Surprising Zac Robinson stat reveals what Buccaneers’ offense could look like in 2026

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struggled offensively in 2025, resulting in the firing of offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard after just one season.

Their search for a new play caller led them to former Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson as the replacement. Robinson is a branch of the Sean McVay coaching tree, serving as a Rams assistant coach from 2019-23.

During that time, he overlapped with former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen and served as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator during Baker Mayfield’s stint in Los Angeles. 

There's a lot to be excited about as Robinson implements his scheme in Tampa Bay, but with the pads yet to come on, it’s hard to get a gauge on how this offense will look in 2026.

However, one telling stat offers a sneak peek at one major trend the Bucs can expect from Robinson’s play calling.  

Buccaneers’ offense could take a more aggressive approach under Zac Robinson

Ryan Paganetti is a Super Bowl-winning NFL strategy and analytics coach who has spent time with the Eagles, Jaguars, and Raiders.

He put together a chart analyzing how different play callers respond after an incomplete pass on first down. 

“The NFL’s most common overcorrection: Running on 2nd and 10 after a 1st down incompletion,” wrote Paganetti.

The data shows that teams are much more successful when they pass again on second-and-10, rather than running the ball after a first-down incompletion — and guess which offensive coordinator is the most aggressive in this category?

If you guessed new Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, you’d be correct. 

Last season in Atlanta, Robinson called a pass on 82.9% of second-and-10 plays following a first-down incompletion. Only four play callers in the entire league surpassed 70% in this metric, so Robinson was one of the NFL’s most aggressive offensive minds in this situation by a wide margin. 

That’s especially notable considering the Falcons had Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the backfield, giving Robinson more justification than most coordinators to lean on the run game. 

But Robinson stayed persistent, opting to give his passing attack another opportunity instead of pivoting to the ground game. This should be music to Bucs fans’ ears. 

Tampa Bay has a deeper wide receiver room than Atlanta, and a much better quarterback in Baker Mayfield. If Robinson was willing to put the game in the hands of Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins last season, he’ll have no issue sticking to that philosophy with Mayfield. 

One of the most frustrating things to watch as a football fan is when a team runs on second-and-10, only to set up an obvious passing situation on third-and-long. It allows the defense to pin their ears back and pursue the quarterback, putting the entire offense at a disadvantage. 

Robinson clearly understands that better than most, and with the Bucs’ offense built to run through the passing game, this feels like a match made in football heaven. 

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