Yes, The Bucs Offense Really Is Bad
October 8th, 2026
Former ill-suited Bucs OC Marcus Arroyo.
This is how bad the Bucs have fallen and how terrible of a job that Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has done.
Joe has remarked a couple of times how this Bucs offense under Robinson could be the worst Bucs offense since Joe launched this here website back in August 2008. So Joe started researching.
It is scary how bad this Bucs offense is.
The worst offense Joe could think of was in the 2014 season. You remember that season, right? It was lousy Lovie Smith’s first in Tampa.
And boy, that was a memorable season. The Bucs were so brutal they won the Chase for Jameis with the No. 1 overall pick, ending with a 2-14 record.
The Bucs offense, through four games this year, has scored 70 points, or an average of 17.5 points a game. In 2014, the Bucs offense scored 66 points through the first four games for an average of 16.5 points a game.
(Through the first four games, both the 2014 Bucs and 2026 Bucs had a pick-six.)
The 2014 season was a trainwreck before it started. Offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford became sick during preseason and had to have a stent inserted for a heart issue.
To this day, Bucs types believe Tedford milked his illness as a way to get away from Lovie, realizing he had made a major mistake taking the job. Depending who you talk to, he either resigned or was dismissed a short time later.
Tedford’s quarterback coach, one of his former quarterbacks when he coached San Jose State, ill-suited Marcus Arroyo, was promoted to offensive coordinator. He had only been an offensive coordinator for one season in his life, the previous year at Southern Miss. He had never called plays before, in college or the NFL.
(In an interesting crossing of paths, in Arroyo’s lone season at Southern Miss, he worked for Todd Monken, who was the Southern Miss head coach and playcaller. Two years later, Monken was hired by then-Bucs coach Dirk Koetter as Bucs receivers coach/offensive coordinator.)
Arroyo had little to work with. Aside from Vincent Jackson, Muscle Hamster Doug Martin, rookie Mike Evans, veteran guard Logan Mankins and a young, unpolished Demar Dotson, the Bucs offensive roster that season was made up of has-beens, never-beens and malcontents.
In other words, a far cry from the talent that Robinson has to work with.
Consider the Bucs’ offensive starting lineup in 2014:
QB Josh McCown
RB Doug Martin
TE/FB Luke Stocker
WR Mike Evans
WR Vincent Jackson
TE Austin Seferian-Jackwagon
LT “Sir SmokeALot” Anthony Collins
LG Logan Mankins
C Evan Dietrich-Smith
RG Patrick Omameh
RT Demar Dotson
And Robinson barely has more production as a veteran playcaller and a Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay disciple.
Bucs fans, if you recall, Arroyo also had to work with a backup quarterback as a starter. Second-string quarterback Mike Glennon started Week 4 in 2014 at Pittsburgh and the Bucs shocked the mighty Steelers for a 27-24 win.
Here is how both the 2026 Bucs and 2014 Bucs finished their first four games:
2014 Bucs
First four games
L Carolina 20-14
L St. Louis 19-17
L at Atlanta 56-14
W at Pittsburgh 27-24
2026 Bucs
First four games
L at Cincinnati 33-27
L Cleveland 23-19
L Minnesota 23-16
L Green Bay 17-14
So in 2014, with mostly a bunch of NFL livestock, a green-as-grass offensive coordinator had almost as much production as a veteran playcaller on a team loaded with high draft picks, stars and high-priced veterans.
Tampa, we have a problem.
October 8th, 2026 at 4:22 am
Great article for a walk down memory lane! I nearly forgot @ Jeff Tedford/Fred Sanford experiencing “chest pains” like so may of us then…and again now!
I’m not so sure that offense was less talented than this Licht lead current iteration. It certainly was a much cheaper ( inflation adjusted or not ) bunch. The Ring of Fire(d) bespectacled one will have full circle bookends to his time in Tampa…pending The Glazers doing the necessary thing.
The Zak Attack Prevent Offense only works vs a Bowles lead D…boosting the careers and pocketbooks of Kirk Cousins and Kyle Pitts just to name two.
October 8th, 2026 at 5:05 am
During his tenure as Bucs n Jets head coach, in this day n time with today’s aggressive coaches in the nfl, Bowles prefer to remain 70’s, stubborn n stuck in his ways of putting a conservative product on the field. He has the mindset of we score 6 n play defense n we win. The offense has no personality, (sounds familiar) just a stiff deer in the headlight look.Please I’m begging u Glazer brothers, throw in the towel with good riddance of Bowles now. It’s a no brainer that he can’t compete with the likes of McVey, Shanahan, McDonald, Siranni, Reid, n the list goes on. Please bring in Sean McDermont or Mike Tomlin to turn this ship around. I knew once Bowles inherited the team from BA that we were done. He inherited primarily the same team that was 12-5 with a hall of fame qb, n based on his coaching style, took them to 8-9 season. COM ON MAN!
October 8th, 2026 at 5:20 am
Gruden
October 8th, 2026 at 5:40 am
2014 had Mike Evans, Vjax, and muscle hamster.
2026 has backup slot receivers and a guy from D2. RBs that are the size of actual hamsters without muscle.
I’ll take 2014.
October 8th, 2026 at 5:46 am
This offense reminds me of the 2006 Jon Gruden offense
We averaged 13.2 ppg with one of the oldest and slowest offense ever
But, l believe we still have time to turn this offense around
This offense has some decent players, not great players
If they all come together and connect with the coaching staff
This could be a very decent offense
There’s still time to get it together
I’m pulling for them
October 8th, 2026 at 6:06 am
Everyone is Fat ,dumb and happy
The Bucs are right where they belong
October 8th, 2026 at 6:19 am
Very predictable offense, when you run on first and second nearly every set of downs. If you aren’t getting enough explosive plays from the running game, its time to mix it up.
October 8th, 2026 at 6:19 am
Talking about new HCs on October 8, wow.
Please ppl, Tomlin = Bowles. He gets into the playoffs and loses.
If you want Gruden, go back and look what he did to the Bucs in his time, loser.
Don’t know much about these guys, but I like how their offenses are doing
Grant Udinski (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Nate Scheelhaase (Los Angeles Rams)
And for those who want a defensive head coach (I think you are crazy, but whatever), and much, much better choice than Tomlin would be Brian Flores (Minnesota Vikings), who just visited our lovely city
October 8th, 2026 at 6:23 am
A trip down memory lane (during the 90’s before and during the early Dungy years), the Bucs averaged 16.0 points a game, bouncing along the bottom of the league for the entire decade. That’s right – the decade.
We’re not there – yet…. But we’re certainly sliding down into that abyss….. and it appears our coaching staff has no answers.
October 8th, 2026 at 6:38 am
Wow! This was a sobering reminder of how much the Bucs have really sucked! Some interspersed success but for the most part sucked. Oh the number of lost home games I spent hours at the stadium watching.
October 8th, 2026 at 6:38 am
Jose, you keep writing these things and Zac gonna stop talking to you.
The difference in talent is not as great as you think. But that is not a knock on the current group. Guys are in the NFL for a reason and these weren’t preseason only stiffs 2014. A lot of those guys could have been backups on a good team but they found a starting position on a bad team. And there were a few bona fide very good players. Coaching and the QB were the big difference there. Hmm, same as this year.
Players need to be able to see a positive future (you could call the hope) to be able to really make that extra effort. That was lost last year and won’t come back without serious change. If LovieBowles had street cred as an HC then you change the players. Here and now, as we all know, you will have to change the coach.
October 8th, 2026 at 7:28 am
Robinson needs to go after tonight’s game in Dallas. When we’re in the stands calling plays that’s just not good.
But…. Here’s a bigger issue.
Guys got paid and are comfy. Generational wealth guaranteed. No need for and clearly no demonstrated urgency, intensity. Why do players have their families on the sidelines during warm ups. They’re hugging and kissing their kids before they head into the locker room where. They’re supposed to be putting on their game face, getting ready to knock the snot out of the other team. Just wrong.
October 8th, 2026 at 7:35 am
We have pretty much the same personnel that made up the third best offense in the NFL 2 years ago. …
October 8th, 2026 at 7:47 am
Joe Bob Pigskin Says:
“Gruden”
If you mean as head coach, no.
No one will hire him as head coach for his return to the NFL.
As Offensive Coordinator? He wouldd certainly be a huge improvement. But…
…he could be so good that he could save the season. That could save Todd Bowles. Do we really want that?
h
I DO think Gruden should be preparing a plan for a return to the NFL. Get a playbook ready.
Because the next head coach would be smart to hire him as the OC.
October 8th, 2026 at 8:28 am
We can’t pass block.
Our WRs are bad. They don’t get open.
Our TEs are very unreliable pass catchers.
Zack Robinson sucks. Always has.
Yup. In the pass heavy NFL, your team won’t win 6 games with those problems.
I don’t care who your QB or RB is. It won’t matter.
October 8th, 2026 at 8:28 am
And now that Zac is gone Atlanta’s offense has taken off. Wait till they lay a 45 burger on us.
October 8th, 2026 at 8:30 am
Saying Pretty much the same without ME13 is a bridge too far.
Why do you think the WR production is so drastically down and TE up?
Because ME13 drew the #1 Corner every snap mostly
The TE increase is due to lack of separation by WR’s
October 8th, 2026 at 8:32 am
I’m not sure how throwing interceptions, fumbling the ball, missing open receivers is on Zac robsinson lmao. Zac is the least of the Bucs issues. Our offense is simply not good and way overhyped. Your mad at Zac Robsinon because Cade otten can’t catch a football? Maybe the head coach or GM should get a TE on the team that can do more than stand at the line of scrimmage
October 8th, 2026 at 8:34 am
And that 2014 offense would embarrass this 2026 offense. Doug Martin, young ME, Vjax. Are you kidding
October 8th, 2026 at 8:40 am
It seems like Robinson has a deep down hatred for the Bucs and is sabotaging their season. He has OC experience with the Atlanta Falcons and the Bucs thought they were getting an upgrade over Grizzard.
They got a poke in the eye instead.
October 8th, 2026 at 8:42 am
Please remind us all who took that #1 overall draft pick and chose an absolute bust of a supposed franchise quarterback in Crab legs Winston???
That would be the resident beer keg on legs Jason Licht.
He is responsible for constructing the roster and hiring the coaches.
Bowles contract extension and Robinson hire are his fault alone.
And I remember both Joes and Ira glazing Robinson as an offensive upgrade.
How’s that prediction going so far???
October 8th, 2026 at 8:44 am
Zac will have back to back HCs fired
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 8th, 2026 at 8:54 am
They should come out tonight on the first play in a heavy run look and take a deep shot to Tez or Ted. Even if it’s not completed or draws a DPI, you at least send a message.
That being said, I fully expect a run up the gut on first down with 9 Cowboys sitting in the box.
Then everyone will say “the oline sucks, we can’t run the ball”.
I can hardly wait
October 8th, 2026 at 9:10 am
I wonder if Zac was overjoyed with the talent he was getting and the plays would just call themselves. I can see Todd giving him the heave ho under the bus.
October 8th, 2026 at 9:13 am
ZRob has “quiet quit”… similar to Tedford, he took this job and after 3-4 months of TBowels he realized this is a one year ride. Why not get some time off and rest before next season by eventually getting let go as scapegoat (see Grizzard). He realized there is no future here. The entire staff is sad and the fact that you cannot fire Todd because there is absolutely no one else on the staff that can be interim HC falls on Jason Light.
October 8th, 2026 at 9:15 am
@813: Bowels is getting himself fired. PERIOD.
October 8th, 2026 at 9:45 am
Yes! We have a problem. And is not Mike leaving!!!!!!!! SMH
October 8th, 2026 at 9:48 am
I am so confident in Todd Bowles and Zac Robinson that I picked up the 32nd ranked defense in Dallas and will start them tonight against the Bucs.
October 8th, 2026 at 10:54 am
Evans, V Jax, hamster
Some pieces there
October 8th, 2026 at 11:02 am
Great job Joe, really a well put together piece.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:05 am
We need a new OC from outside the organization to save this season.
October 8th, 2026 at 11:44 am
egbuka is a fraud. he has no dog in him at all. trade him now!!
October 8th, 2026 at 11:47 am
@ Baldwin Bucs Fan :
Better yet we need an OC who could possibly step up into the HC position in 2027!!
Don’t get me wrong I still believe the Bucs have a lot of potential, they just have too much talent to be this bad. Someone simply needs to turn all that potential into wins by thinking and coaching creatively !! Easier said than done at this point in the season.
But what a difference a young energetic and creative coach makes in a very short amount of time. As demonstrated by Coen and the Jaguars!!
Nevertheless I’m pulling for our Bucs tonight in Dallas!!
Go Bucs !!
October 8th, 2026 at 12:21 pm
Thank you Lakeland!
October 8th, 2026 at 12:38 pm
Lakeland can fix all the problems. Never has a fan been more on point.
October 8th, 2026 at 1:59 pm
Tampa Bay is the only team this season that has amassed fewer than 200 net passing yards and 150 net rushing yards in every game heading into Week 5, per NFL Research.
October 8th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
Thin at WR and RB….