e2, gets a 1st down, the Bucs just run out the clock and the game is over.
That’s how Baker single handedly lost the game – in fact lost 4 in a row single handedly — and all 4 of those is what cost the Bucs the playoffs. If he was just his normal middling self the Bucs win all 4 of them, finish 12-5, make the playoffs with a 6-game winning streak. But Baker lost all of them, by himself.
January 25th, 2026 at 6:16 pm
Munch and Co,
Yes, there is no doubt about it nothing but great QB play by Maye created the win.Yes, Maye “won” the game. That will be the story from the dolts who comment here.
January 25th, 2026 at 7:06 pm
Gipper Says:
January 25th, 2026 at 6:16 pm
Munch and Co,
Yes, there is no doubt about it nothing but great QB play by Maye created the win.Yes, Maye “won” the game. That will be the story from the dolts who comment here.
———
You mean like the dopes who said Baker ‘single handedly’ won all those early season games.
January 25th, 2026 at 7:38 pm
3rd downs and scoring in redzone should be focal points for improvement if we want Robinson to succeed here.
January 25th, 2026 at 8:18 pm
“Warren Brooks Lynch: 3rd and 28. 4th and 14.
That, and only that, is why they missed the playoffs”
2nd & 10 with 8:28 left in the game up 8 on the ATL 45. A good 15 yards outside of a range our kicker was perfect from. Lord forbid we score a TD and close it out
3rd & 28 is a rally call for Bucs fans who choose how they want to remember the outcome of games, rather than actually taking how the game panned out for wha it is
January 26th, 2026 at 4:16 pm
Rod
Over the final 6 games…
Defense, 10th in points against
Offense, 26th in points for
Over the final 7 games, the offense averaged 18.2 points per game, which would have been 28th in the NFL over the course of the season.
The Bucs missed the playoffs because of the offense, not because of the defense.
The offence was bad not going to deny that.
….but D was terrible the last 6 games. Horrendous! They made 2 rookie QB’s look good, journey man QB almost beat us, statue Kirk Cousins beat us…let Kyle Pitts go crazy, 3rd and 28, 4th and 14, give up 3 scoring drives in last 10 mins. Bucs played very poor offenses in last 6 games, and teams had collective record of 40-57 for the year.
Offence needs to play complimentary football, but loads of injuries, and 1st time playcalller, Baker hurt the last 1/3 of season… but the Bowles designed D was inexcusable. They were excessively bad! That is why Bowles needed to be fired!