September 23rd, 2026
Where was he throwing?
On Sunday, when the Bucs host the Vikings in a game that very well could decide if the Bucs are still in the hunt for a playoff berth or will be watching the playoffs from a beach bar in the DR, Joe hopes KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles does something unusual.
During pregame warmups, Joe hopes Bowles asks Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to take a walk with him at The Licht House, on the field.
Bowles would escort Robinson to the middle of the field near the goal line. Bowles would then put an arm around Robinson like a father would, sharing wisdom with his son and, as Bowles points toward the goalposts on the far end of the field, say to Robinson softly, “Zac, the end zone is over there.”
Then Bowles would wave his free arm motioning towards the sidelines and say, “Zac, the end zone is not over there… or there.”
It seems Robinson thinks it’s cool and swift to throw short passes not just behind the line of scrimmage, but five yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Sometimes having Baker Mayfield throw to a running back just three steps away. Mindless!
The Bucs’ offense currently averages 19 points a game (remember, six of the Bucs’ points scored Week 1 was a pick-six by Josiah Trotter). That’s not good.
And unless Robinson wises up and figures out it might be smart of him to use the quality receivers he has and maybe start throwing some intermediate passes to keep the chains moving it may lead to more points.
Guys can’t get open? Scheme ’em open coach; that is why you get paid so much Team Glazer loot.
In the NextGen Stats chart below, you can see the obscene number of times Mayfield threw — flipped? — short passes to his left way behind the line of scrimmage.
Field goals don’t win games; touchdowns do. And last Sunday the Bucs pulled a classic let-the-other-team-hang-around-and-make-a-play-in-the-fourth-quarter-to-win by kicking field goals in the first half.
All the scoring the Bucs had against the Browns in the first half was field goals. Three of them.
Todd Monken couldn’t have asked for a cleaner plate for the Bucs to set for him at the dinner table.
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