Why isn’t Sean Tucker used more?

The most impressive thing Joe can say about Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is his wonderful ability to smoothly dodge direct questions.

In layman’s terms, Robinson is superb at calmly constructing word salad on the fly in weekly league-mandated press conferences.

The Bucs offense under Robinson has simply been dreadful. Thankfully, Robinson said this past week he is to blame, no one else. Joe found that refreshing.

So this week Robinson got peppered with questions about the use (or more accurately, nonuse) of running back Sean Tucker. The Bucs run game has been meh since Week 1.

The Bucs often admit they want to use Sean Tucker more, both KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles and Robinson himself. Yet week after week, Tucker hardly gets touches — or none at all. Curiously, the two men who could see to it that Tucker gets carries are both Bowles and Robinson.

So if you ask Joe, their weekly statements professing the desire for Tucker to get on the field more are nothing short of talking out of both sides of their mouths.

Bowles is the head coach. He can order Robinson to play Tucker more. Robinson runs the offense. Unless forced otherwise, he can direct Tucker onto the field.

What the hell is going on here? Under what sort of big tent is this circus performing?

If you want Tucker more involved, then do it! If you don’t, then quit saying otherwise.

Robinson yet again was asked about Tucker’s usage this week and he offered a large helping of word salad, in which he used the root word of “flow” three times in one response.

“Again, the flow of the game sometimes, when you’re in get-back-on-track [mode] and you’re in second-and-8-plus and [second-and-]9-plus and [second-and-]10-plus and third-and-longs, can disrupt that flow a little bit,” Robinson said.

He kept referring to “flow.” Joe knows you don’t want Tucker on the field in passing situations; he cannot block and he’s not the best pasing weapon.

In the Bucs’ second-last possession of the first half against the Packers, Tucker had all three of his carries within the span of four plays.

Tucker ran for no gain on third-and-one from the Green Bay-19. Then on fourth down ran for a first down, gaining eight yards. Two plays later, Tucker scored from two yards out.

Joe asked Robinson if that wasn’t the “flow” he was looking for. Robinson initially didn’t understand the question. Joe restated that Robinson said a “flow” of the game would determine Tucker’s usage. The Bucs just scored on a touchdown by Tucker, which was set up by a nice run by Tucker. Wasn’t that the type of flow he’s wants in order to get Tucker more touches?

Basically, Robinson said, specific players are scheduled to be used on specific drives. Tucker wasn’t set to return to the field.

“Yeah, I think those were situational plays that we had in,” Robinson said. “Then, it just so happened that we had the next guy up on the next series.

“But yeah, that’s where we’ve got to continue to evaluate when we can mix them in there. But yeah, it just so happened to be the next guy’s series up, and we roll from there.”

Next guy up? What the hell ever happened to the “hot hand” Bowles often refers to? Tucker just scored a touchdown!

Sometimes, Joe doesn’t think the left hand knows what the right hand is doing.

So who really decides if Tucker is or isn’t on the field? Robinson sort of explained.

“There are certain personnel tags that we will have within the game plan for all of our players to put them in different spots,” Robinson said. “Then, (running backs coach) Skip [Peete] does a great job of communicating, and we’re talking in between series like, ‘Hey Kenny [Gainwell] has got this next rack.’

“So, we’re kind of rolling. He’ll communicate when Kenny [Gainwell] is out or Bucky [Irving] is back in, but it is a very fluid situation, especially with the running back spot, knowing that if they get three plays in a row, hey, they’re gassed [and] they might need a blow.

“So, to answer your question, some stuff is personnel-specific, and then other stuff is just kind of the flow of the game, and you’re calling the stuff just on your normal down-and-distance stuff for whoever is in the game.”

If not using a guy who just played a key role on a touchdwon series for a struggling offense is not the right “flow,” then that sort of explains why this offense has become a joke.

Just for folks playing along at home, this offense has gotten worse each week. Yes, Joe knows a green-as-grass undrafted rookie being forced to start doesn’t help. The Bucs’ offense has scored 21, 19, 16 and 14 points (remember, six points scored by the Bucs in a 33-27 loss to Cincinnati in Week 1 was a Josiah Trotter pick-six.) That’s going backwards, not forward. That’s regressing, not progressing.

And that is very bad. And the main reason why this team is 0-4.