The Bucs’ first game under Zac Robinson gave a pretty clear outline of what this offense wants to be. It also showed the limits of that plan when the execution slips.
Tampa Bay put up 20 points in a 33-27 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati, but that total undersells how many chances the offense created. One of the four turnovers came inside the Bengals’ 5-yard line.
The Bucs never punted. Every drive ended with either points or a giveaway.
And those four lost fumbles are on the players, not on Robinson’s play design or playcalling.
Even with the mistakes, there was enough on film to sketch the early version of this offense. The picture is built on screens, play-action and a run game that leans hard into wide zone concepts.
It worked in spots. It also came with built-in stress.
The screen game was a big part of the menu right away. Robinson called true screens on 14% of Baker Mayfield’s dropbacks, and Mayfield also threw behind the line of scrimmage on 11 of his 27 pass attempts, which was 39% of his throws. That was three more attempts than the short area and four more than the intermediate range.
The results were solid enough to keep using it. The designed screens produced a 60% success rate and three first downs, including two on third down.
But an offense that lives too often behind the line of scrimmage is asking for constant precision, and those throws usually do not turn into big plays. They can help.
They cannot carry the whole passing game.
Robinson was also aggressive with play-action, especially early. Tampa Bay dropped back to pass on first down 15 times, and 60% of those were play-action.
There were four more play-action snaps later in the game. The approach makes sense: play-action has better success and EPA than any other pass type.
The Bucs also went under center on 56% of their first downs, which fits that idea cleanly.
But the explosives never showed up. Tampa Bay had just four plays of double-digit yardage, and one of those was a designed screen to Cade Otton.
None of the passes went for 20 yards or more. The Bucs also took two sacks on play-action, which is not what you want from calls that are supposed to slow the rush.
A lot of the run-fake looks were rollout concepts that cut down Baker Mayfield’s options and funneled him toward the flat. On some flood calls, he took the flat read.
That’s where the concern starts to creep in. The concept is good.
The way it was packaged in this game often shortened the field for Mayfield instead of letting him attack it. If Robinson can keep the quarterback in the pocket more, use full-field reads and open up the intermediate areas, that side of the passing game should be there.
The run game, at least, offered some encouraging signs. The Bucs leaned into mid, wide and outside zone on 33% of their 15 designed runs.
Those plays produced 31 yards, a 60% success rate and 6.2 yards per carry. Three of the successful runs went for nine, nine and 10 yards.
Inside zone was steadier but less explosive. Tampa Bay’s three inside zone runs gained 12 yards total, averaged 4.0 yards per carry and posted +0.17 EPA per play with a 33% success rate.
The gap scheme that has been a reliable part of the run game since 2023 was the least effective of the bunch, finishing with four carries for 10 yards, negative EPA and no successful runs. The lone power run went for seven yards and positive EPA.
One thing to watch going forward is how Robinson divides the backfield work. Bucky Irving handled all five of the wide zone runs.
Kenny Gainwell took more than half of the inside calls. That raises an obvious question: is this becoming a split system, with each back tied to a different part of the run game?
If so, defenses may eventually start picking up on the pattern.
For now, Robinson’s debut looked like a mixed bag. The structure was there.
The execution was not. The offense appears to be built around wide zone, boot action and horizontal stress more than vertical shots.
That can keep things moving, but it also asks for clean execution over and over again.
On Sunday in Cincinnati, that was too much to ask.
In Other News...
Buccaneers May Have Found The Better Answer At Offensive Coordinator
Mike McDaniel was the name most closely linked to the Buccaneers offensive coordinator opening before he opted to join the Chargers, and that decision now looks a little different after one week of football. Tampa Bays offense under Zac Robinson showed real efficiency both through the air and on the ground, even with turnovers getting in the way, giving the Bucs reason to feel encouraged about the direction of the unit early on.
Meanwhile, the Chargers offense with McDaniel had a rougher opening against the Arizona Cardinals, which only sharpens the contrast between the two situations. It is far too early to draw any hard conclusions from one Sunday, but Tampa Bays first look under Robinson made the case that the better fit may already be in place, even if the offseason chase ended another way. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers' Cade Otton Decision Already Looks Tougher To Defend
Cade Ottons new contract was supposed to settle one of the quieter questions surrounding the Buccaneers offense, but his Week 1 showing made the discussion linger a little longer. After signing a three-year, $30 million extension, Otton finished Tampa Bays loss with three catches for 30 yards and had a notable drop, a start that did little to quiet scrutiny around how the Bucs are valuing him at tight end.
The comparison only gets sharper when Isaiah Likelys debut is in the mix. Likely, who signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Giants, opened with eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns, and Pro Football Focus also gave him a better run-blocking grade than Otton in 2025. For Tampa Bay, the issue is not just whether Otton can bounce back, but whether the extension already looks harder to justify than it did when it was signed. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Just Sent An Encouraging Message About Bucs Rookie WR
Ted Hursts first NFL game gave the Buccaneers something to look at beyond the final score. The rookie wide receiver was on the field for about 75% of the offensive snaps in the season opener against the Bengals, and he made the most of the opportunity with three catches for 36 yards. Todd Bowles came away pleased with what he saw, pointing to Hursts ability to create separation, work open when targeted and compete for contested throws.
There is still development ahead, as Bowles made clear, but the early usage suggests the Bucs are willing to trust Hurst quickly. For a young receiver trying to carve out a role, the combination of playing time and a solid debut matters, especially on a team that will keep looking for reliable options to complement its passing game. The question now is how much more the rookie can add as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]