Zac Robinson's offense
Zac Robinson's offense
It was the same story on a different day for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs fell to the Green Bay Packers 17-14 on Sunday, marking. the 10th consecutive one-score game the Bucs have played in, and they’ve lost eight of those games.
Tampa Bay is now 0-4 for the first time since 2013, when the Bucs finished that season 4-12. Tampa Bay has now lost 11 of its last 13 games overall, including 13 straight losses against the spread.
There has been one recurring theme with Tampa Bay this season, and that has been an uninspiring Bucs offense.
Zac Robinson’s Offense Fails Tampa Bay Once Again
New Quarterback, Same Results
The Bucs had a new signal-caller under center against Green Bay.
Undrafted rookie out of Kansas, Jalon Daniels made his first career NFL start and the first start by an undrafted quarterback in Bucs franchise history. It was a mixed bag for Daniels on Sunday, as he completed 19 of his 27 attempts for 148 passing yards and a touchdown. He also added eight carries for 55 yards.
Daniels did throw two critical interceptions against the Packers. Safety Evan Williams picked off Daniels in the first quarter, while linebacker Edgerrin Cooper intercepted Daniels in the second quarter. The Packers scored 10 points off the interceptions.
The turnovers have been a debilitating trend for the Bucs’ offense this season. Tampa Bay has nine turnovers this season, the second most in the NFL. Its -1.3 turnover margin per game ranks 27th in the NFL.
It’s the third straight game in which the Bucs have scored fewer than 20 points. Tampa Bay has only surpassed 300 total yards in a game once this season.
Zac Robinson’s Offense Can’t Get Going
When the Bucs hired Zac Robinson as their offensive coordinator this offseason, they were hoping he would create an offense that would maximize their existing personnel.
Instead, the Bucs’ offense has sputtered all season long.
With their backup quarterback, Tampa Bay desperately needed to establish a strong rushing attack. The Bucs rushed for a solid 141 yards on 4.5 yards per carry.
However, Daniels accounted for 39% of that output, with many of those yards coming on scrambles as opposed to designed runs.
Bucky Irving was the Bucs’ leading rusher Sunday with 61 yards on the ground. This season, Irving has 56 carries for 241 yards and a touchdown.
However, Robinson and Irving haven’t been able to unlock explosive runs on offense. Irving’s longest run against the Packers was seven yards, and he only has one run of 20 yards or longer this season. That’s a stark contrast from the last time Irving was healthy, in 2024, when he burst onto the scene with explosive plays.
Robinson has also failed to unlock free-agent acquisition Kenny Gainwell thus far. Gainwell has only 26 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards through four games this season. Last season, Gainwell was one of the league’s best running backs in the receiving game. He also averaged 4.7 yards per carry. This year, he’s down to 2.0 yards per carry.
The Bucs’ pass-catchers have also struggled to get going. Tampa Bay’s leading receiver this season is tight end Cade Otton, who has 156 receiving yards. Otton’s output ranks 66th in the NFL in receiving yards this season.
Wide receivers Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka are both averaging fewer than 40 receiving yards per game.
A big part of the receivers’ struggles has been the Bucs’ inability to keep their quarterbacks upright. Tampa Bay’s quarterbacks have been sacked 16 times this season, the most in the NFL.
The Last Word
It’s been an atrocious start for Zac Robinson’s offense in Tampa Bay.
The Bucs’ offense doesn’t look explosive, and Robinson’s play calling has been off the mark. His game plan has not worked through four games, and he wasn’t able to help an undrafted rookie quarterback in their game against the Packers.
The majority of players along the Bucs’ offense have not played up to the standard expected of them. However, Robinson is very clearly not putting this offense in a position to succeed.
As staff changes likely loom with the Bucs starting 0-4 in a make-or-break season for head coach Todd Bowles, it’s not unrealistic to think that Tampa Bay could be searching for its sixth different offensive coordinator in six seasons this offseason.
More NFL News:
NFLPA Calls Out NFL Official After Viral Trey McBride Exchange
Cowboys Pull Off Clutch Win in Houston
Main Photo Courtesy of Jonathan Dyer – Imagn Images