The Buccaneers went into the offseason needing the right answer at offensive coordinator, and they were prepared to bet on Mike McDaniel. Instead, McDaniel headed to the West Coast to work with Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert, and Tampa Bay turned to Zac Robinson after spending two seasons watching him run Atlanta’s offense from across the NFC South.
At the time, that looked like the sort of consolation prize teams talk themselves into after missing their top target. But one week into the season, the Buccaneers may have ended up in the better spot.
Robinson’s debut didn’t produce a clean, mistake-free masterpiece, but the offense moved with purpose. Tampa Bay consistently advanced the ball, and Baker Mayfield operated like a distributor, getting the ball out on time and letting his playmakers handle the rest. He finished with an 82% completion rate, and the passing game looked efficient from start to finish.
The Buccaneers leaned hard into play-action and pre-snap motion, two areas where they ranked near the top of the league in Week 1. Robinson also seemed to make better use of the team’s weapons than Josh Grizzard did a year ago.
The ground game held up too. Tampa Bay averaged 4.5 yards per carry, while Bucky Irving chipped in 5.6 yards per carry and a touchdown.
What kept the opener from turning into a bigger statement was the ball security. Mayfield lost three fumbles, and Irving added another.
Even so, the Buccaneers were only a one-possession loss away from turning a messy afternoon into a real offensive breakout. If those turnovers don’t pile up, this was the kind of game where Tampa Bay could have pushed past 30 points in Robinson’s first outing.
McDaniel’s new team did not enjoy that kind of start.
The Chargers were heavy Week 1 favorites at home against the Arizona Cardinals, but they were stunned 26-14. Herbert finished 17-of-27 for a 63% completion rate with a touchdown and an interception, and the offense never found a rhythm. On the ground, Omarion Hampton managed just 3.6 yards per carry and Keaton Mitchell finished at 2.3.
That was against an Arizona defense that allowed 28.7 points per game last season and was widely expected to be one of the league’s weakest units.
It’s only one week, and the story can change fast. But right now, Tampa Bay’s offense under Robinson looks a whole lot sharper than the Chargers’ operation under McDaniel.
In Other News...
Bucs Pass Rush Concern Just Got More Real With Rueben Bain Jr
Rueben Bain Jr. arrived with plenty of buzz in the preseason, and the Buccaneers had reason to believe the rookie could add some needed juice to a pass rush that has been searching for answers. But his first NFL game offered little immediate payoff, as Bain finished the Week 1 loss to the Bengals without a sack or pressure and with only one tackle, a quiet debut for a player Tampa Bay hoped could help change the feel of its front.
The bigger issue is that Bain is still adjusting to a new position, which adds another layer to a pass rush problem the Buccaneers could not solve against Cincinnati. One game is hardly the end of the story, but it does sharpen the question Tampa Bay brought into the season: how quickly can a young edge player make the leap from promising preseason name to someone who actually alters what opposing quarterbacks see on Sundays? [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers' Cade Otton Decision Already Looks Tougher To Defend
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The contrast only looks sharper when stacked against Isaiah Likely, whose own three-year, $40 million deal with the Giants was followed by a much louder debut. Likely turned in eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns, and he also drew a better run-blocking grade than Otton in 2025 from Pro Football Focus, making Tampa Bays decision at the position look more complicated than it did just a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Already Face One Big NFC South Question After Escaping Week 1
The Buccaneers got out of Week 1 with a win over the Bengals, but it came with enough sloppiness to keep the coaching staff busy. Baker Mayfield and Bucky Irving both turned the ball over multiple times, and Tampa Bay still had to sweat its way through a game that should have provided a cleaner opening statement. Even so, the Bucs avoided the kind of early setback that can linger in a division race, especially with the rest of the NFC South stumbling right alongside them.
Carolina, New Orleans and Atlanta also opened with losses, leaving the division logjammed at 0-1 and turning the next few weeks into a quick test of who can settle down first. For Tampa Bay, the bigger issue is not simply the win column, but whether those turnover problems were a one-week hiccup or the first sign of a tougher stretch ahead. The schedule is about to start sorting out the division, and the Bucs are already carrying a question every contender wants answered before September gets too far along. [Read more 🡒]