With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sitting at 1-5, it’s time to make a coaching change — but not the one you’re thinking of.
While Todd Bowles rightfully catches a lot of flak for the team’s 4-13 record dating back to last season, he’s had his defense playing good football this year.
It’s the other side of the ball, coached by offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, that is holding the Buccaneers back this year. Robinson’s offense is even worse than last year’s unit, which led to Josh Grizzard getting fired after just one season with the team. Robinson is hurtling toward a similar fate.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to make a change at offensive coordinator
Through six weeks, the Buccaneers rank 25th in the NFL, scoring just 19.8 points per game and 24th with 292.7 yards per game.
They’re one of only eight teams scoring less than 20 points per game and one of only nine teams generating less than 300 yards per game.
Last year, for comparison’s sake, the Buccaneers ranked 21st in total offense with 320.4 yards per game and 18th in scoring with 22.4 points per game.
It’s not just the results that are concerning though, it’s the entire process. The offense as a whole is predictable, and the passing offense is extremely conservative.
Jalon Daniels completed 22 passes in Week 6, and only four of those completions were more than 10 yards downfield. The passing attack is almost exclusively built on short gains, with no plan to attack defenses vertically.
The defense was incredible for three quarters on Sunday, making life miserable for Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense, but the offense didn’t do its part to complement that defensive effort. Tampa Bay scored just six points through six drives in the second half. That played a big part in the fourth quarter collapse, as the defense was on the field for over 13 minutes of the final frame.
It’s been a recurring issue throughout the season, as the offense continues to waste gems pitched by Bowles’ defense.
Todd Bowles’ defense isn’t the Buccaneers’ problem
So far this season, the Buccaneers rank No. 5 in total defense, and are one of only five teams allowing under 300 yards per game. They’re the NFL’s second-best rushing defense and No. 20 against the pass.
They rank in the middle of the pack in scoring defense, allowing 23 points per game. But when an offense is one of the league’s worst units, failing to score points and repeatedly turning the ball over, the defense is bound to wear down over the course of the game.
This is the best defense the Bucs have fielded in several years. They sacked Aaron Rodgers five times on Sunday and recorded an interception, and it still wasn’t enough to win.
More on this: NFL teams with 5+ sacks had been 11-1-1 this season entering today's games. Lone loss before Bucs today: Houston vs. Cincinnati in Week 2. https://t.co/e2wAfdPcE1
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) October 18, 2026
According to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, NFL teams with five or more sacks were 11-1-1 on the season entering Week 6, and the Buccaneers became just the second team to lose when pulling off such a feat. The Buccaneers themselves were 14-1 dating back to 2020 when recording five or more sacks in a game.
That’s a brutal indictment of the offense. Zac Robinson’s unit has held this team back all season and wasted some impressive outings by the defense. It’s time to consider making a change at offensive coordinator, or at the very least, giving someone else a shot to call the plays. Let’s see what QB coach Chandler Whitmer can do with play calling duties — it can’t get much worse.
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