Facing offensive regression from a season ago, Tampa Bay turns to Zac Robinson to revitalize Baker Mayfield and a struggling ground game with Bruce Arians’ enthusiastic seal of approval.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense has a lot of work to do in 2026.
It needs to find a way to regain potency in the passing game, a task made much more difficult by the loss of wide receiver Mike Evans.
It must find a way for Bucky Irving to regain the explosive form he showed as a rookie, when he rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns. Irving regressed mightily in 2025, when he was healthy enough to be on the field. The second-year back only averaged 3.4 yards per carry, a full two yards less than the year before.
The offensive line suffered a huge regression of its own in 2025. If the Bucs are to truly be contenders this season, fixing the o-line's problems must be a top priority.
Even quarterback Baker Mayfield took a step backwards, finding it difficult to overcome the myriad of injuries suffered by his arsenal of weapons. Evans, Irving, and wide receivers Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan all missed significant time in 2025, putting Mayfield in a position where he tried to do too much to overcome those losses.
For Tampa to return to the top of the NFC South division in 2026, its new offensive coordinator must find a way to regain the success the offense had in years past.
Former head coach Bruce Arians believes the Bucs hired the right man for the job.
Arians Thinks Robinson Has A "Great, Great Future"
Arians was a guest on the Pewter Report Podcast last week and expressed his confidence in Robinson, saying the Bucs' new OC has a "great, great future" ahead of him.
“I don’t think there is any doubt he’s going to help a lot,” Arians said. “When you have at least three years of experience at the job, it’s so much easier. He knows what he wants to do. He’s failed. He knows how to correct it. He’s got the answers to the test. That gameplan he put on Thursday night against us last year was outstanding. To me, that’s when I would have gone straight to him, too [laughs]. I didn’t get asked about it, but I thought it was a great hire for us. I think Zac’s got a great, great future.”
Arians was referring to the Thursday game in December, when the Atlanta Falcons, with Robinson as OC, beat the Bucs 29-28. Atlanta's offense racked up nearly 500 yards in that game, with QB Kirk Cousins throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns to tight end Kyle Pitts, who finished with 11 catches for 166 yards.
Tampa blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in that game, which played a major role in the team missing the playoffs in 2025.
Arians has seen what Robinson can do for an offense, and is thrilled to have the 39-year-old standing on the Bucs' sideline now instead of the opponent's.
Final Thoughts
Robinson and the Bucs should be a great match. Tampa has talent everywhere on offense, and Robinson should be able to maximize it.
His offensive reputation is strong, especially coming from the Sean McVay-coaching tree. During his time with the Los Angeles Rams, Robinson famously got Baker Mayfield ready to play in a game only two days after joining the team.
Now Robinson gets to work with Mayfield again, and should be able to continue the magic they shared in their brief time together in LA.
A ringing endorsement from Arians is a great sign for Robinson's potential in Tampa. Arians has a reputation as a great offensive coach and has worked with terrific QBs Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, and Andrew Luck, among others.
The Bucs' offense should be fun to watch this season.
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