The Buccaneers' first game under Zac Robinson ended with a 33-27 loss to the Bengals, but the final score didn't tell the entire story of his debut as offensive coordinator. Tampa Bay's offense already looked noticeably different from the one it ran last season. According to Ian Hartitz, the Bucs ranked second in the NFL in pre-snap shifts and motion in Week 1 after finishing eighth in that category in 2025. Tampa Bay also ranked second in play action rate on dropbacks after finishing 29th a year ago.
The Bucs used motion and varied formations to force Cincinnati to adjust before the snap, while Robinson leaned heavily on play action rather than putting everything on Baker Mayfield in a traditional dropback passing game. Tampa Bay used play action on 60
percent of its first-down dropbacks and regularly operated from under center. Robinson also continued to introduce the wide-zone concepts the Bucs worked on throughout the offseason. Bucky Irving looked much more comfortable in the running game than he did for stretches last season, finishing with 45 yards and a touchdown on eight carries while adding another 48 yards as a receiver.
The Bucs joined the 49ers and Jaguars as the only offenses to finish Week 1 inside the top 10 in success rate on both dropbacks and rushing attempts. That balance was one of the things Tampa Bay wanted to improve after hiring Robinson. There were still areas that needed work. The Bucs produced only 305 total yards and didn't create many explosive plays through the air. More importantly, four lost fumbles repeatedly stopped drives and gave Cincinnati short fields. Three consecutive first-half possessions ended in fumbles, and the Bengals turned all three into touchdowns. Tampa Bay never punted, which gives a better idea of how often the offense was able to move the football before hurting itself. Robinson's first game wasn't perfect, and the Bucs still have to turn some of these new concepts into more explosive production. But there were clear differences in how Tampa Bay operated compared to last season.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Zac Robinson brings play action back to Bucs offense
