How Flexible Is Zac Robinson?
June 1st, 2026
Bucs OC Zac Robinson
A lot of folks are looking at how well the Bucs did two years ago on offense with Sean McVay disciple Liam Coen running it. They’re connecting the dots, thinking Baker Mayfield will light it up playing with another McVay disciple and tight friend of Coen, Zac Robinson.
Ted Nguyen of The Athletic is not one of those people.
A former high school assistant coach who now swims in stats for the New York Times’ publication, Nguyen looked at how Robinson ran the Dixie Chicks’ offense last year in Atlanta. He thinks Robinson is going to have to greatly adjust his methods to get the most out of Mayfield.
Otherwise, Nguyen fears, Mayfield may crash and burn.
With Mayfield, the Buccaneers have been a balanced offense using under-center concepts and play action. Robinson went under center at the second-lowest rate in the league in the last two seasons, opting for heavy pistol usage. He also called play action at by far the league’s lowest rate (9.8 percent). It’s even more baffling why the offense was called this way, given how strong the Falcons’ running game was: third in the rushing success rate in the last two seasons. Their running game also didn’t offer much variance. The Falcons were almost exclusively an outside-zone team, whereas the Buccaneers running game is at its best when it’s multiple.
Of course, Nguyen said he had to be fair: Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix are not the same type of quarterbacks.
Robinson may have been limited by Kirk Cousins’ lack of mobility coming off an Achilles injury and Michael Penix, but there is no question that Robinson must completely overhaul his formation variance, run game and passing game to get the best out of Mayfield and Tampa Bay’s offense.
If Robinson doesn’t adjust, Nguyen has a hunch the 2026 Bucs offense may look like the 2025 Bucs offense after the bye.
If Robinson can’t create easy buttons for Mayfield, the quarterback could resort to some of his worst habits, such as overrelying on scrambling, which can lead to injuries given his physical style.
Yes, Joe can see the comments now: But Joe, Robinson worked great with Mayfield in Los Angeles. Yes, he did. But remember who was the shot-caller there on offense: McVay.
Just because a guy was a high-level assistant for a successful head coach doesn’t mean the assistant will mirror that success.
For example, KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles was Bucco Bruce Arians’ right-hand man. Did the Bucs, the past four seasons, remotely look like the Bucs teams Arians had, either with America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, or Tom Brady?
June 1st, 2026 at 5:22 am
Did the Bucs under Bowles look remotely like the Bucs under Arians?
The answer would be ‘No’
June 1st, 2026 at 5:41 am
This question is make or break for the Bucs season.
The Bucs need motion, misdirection, play action, genuine RPOs and at least as many run plays as passes, specially on fourth down.
Having Baker in the shotgun trying to pass on three straight downs was a drive killer last season. Have Baker in the shotgun to pass on two point conversions was pretty much guaranteed failure last year.
Baker can throw deep tp devastating effect if it is set up first by running the ball at least 50% on every down.
That deep TD strike to Egbuka on the first play of OTAs worked because misdirection convince Morrison and Smith that the ball was going deeper to McMillan and left Egbuka open over the top. The Bucs must have misdirection at every level of the offense. Putting Baker in the shotgun and sending everyone on slow developing sch
emes got Baker clobbered for losses time and agains last year.
June 1st, 2026 at 5:46 am
This should read, “… at least as many run plays as passes, specially on THIRD and fourth downs.”
The few times the Bucs actually ran on third down, White ripped off some good runs. When they passes, Baker got sacked. Yes, the OL should be healthier and better this year. But, these things are true whether the OL is at 100% or 50% strength. Never make it easy for your opponent to do the right thing.
June 1st, 2026 at 6:24 am
Atlanta ran pistol a lot because of their immobile/inexperienced QB’s, that is no longer a thing, (I’m not even sure if motion is even useful in a pistol). Anyhow, running game will be a viable option this year, which makes everything ELSE easier
June 1st, 2026 at 6:34 am
We all knew it was a mistake keeping Bowles over Liam. He’s just got it
June 1st, 2026 at 7:28 am
No risk it No biscuit VS arms folded statue. NO IT does not look the same
June 1st, 2026 at 7:28 am
“Their running game also didn’t offer much variance. The Falcons were almost exclusively an outside-zone team, whereas the Buccaneers running game is at its best when it’s multiple.”
Out of everything said, this is what caught my eye. Coen thought the same thing starting out in ’24 and started integrating more gap scheme runs after seeing us have success from about mid-season on.
No matter what, it’s still up to our guys playing up no matter how Robinson goes about putting this offense together. Calls can be good, bad effort/job performance can make everything look bad.
June 1st, 2026 at 7:46 am
toopanca Says:
June 1st, 2026 at 5:41 am
That deep TD strike to Egbuka on the first play of OTAs worked because….
—————————————————————————–
…it was against a Todd Bowles coached defense!!
June 1st, 2026 at 7:50 am
BucEmUp Says:
June 1st, 2026 at 6:34 am
“We all knew it was a mistake keeping Bowles over Liam. He’s just got it”
Except none of us know if keeping Liam was even a possibility. He had no loyalty to the Bucs.
So your claim that it was a mistake might be ‘mistaken’
June 1st, 2026 at 7:56 am
If he is to succeed he has to adjust to the strengths of his players. You can’t put round type people into square holes. He’s friends with Coen. They were offensive coaches on the Rams team and good friends. Baker’s career was resurrected under the tutorledge of these two coaches.
Give Robinson a chance in training camp. Jason Licht sought out Bakers opinion before hiring Robinson. GIVE IT TIME TO RESONATE.
June 1st, 2026 at 7:57 am
In regard to Robinson, he made a lateral move to come to the Bucs, didn’t he? Why?
Surely, if he was that good, the dirty birds would have wanted to keep him?
Or…is the Falcons organization so bad that Robinson refused to renew his contact?
Personally, I wonder if Liam didn’t endorse the Bucs hiring Robinson. Or McVay.
He might be their planned candidate to replace Bowles. I don’t know. I’m all over the place right now. So many have so much to prove.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:00 am
On offense, I’m actually more concerned with Zach than the players. In 4 games last year his offense scored 10pts or less. The offense scored over 30pts once. His players gave him a C in the NFLPA survey. We need a lot of HOPE.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:40 am
Did the Bucs under Bowles look remotely like the Bucs under Arians?
No, but with a major caveat:
Bowles is a defensive-oriented coach. Arians is offensive-oriented. It would be far easier for Coen or Robinson to emulate McVeigh (all offensive) than it would be for Bowles to emulate Arians.
I did say “easier.” I didn’t say “easy.”
…also, at least a part of that gets down to how well the people on the field actually do the things they’re supposed to do.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:46 am
2 years ago Baker stayed healthy with quick reads and plenty of drop offs.
June 1st, 2026 at 9:46 am
If a team cannot run, it cannot win.
June 1st, 2026 at 10:28 am
Zac is an unknown. Will he have the good sense to adopt the Coen model using all the footage from ’24 to his advantage? Unknown. Coen took the stagnant offense left by Canales with the same players and transformed it into a quality unit. Coaching matters. Everyone is giddy that Zac comes from the same McVey tree as Coen, but that is no guarantee he will use a similar formula. The best advice Coen can give Zac is “watch my tapes Bro.”
Grizz did not have the experience or where with all to implement Coen’s scheme or he might have been under a leash from Bowles. The clear drop off after the bye has Bowles’ fingerprints all over it. Carolina game is a glaring example of his meddling. Hopefully, Zac will have learned from Coen and be immune to tinkering from the incompetent HC.
Good coaching is the key to improvement this year. The players on offense are available and have proven they can produce. The influx of new defensive players should be an upgrade. Hand picked by Bowles and JL, they have no excuse not to perform at a higher level this year. The raw material is on the team. The question is whether this coaching staff has the talent to use it properly. JL and the Glazers have made the bet that they do by retaining the HC. We will know soon.
June 1st, 2026 at 11:12 am
ModHairKen. “If a team cannot run, it cannot win”. So the last Tampa Super Bowl win came with a team that was 28th in the league in rushing. Good point ModHairKen.
June 1st, 2026 at 11:35 am
JUST SAY IT
The Falcon’s offense was statistically worse than the Bucs last year.
Zac isn’t a good offensive coordinator. He’s temporarily marketable because he comes from Sean McVay’s lineage.
We hired this guy because everyone else turned the Buc’s down. No one wanted to work for Bowles.
June 1st, 2026 at 11:51 am
100% spot on.
Robinson should replicate every thing Coen did in ‘24 to the last detail. Mayfield has to have guard rails.
If he does we’ll have a good shot at the division again. If he doesn’t our will total will be closer to the floor.