There was plenty to like about the Buccaneers' offense in Zac Robinson's first game calling plays. Tampa Bay moved the ball throughout Sunday's 33-27 loss to Cincinnati and showed some of the balance Robinson spent the offseason trying to bring back to the offense. The problem was that the Bucs repeatedly stopped themselves. Three consecutive first-half possessions ended with fumbles, and Cincinnati turned all three into touchdowns. What could have been a very different game quickly turned into a 21-point swing, forcing Tampa Bay to spend the rest of the afternoon trying to recover.
Still, Baker Mayfield completed 23 of 28 passes for 216 yards while Tampa Bay finished with 305 total yards. The Bucs produced from several parts of the offense,
including a Mayfield rushing touchdown and 40-plus yards from both Godwin Jr. and Egbuka. Rookie Ted Hurst had three straight receptions for 36 yards while Bucky Irving looked much closer to his rookie form, turning eight carries into 45 yards and a touchdown while adding seven catches for 48 yards. His involvement as a receiver was also notable, especially with Robinson showing he isn't afraid to leave Irving on the field in passing situations.
There were also signs of the movement and creativity expected from Robinson's offense. Tampa Bay used different formations and personnel groupings to get the ball to its playmakers in space. The Bucs weren't struggling to create offense as much as they were struggling to finish possessions without giving the football away. Tampa Bay scored 27 points despite losing three fumbles, and the offense still gave itself opportunities to get back into the game after falling behind. Take away even one or two of those turnovers, and Robinson's first game as offensive coordinator probably looks much different. There are still things to clean up, particularly protecting the football and executing crucial blocks to set plays up. But in its first game with a new offense, Tampa Bay showed it could move the ball and create opportunities.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs turnovers ruin Zac Robinson debut
