Enthusiastic About Zac Robinson
March 4th, 2026
Scapegoat?
Can Zac Robinson really make that big of a difference for the Bucs’ offense? Well, we will find out in a few months.
Last week at the combine, Bucs coach Todd Bowles sort of winced about the shortcomings of having a rookie offensive coordinator last year, Josh Grizzard.
If you believe what Bowles was saying — Grizzard was two or three years away from hitting his stride as an NFL playcaller and that Bowles was distracted from his duties with the defense to help Grizzard out on offense — then Robinson is a step up if only because he has two seasons under his belt as an NFL playcaller.
Veteran NFL scribe Dan Pompei of The Athletic noted how the Bucs hope Robinson is the answer to last year’s offensive woes.
The Bucs are counting on new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to make a significant difference in their entire team. Obviously they believe he will enhance the offense, and they implied he could help the defense as well by freeing up coach Todd Bowles to focus more on that side of the ball. Bowles said he had to spend too much time babysitting the offense last year with Josh Grizzard as the offensive coordinator. Grizzard was in his first year running an offense whereas Robinson was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta the past two seasons. Bowles and general manager Jason Licht also are enthused about Robinson’s experience with the Sean McVay offense. The general manager and head coach made references to similarities between Robinson and 2024 offensive coordinator Liam Coen, both of whom are McVay disciples.
There are all sorts of reasons why the Bucs’ offense went to pieces last season. Baker Mayfield, who himself was banged up, never once played behind the starting-five offensive line due to the rash of injuries. The prior season, the Bucs’ front line was at worst, the third-best line in the game.
Yeah, one can point to Grizzard being so green as an issue. Both Dave Canales and Liam Coen were first-time NFL playcallers, too, in their lone seasons with the Bucs. So Joe guesses it was just a matter of time before the law of averages caught up with the Bucs where they swung and missed on a coordinator.
But let’s be real here: If Grizzard was the millstone around the offense’s neck, well, who hired him?
March 4th, 2026 at 12:17 am
Well, at least with Bowles babysitting the offense they sank like a rock. And as an added bonus, the defense was like Tennessee Ready only 3rd and 38 prepared.
Super Bowles
March 4th, 2026 at 12:19 am
The same guy who hired the 2 previous guys who went on to be head coaches. Get over it and stop trying to start sh!t. I’d rather hear you bitch about the edge rush for the 16th billionth time.
March 4th, 2026 at 12:23 am
Zac Robinson for Bucs HC 2027!
Sounds great…
Just got to suffer through 2026 BUSTED season…
March 4th, 2026 at 1:33 am
Licht, Bowles, the Glazers, Mayfield and perhaps Evans hired Grizzard. The Eagles hired him next. Regardless of all that we are in Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood now(not like the classic Eddie Murphy SNL skit I hope.)
We are where we are and we know who we roll forward with in 2026 and I like it. This unit was a few close game wins away from being fully respectable. It’s not about whether Bowles deserves anything it’s about a shot at the Super Bowl in 2026 and Bowles is the BCA this year for that.
Detroit is due for a bounce back and Minnesota has a defense that could have Green Bay coming in third in the NFC North. That might make La Fluer available. He is a coach I would get into this about and I think is the best next step for the franchise. When he is available I’ll bite on that last line. For now, the regime remains and methinks it could surprise us.
March 4th, 2026 at 1:54 am
Joe … ‘Bowles was distracted from his duties with the defense to help Grizzard out on offense. But let’s be real here: If Grizzard was the millstone around the offense’s neck, well, who hired him?’
And there-in lies the problem when the HC dual-hats himself as the DC also. Each of us only has 168 hours in a week, and some of those hours have to be spent sleeping, eating, and doing a myriad of things that have nothing to do with our work. Trying to do TWO full-time jobs with the time that remains each week sooner or later does you in. Been there, done that.
Todd Bowles SHOULD have figured that out last year (actually before that), that obviously isn’t the case. For him to succeed, no, for the Bucs to succeed, he NEEDS Zac Robinson to be able to fix this offense without Todd having to pour in a whole bunch of time on that side of the ball. As bad as our offense was last season, our defense was worse.
March 4th, 2026 at 5:51 am
Had our O line stayed healthy, along with Godwin, Bucky, Evans, McMillion, Grizz would still be the O.C.. What’s Todd’s excuse for the defense?
March 4th, 2026 at 6:10 am
One of the joes likes to throw gas on a fire. He loves to get the the trolls going
March 4th, 2026 at 6:44 am
“”Bowles was distracted from his duties with the defense to help Grizzard out on offense””
That’s pretty funny. I bet Bowles “helped out” the special teams coach too.
Gotta love the offseason banter.
March 4th, 2026 at 6:46 am
In 2022, Ryan Jensen suffered a career ending injury during camp, Ali Marpet retired and Alex Cappa left in free agency. Even the greatest QB of all time couldn’t overcome losing three of his starters on the offensive line and he had Evans and Godwin all season (neither missed a game).
The offensive line is far more important than a lot of folks seem to think.
March 4th, 2026 at 7:09 am
Todd’s great contribution to the offense was to slow down the game and run a billion times against the worst pass D in the league….statistically at least.
This off season is a microcosm of our society right now – common sense be darned, digest the garbage they are feeding you and believe they are doing it for the best interest of the franchise…
Keeping the blundering Bowles regime in charge is the absolute definition of insanity
March 4th, 2026 at 8:07 am
If I recall correctly the ‘25 offense wasn’t statistically too far behind the ‘23. I think they went into reverse. Canales seemed to find his groove while Grizzard lost his. And as noted it could have been the injuries. Canales had the benefit of being healthy.
So credit to Todd for hiring a guy who improved and Coen who was awesome.
But “2-3” years away doesn’t square. Todd gets credit for that as well.
We’ll see on Robinson. Didn’t seem like he was in demand. But who knows
March 4th, 2026 at 8:41 am
Poor Zac. Stuck with Bowzo
March 4th, 2026 at 8:48 am
Robinson is going to rise up to a HC candidate if thy can sign some better backup Gs, get a decent third back and re-sign the greatest player in Bucs history, Mike Evans.
Yes. The OC last year was in over his head. Baker could smell fear on the guy. Then with the injuries, they just fell apart.
March 4th, 2026 at 9:35 am
Hodad Says:
March 4th, 2026 at 5:51 am
Had our O line stayed healthy, along with Godwin, Bucky, Evans, McMillion, Grizz would still be the O.C.. What’s Todd’s excuse for the defense
——-
Perhaps if the offense was dominate and creating leads, the defense could have played with a bit more pressure in the qb instead of playing on their heels trying to stop the big play…..
March 4th, 2026 at 9:59 am
Explains a lot now, if Bowles had to get involve with the Offense, that is why it played so horribly. Bowles, hire a DC and be a HC. You are failing at both right now.
March 4th, 2026 at 11:14 am
Our offensive line was decimated. An impossible task for any OC to overcome. In 2004, the Bucs had the #1 3rd down offense in the NFL. As a matter of fact, they had one of the best 3rd down offenses IN HISTORY. That’s why Grizzard was immediately scooped up by the Eagles. Too bad we couldn’t have had him go back to designing 3rd down plays like he did in 2004!
March 4th, 2026 at 11:15 am
Err 2024
March 4th, 2026 at 8:29 pm
Bowles deflecting responsibility onto someone else again. He had to babysit to much!!! What a joke! IMO we are wasting our talent on his lousy no discipline having head coach who is blaming everyone but himself.
March 4th, 2026 at 10:14 pm
So if the injuries were to blame in ‘25, why was Grizzard let go and why should he be relegated back to 3rd down coordinator?
Why wouldn’t we just keep him assuming we would get better health?