Back To The Future
January 31st, 2026
Get him the ball.
Back in his lone season running the Bucs’ offense, Liam Coen had probably the most complete offense Tampa Bay has seen outside of the two seasons the Bucs won the Super Bowl.
The Bucs ran the ball very well under Coen and threw it well. Offensively, there were few if any warts.
New Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson hopes to advance the Bucs offense by going back to 2024. That was the year Coen was here, and Robinson and Coen are close to twins in how they want an offense to run. Each became a made man in the NFL at the feet of Sean McVay.
But Robinson said another reason he wants to use a form of McVay/Coen’s offense is that most skill position players on the Bucs roster played under Coen and excelled under Coen.
So why wouldn’t Robinson want to bring back something proven?
“This is a group of guys that have a lot of continuity,” Robinson said. “They’ve played a lot of good football together.
“So, there will be some carry over, obviously from Liam [Coen] and I working together in [Los Angeles], the foundation and the beliefs that we have coming from Sean [McVay] and that system is definitely what we’re going to be all about.
“It’s a great group of guys, great group of coaches, and I’m just fired up to get an opportunity to coach these guys.”
Joe’s fired up to see Robinson get the ball to his best players. That Carolina game in Charlotte was disgraceful how the Bucs went ground-and-pound hoping the Bucs’ running attack, which wasn’t playing well to begin with, would take over the game behind a decimated offensive line when the Bucs had Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan.
To paraphrase Nick Saban, get the ball in the hands of your best players and good things happen.
January 31st, 2026 at 11:10 am
Love it.
SIGN MIKE!
January 31st, 2026 at 11:15 am
The missing ingredient was a healthy O-Line. Grizzards play calling was not wonderful, but look at the difference after Mauch and Bredeson went down. Hard to give Baker time when you have temu Michael Jordan and Dan F’ing-Feeney getting knocked around. I think depth and health on the line ruined this year.
January 31st, 2026 at 11:22 am
Coens offense was far better than the Brad Johnson led SB winning offense.
January 31st, 2026 at 11:36 am
Keep the offensive line and Baker healthy and this is a playoff team.
January 31st, 2026 at 11:36 am
Worst of all was the announcers knew we planned to run 30 times. They were saying it at the start of the game. SMH! GO BUCS!!!
January 31st, 2026 at 11:38 am
Hopefully Zach also learned and doesn’t call a late end-around reverse deep in enemy territory with a playoff game in hand.
January 31st, 2026 at 11:51 am
Klein couldn’t start over Michael Jordan, Haggard,or Feeney.
Why is Klein still on the roster?
So after Bredeson and Mauch, Klein was our #7 OG?
Bredeson is better at center. Barton at LG.
Why? Barton is faster. Better at pulling.
Brederson has bigger glutes and a stronger center of gravity.
Chukwuma also needs to learn LG and add 20 pounds.
You want to run the ball?
Nasty guards are needed.
January 31st, 2026 at 12:02 pm
People forget about the Koetter’s offense. We were top 2-3 every year with significantly less talent. DK gets a bad rap because he was too loyal to his old coach and then DC.
January 31st, 2026 at 12:12 pm
The Chickaneers.
January 31st, 2026 at 12:24 pm
Don’t get all this love for Barton at guard. Guy got blown up in the middle. Guard play is always physical, usually with a man in your face. If Barton can’t handle it as a center what makes folks think he’s going to take off at guard?
January 31st, 2026 at 12:50 pm
“Liam Coen had probably the most complete offense Tampa Bay has seen outside of the two seasons the Bucs won the Super Bowl.”
And instead of promoting him to the HC they stayed with Toad Bowels.
How’s that working out so far? Anyone…..anyone……anyone…..Bueller???
3rd and 28…….Fire Bowels Now!!!
January 31st, 2026 at 1:32 pm
Who was behind the ground and pound attack in charlotte? Who gave the order?
January 31st, 2026 at 1:39 pm
Joe … ‘That Carolina game in Charlotte was disgraceful how the Bucs went ground-and-pound hoping the Bucs’ running attack, which wasn’t playing well to begin with, would take over the game behind a decimated offensive line when the Bucs had Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan.’
The Bucs ran the ball exceptionally well in that game Joe … 33 rushes for 169 yards (5.1 YPC average) with 1 TD. Baker’s passing was actually very good that game … 18-of-26 (69.2%) with 1 TD but 1 INT also. The loss can be directly hung on the terrible play-calling when we were within scoring range. And oh ya, that INT with 49 secs to go on the Carolina 42-yd line when we had a chance to tie or go ahead didn’t help much either.
IMO the Run Game and Pass Game were excellent, but the play-calling when it REALLY counted sucked. And that’s a big reason why Griff is no longer our OC.
January 31st, 2026 at 2:44 pm
@ Please Says: “Hopefully Zach also learned and doesn’t call a late end-around reverse deep in enemy territory with a playoff game in hand.”
Yeah, probably a ‘rookie mistake’ in hindsight. It is such a routine play nowadays, that you wouldn’t even think twice, within the normal flow of a game. Especially, with those types of plays being such a major part of his/McVay’s system. And, after watching it succeed without a hitch in practice probably 136 outta 136-times. His major fault with the “play-call” though, was NOT taking into account HIS PERSONNEL. Either, he didn’t know about the history of his QB or just never considered-it even being a possibility!?
He schemed the play for a ‘rookie’ WR AND Baker Mayfield, during a big-moment in the ballgame. When, Baker has a HORRIBLE reputation of somehow, finding ways to give BIG-games away. In one way or another, HE WILL find ‘a way’ to flat-out CHOKE on national television. You Can Book-It! So, just for that alone, I cannot give Coen a 💯 pass on it. He should’ve known. Though, you would like to EXPECT proper ‘execution’ from your “franchise” QB. So, I’m not blaming Coen for that part of it. He called a play, and it was up to his PLAYERS to EXECUTE IT. They choked. But, blame goes to the QUARTERBACK. It’s not like it was some ridiculously complicated play. It was routine.
January 31st, 2026 at 3:57 pm
Thank goodness we kept iritable Bowles syndrome around and let Coen walk. Todd’s emotionless approach really inspires the team. At least his defense isn’t awful
January 31st, 2026 at 3:57 pm
Todd, I agree. I would definitely not call the Brad Johnson offense a high-powered offense.