Did Josh Grizzard Not Have Enough Knowledge For Baker Mayfield?
February 7th, 2026
The Buccaneers’ franchise quarterback seems very happy about his new offensive coordinator, and it’s not just because he helped select him.
While pitching hamburgers and french fries this week in San Francisco, Baker Mayfield told chief NFL writer Rob Maadi of Associated Press that the dynamic coming from new Bucs playcaller Zac Robinson will be about a man with great knowledge and teaching prowess.
“I think when you know somebody, that doesn’t always mean it’s going to go well,” Mayfield said of Robinson. “But having worked with him before, understanding his process, how much he puts into it, and just honestly, his football knowledge.
“You know, he played [quarterback in the NFL], but then just being in L.A. [with Rams head coach Sean McVay]. I bascially had a cup of coffee there for five games, but the stuff he did to help me get ready on the fly and help me learn the offense within that short time period. I trust him. And I know how hard he works and I know how much he’s able to grasp the offense and teach everybody. And so, for me that’s really important to have a guy like that. He demands excellence out of you.”
Interesting take from Mayfield. Reading between the lines, it sounds like Mayfield thinks Robinson is football smarter and a better teacher than fired fall guy offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, another guy Mayfield had a hand in selecting.
It’s making Joe wonder whether Grizzard was qualified to run the high-octane Bucs offense. It sure looked like Grizzard was just fine until Mayfield got banged up, injuries piled up and the Bucs landed in Los Angeles and showcased a deer-in-the-headlights offense in prime time.
They never recovered.
Regardless, Robinson is here and Mayfield feels like he’s in better hands. Quarterback confidence cannot be underestimated.
Much appreciation for Bucs fans out there. ❤️
Staying focused after so much heartache. 🫡
January 2026 traffic data from the true website data gurus @Similarweb pic.twitter.com/4UnOdmH47Q— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) February 8, 2026
February 7th, 2026 at 8:07 pm
I might be the only Buccaneer fan that thinks Baker could call plays & be his own OC! But I truly believe Baker knows situations & understands how to move the ball down the field, like no other! Go Bucs
February 7th, 2026 at 8:09 pm
Did we expect third time to be a charm too? Admittedly, I was hoping. Let’s see how Zac does. But dam. We need a defense. After three years, I’m not confident in the Guru anymore.
February 7th, 2026 at 8:09 pm
Grizzard’s offense scored the second most points against the Seahawks (Robinson’s scored 9) and was also one of the top four against the Patriots, scoring more points than the Patriots D averaged giving up (Robinson’s Falcons scored the same).
He was an interesting fall guy.
Read a report that the new secondary coaches are the assistant secondary coaches from last year. Interesting non fall guys
February 7th, 2026 at 8:17 pm
Ahhh the LA mercy game. Good thing Sean likes our head coach. He was so kind not to run up the score. So nice of him to give us mercy. So glad we kept our head coach so the other teams will be nice to us. The little victories. It’s a Bucs life.
February 7th, 2026 at 8:32 pm
Joe, you’re reading between the lines. Just like you said you were doing. Mayfield talking up Zac didn’t mean he was talking down Grizz. Give me a break.
February 7th, 2026 at 8:37 pm
I doubt Liam Coen would have had a top 5 offense with all the injuries from last year but he would have adjusted better than Grizz. That Kool-Aid DB in New Orleans summed it up best, he liked playing the Bucs because he knew exactly what play was being called. Grizz had to deal with injuries that limited the playbook and a lot of that is on having Baker play hurt behind a bad OL. Maybe a better backup QB could have helped. Grizz was the scapegoat.
HopetheBucswin. I wonder if McVay putting 70 points on the Bucs on primetime TV would have embarrassed and forced the Bucs to make Bowles quit calling plays or even fire him?????
February 7th, 2026 at 9:11 pm
From everything I’ve heard, Grizz had plenty of knowledge and a super high football IQ. He played a key role in the Bucs 3rd down offense in 2024 when Coen was here.
Grizz will do fine as a coach in the NFL, and the Eagles hired him pretty quickly. But coming in as a first-time playcaller with zero previous experience is challenging enough. And he had to deal with all the injuries on the o-line, which made it even more challenging. If he gets another chance as an OC, I would think he’d get better at making adjustments. Just like players, any coach is going to continue to get better with experience.
February 7th, 2026 at 9:54 pm
Players will always speak well about a new coach on the way in, though it’s not always what the really think on the way out the door.
Griz was hired with the mindset that he was supposed to keep the Coen Offensive continuity chain intact but you could tell from the jump that he did not have the offensive prowess of Liam Coen’s mind & was not able to string play concepts together, setting up his shots in the game with certain looks early & returning to those looks later to take advantage defenses by creating spacing and mismatches.
(He is a very smart guy with a ton of coaching experience, but his play calling felt more mechanical vs the fluid natural flow of calling a game that Coen has).
I expect that Zac comes in & has the “IT factor” needed to earn all players respect, in order to take the 2026 Bucs offense to the next level…I expect to see a return to more of what Coen was able to accomplish offensively, as they both run very similar McVay Tree schemes/terminology – using bunch sets and motion to create the spacing and mismatches. (As the vast majority of the 2026 OFF depth chart will have already played in this style of offense)