Memo To Zac Robinson: Don’t Be Predictable
July 10th, 2026
Tipped pitches?
The worst thing an offense can be is predictable.
It drives Joe nuts when NFL offenses are basically telegraphing to defenses what’s coming. Damn, it is hard enough to score in this league as it is. Broadcasting what’s coming only makes it harder.
And it seems from the data unearthed by Alex Blickle in Aaron Schatz’s FTN Football Almanac 2026, former Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard all but hollered across the field what was coming.
Not only did the Bucs, per Blickle, target tight ends fewer than any team in the league, but when the Bucs used 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) a run was a comin.’
The Buccaneers ran the ball 68% of the time when they were in 12 personnel, more than any other offense.
So let’s see, the Bucs almost never threw to the tight end and when the Bucs had 12 personnel on the field, no one ran the ball more out of that formation.
Not only does it appear Grizzard didn’t help himself out, it seems it may have hurt the Bucs offense.
July 10th, 2026 at 12:49 am
I’d bet that Josh is a great guy. He just wasn’t up to the task of putting together a winning formula as the season went on.
July 10th, 2026 at 1:51 am
Golly gee…I sure do hope he takes that precious advice. Otherwise he wouldn’t know not to be predictable. Season saved!
July 10th, 2026 at 2:19 am
I remember Bowles mentioning that he had to jump in and give Mr Grizzard a hand after the bye and that it took up some of his time. That just tells me that Todd might have handicapped Grizz and helped contribute to the 2-7 slide. For example, I am pretty sure that Grizz did not think that running the ball 35 times was a formula to win in Carolina but Bowles probably forced that game plan down his throat to try and chew up the clock because he knew his defense was weak and vulnerable and likely to be exposed. Hence Todd was wearing too many hats last year and to be honest as a head coach he would better serve his team if someone else dialed up the plays on defense. Todd’s predictability and stubborness led losses to inferior opponents like we saw in the 2-7 stretch after the bye last season as it did in his previous 3 seasons at the helm.
July 10th, 2026 at 5:50 am
Grizz was statistically better as an OC in almost every category compared to Dave Canales, just sayin. Unfortunately for Grizz he had to follow one of the best in the NFL. With that he definitely seemed in over his head though, good experience for Grizz, he’ll probably get another shot
July 10th, 2026 at 7:05 am
I also read that opponents figured out that the Bucs ran behind Otten when he went in motion. Where’s the self-scouting during the bye? We all know that the Bucs go downhill after the bye, so we know they aren’t self-scouting like every other team. It seems the players are just going on vacation and coming back to lose the rest of the season.
July 10th, 2026 at 7:44 am
This guys def better than the last one.
July 10th, 2026 at 8:24 am
Crazy how he worked with Liam Coen for a year and zero of the run game creativity rubbed off…
July 10th, 2026 at 8:45 am
“Where’s the self-scouting during the bye? We all know that the Bucs go downhill after the bye, so we know they aren’t self-scouting like every other team.”
It’s been well documented that instead of using that precious time to self-scout, Todd gave the entire team the whole bye week off. And I’m sure he’ll do it again this year because the man never changes.
July 10th, 2026 at 8:48 am
These coaches play checkers while other teams are playing chess. See the Rams game for example. It’s a Bucs life.
July 10th, 2026 at 9:20 am
Keep blaming Grizzard for the losses last year and see where that leads.
The same people making those claims were calling him a great OC at the bye in 2025.
Then suddenly he decided to go turtle with the offense???
Does that sound like something we’ve seen before with a certain person in charge???
Bowles is completely brain dead and the Glazers failed to have the plug pulled two years in a row.
Just ask Mike Evans. He knows. 3rd and 28.
July 10th, 2026 at 9:24 am
No doubt, Bowles ruined Griz like his young players coming in. And then threw him under the bus. Let’s see, hired an unprepared coach, then did nothing to help him develop, then forced him to do stupid stuff, then blamed him for 3rd and 28. That’s a guy you want to work for.
It would be fun to buy Griz a bowlesload of beers and some tequila shots and then ask him what it was really like working for Todd during 2-7.
July 10th, 2026 at 10:55 am
Unfortunately Grazard lacked experience in play calling. So that and an inordinate amount of injuries ended the Bucs season.
2026 is a new year. Injuries hopefully will be manageable. And with an experienced play caller, the Bucs have a legitimate chance of winning a few games in the playoffs or posstmore!
July 10th, 2026 at 3:16 pm
From the Sharp’s Analysis a Joe recently posted, for the season as a whole, the Bucs had the best run play success on third down when they ran the ball the least, and the Bucs had the best pass play success on first down when the passed the ball the least.
The other teams were too often dialed into what Grizzard was likely to do and shut it down.
And, as the injuries on the Offensive Line piled up during the time when Evans was out, there were times when run game success outstripped pass game success. During those times, the Bucs failed to run enough when the combination of WR matchups and the run blocking strength vs the pass blocking weakness of the reserves made running at certain parts of the field the best option.
It seems like there was not self analysis by the Bucs offense and that they did not understand where they were failing. Or, the Bucs offense just did not know how to adapt.
July 10th, 2026 at 4:04 pm
And yet the Atlanta Falcon fan base stated (1) his offensive was too predictable (2) unable/unwilling to adapt (3) terrible red zone efficiency…. Add in too much pistol and lack of play action passing AND his insistence on wide zone runs (which Coen gave up on as the Oline was more productive in… and we have something to watch for during training camp
July 10th, 2026 at 7:30 pm
@JustOneGame: “Grizz was statistically better as an OC in almost every category compared to Dave Canales…”
I don’t know about that. But I was never impressed with Canales and he is doing “Ok” in Carolina, but not great. From what we read here, I think Canales’ biggest attribute was he was super positive, which is exactly what Baker needed at the time. Same with his QB with the Panthers. He was an ok x’s & o’s guy, not great like Coen.