Zac Robinson Impresses A Stathead
September 16th, 2026
Bucs OC Zac Robinson watches his offense from the sidelines Sunday.
Ian Hartitz is somewhat known in the football stathead/analytic circles because, well, his play with numbers results in something interesting.
The financial consultant by day, NFL statgeek by night, pumped out numbers on Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson that has the calculator crowd all giddy. It seems Robinson, in his debut as Bucs’ play-caller in Cincinnati, displayed traits that will have folks remembering when Liam Coen ran the Bucs offense.
The first number was the Bucs had the second-highest presnap motion/shifts in Week 1.
Statheads and fans like this because it often results in receivers getting open if for no other reasons than by deception or defenders getting crossed up and making a mistake.
Noted offensive wizard Byron Leftwich used to derisively refer to this practice as “fantasy football.” (The only true fantasy here is that Leftwich, who has been out of football since KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles fired him in January of 2023, will ever get another job in the NFL aside from those dudes who walk through the stadium after games with leaf blowers to corral the trash left behind by fans).
Hartitz also noted the Bucs were the No. 2 team in Week 1 to use play-action on dropbacks. The Bucs under Josh Grizzard were third-worst at this. Play-action on dropbacks, in theory, forces linebackers to freeze so as not to overcommit to defending the pass.
Lastly, Hartitz typed that Robinson joined the 49ers (Kyle Shanahan) and the Jags (Coen!) to have a top-10 success rate on both running and dropback pass attempts. Interestingly, per Sumer Sports, the Bucs ranked No. 5 in overall success rate and the only team in the top-five to lose in Week 1.
Joe sees the sun trying to peek out from behind the storm clouds of losing.
Promising first week for Zac Robinson – Buccaneers:
-No. 2 in pre-snap shift/motion (8th in 2025)
-No. 2 in play-action rate on dropbacks (29th in 2025)
-Joined SF + JAX as only offenses top-10 in success rate on dropbacks and rushesJust don't lose 4 fumbles per game, ya know?
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 15, 2026
September 16th, 2026 at 9:06 am
So true, if Baker Fumblefield didn’t fumble the game away we would be crowning him well worth the 55 million dollars. Just look at his stat line over 80% passing completion and 1 TD with his legs. Could’ve had 2, wish he threw 2 tuddies instead. Point being, get better ball control, get Cade Otton some gloves, and this game looks a lot different.
September 16th, 2026 at 9:06 am
I just think Zac is average and pretty much runs the same stuff he always does. I will say this though, If cade otton makes a wide open catch, i think its a whole different ball game. Not sure why we paid him.
September 16th, 2026 at 9:10 am
Well if Butter Hands Baker can hold onto the football we might actually be able to win games.
September 16th, 2026 at 9:11 am
Mike Evans used to drop a lot of wide open passes too. Difference is ME got 10 targets a game, Otten gets one or two. Yes he should have caught it, but 4 fumbles, ya think?
September 16th, 2026 at 9:16 am
When Robinson is the OC for a SB winning team, call me.
It’s hilarious how much shade Leftwich gets despite having been the OC for a championship team in 2020.
Bowles defense is like hot melted Swiss cheese and he is treated like the Pope.
No matter what happens Todd is never at fault to the Pom Pom squad.
And yes, I realize he was the DC on the same championship team in 2020.
But the hypocrisy of blaming all things on the OC is nauseating and pointless.
It’s the defense stupid.
September 16th, 2026 at 9:19 am
Thought the O was good. Moved the ball well got down the field
Butttt we all know can not have 4 turnovers!!!
September 16th, 2026 at 9:21 am
The Bucs early 21-3 hole that the fumbles put us in were devastating
It took Zac out of his game plan, he had to change his strategy
I’m 100% sure, Zac had the correct game plan
All we had to do was hold on to the ball
September 16th, 2026 at 9:26 am
Browns 31 Buccaneers 20, anyone care to bet me
September 16th, 2026 at 9:30 am
Crazy to think the Bucs are paying the following guys big money and all of them played awful in Week One
Baker, Wirfs, Vita, Winfield, Anzelone and Otten
You’d think a GM with as much experience as Licht would not be this bad building a competitive roster
September 16th, 2026 at 9:35 am
@Cosmo
Leftwich with and without Arians on the headset was a completely different playcaller
In 2020 the Bucs didn’t outscheme ANYONE on offense, it’s why they were killed by Dennis Allen and the AINTS, in the regular season. The Bucs in 2020 tried to out talent EVERYONE and they nearly did it again in 2021 except they got hit with injuries
In 2024, Liam Coen truly outschemed teams, it’s what the great OC’s do. He is still doing it in JAX.
Byron will NEVER call plays again at the NFL level. If he was this great play caller he’d be employed by another team.
September 16th, 2026 at 9:58 am
FTC, that’s exactly what I’ve been saying for several years. Both Bowles and Leftwich were very good when Bruce was looking over their shoulder. “Todd, do this and this and definitely NOT THAT”. Arians is way underrated as a HC and his legend grows larger the more we see of Bowles as his own boss.
September 16th, 2026 at 10:19 am
Nerds…
I’ll take the Bucs and 11 points.
Name the price? I’ll put whatever you wanna bet and that.
September 16th, 2026 at 10:41 am
I can’t believe on the podcast you both said there was a lack of creativity…
September 16th, 2026 at 10:45 am
@Fire The Cannons & Fire Todd
First, love the handle. Fire Todd from the cannons into the bay!
Second, you have to put the same criticism on Bowles for his Swiss cheese scheme.
Without Arians to smack his hands, Todd is unable to fool even rookie backup QB’s.
I fully expect Watson to light up the defense on Sunday.
September 16th, 2026 at 10:50 am
Byron Leftwich would blow leaves straight forward at all times without moving right to left.
September 16th, 2026 at 10:58 am
Hold up, someone want to bet on Deshaun Watson lighting us up?
@CosmoKramer: It’s your lucky day! Will give you 2 to 1 odds on any of these bets:
<250 yards passing
<2.1 TD’s
2+ TO’s by Browns QB
3+ sacks (in game)
Bucs Victory
Minimum bet $100 (to win $200)
September 16th, 2026 at 11:08 am
Yeah Robinson looked fine. Bowles defensive game was fine to. Neither cost the game and there is a long history of coaching costing games under Bowles.
Leftwich was the worst OC I have ever seen. It still doesn’t make sense to me how Tom lived with that and didn’t shove Byron in a locker and take over.
My only question is… the creativity shown with Egbuka early, moving him around and releasing him across the line from bunches seemed to disappear in the 2nd half, where did that go? Or was Baker too busy running for his life behind our porous line play?
September 16th, 2026 at 11:55 am
Clean the turnovers up and our offense will be fine.
September 16th, 2026 at 12:08 pm
First of all, Baker had 3 fumbles. 2 of them were him in the pocket, collapsing, and getting hit blindsided. One of those is ABSOLUTELY on Tristan Wirfs… the second, admittedly, Baker held the ball too long.
As for the last one, he probably should have slid after making the first down, but I’m not gonna fault him for trying to push to score. You can see him starting to cover up the ball when it got knocked out – he was just a second late…
This team will be fine. Even with 4 fumbles, they were 6 points from a win against a very good Cincy team. Even with 0 real sacks. We won’t lose 4 fumbles in a game again this season, and we probably won’t go with no sacks either.
Yes, there are things to fix (Anzalone – get your cleats right!) and things that will improve. But the arrow is pointing up, not down.
September 16th, 2026 at 12:32 pm
@Cosmo: You can change the name but the saaaaaaaaaaaaammmme old tired schtick gives you away!
September 16th, 2026 at 2:37 pm
“CosmoKramer Says:
September 16th, 2026 at 9:16 am
When Robinson is the OC for a SB winning team, call me.
It’s hilarious how much shade Leftwich gets despite having been the OC for a championship team in 2020.”
Lol. If you think Leftwich was anything more than the guy who relayed Arians’ calls in, you’re a fool. If anyone actually believed that, he’d have a job somewhere. Hell, even Grizzard caught on in Pilly.
The times he called offenses without BA holding his hand, he fell flat on his face – both here and in Az. Leftwich is hot garbage.