The Bucs’ offensive struggles go beyond execution.

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has struggled to build a game plan that keeps defenses guessing, and Tampa Bay’s lack of success on opening drives has become increasingly concerning. Those first 10-15 plays are typically scripted opportunities for an offense to dictate terms and establish its identity. Under Robinson, the Bucs have struggled to do either.

In this week’s Slivon’s Slant, I examine the numbers behind Tampa Bay’s opening-drive struggles and share exclusive insight from right guard Cody Mauch on his recovery from last season’s knee injury and the offensive line’s progress.

Bucs’ Opening-Drive Struggles Expose Zac Robinson’s Offensive Issues

To understand how much the Bucs’ offense has fallen from its 2024 heights, I compared the first six games of Zac Robinson calling plays in Tampa Bay in 2026 with Liam Coen’s first six games as offensive coordinator in 2024. Using SumerSports to pull the numbers, the results paint a stark picture.

Through their first six games, the two offensive coordinators opened games very differently.

Under Coen in 2024, Tampa Bay’s opening drives produced three touchdowns, two field goals and one punt, averaging +1.93 expected points added (EPA) per drive. Under Robinson in 2026, those same six opening drives produced one touchdown, two field goals and three punts, averaging −1.05 EPA per drive.

Former Bucs OC Liam Coen and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Coen’s opening drives leaned more heavily on the pass to get quarterback Baker Mayfield into a rhythm, with 30 pass plays to 12 runs. Robinson has leaned more on the run, with 20 runs to 18 passes. The results tell a different story. Tampa Bay averaged 44.5 net yards on its opening drives under Coen, nearly double the 22.7 yards it has averaged under Robinson.

What I found particularly telling is how much the gap widened from Weeks 4-6. Coen’s offense scored touchdowns on all three opening drives during that stretch, with each possession lasting eight to 10 plays and covering 63 to 79 yards. Robinson’s offense, meanwhile, managed two three-and-outs and one 15-play touchdown drive. Granted, Robinson was operating with an undrafted free agent quarterback in Jalon Daniels rather than Baker Mayfield, so it’s not a surprise to see the skewed results.

I don’t want to dwell too much on the past and Coen’s success, but the results are difficult to ignore. Aside from Mike Evans being replaced by Emeka Egbuka and Rachaad White by Kenny Gainwell, much of the offensive personnel remains the same regarding the offensive line and the team’s weapons.

Bucs OC Zac Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The difference is how each offensive coordinator sequenced plays to establish rhythm and dictate tempo. Coen leaned more heavily on the pass early, helping Mayfield settle in while forcing defenses to account for multiple threats. Robinson has taken a more balanced approach, but the results have been far less effective. A strong opening script isn’t simply about gaining yards. It is about setting up the next play, exploiting defensive tendencies and creating manageable down-and-distance situations.

An offense’s opening possessions offer a useful look at how a coordinator intends to attack a defense before the game unfolds. Six drives are not enough to explain every problem, and execution certainly matters, but the gap between Coen and Robinson is significant enough to warrant scrutiny.

When an offense consistently starts slowly, it allows the defense to dictate the terms of engagement. Robinson has repeatedly pointed to defensive looks as an obstacle to establishing an offensive identity. But what is the offense doing to counter those looks? Adjustments are part of the coordinator’s job. The best play-callers force defenses to react rather than allowing opponents to dictate what they can run.

Bucs OC Zac Robinson and QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Too often, the play-calling feels predictable, leaning on first-down runs, screen passes and underneath concepts without consistently creating opportunities to attack defenses in different ways. An offense doesn’t need to throw deep on every possession to be aggressive, but it does need to make defenses account for more than what is directly in front of them.

That raises a fundamental question: Is Robinson doing enough to put his players in positions to succeed? At this point, the opening-drive numbers suggest he isn’t.

Coen’s opening drives showed how effective this offense can be when the script establishes rhythm and puts defenses on their heels. Robinson’s results have been markedly different, raising questions about whether his early-game approach is setting the offense up for success later in games.

Cody Mauch Discusses His Progress, How Bucs O-Line Is Coming Together

Although much of the Bucs’ offensive personnel remains familiar, the team is still trying to recapture what made it successful in 2024. Right guard Cody Mauch is a prime example.

Back in 2024, Mauch began to establish himself as one of the better guards in the league. Pro Football Focus’ numbers back that up, grading him as the 16th-best out of 77 guards. After missing most of 2025 with a season-ending knee injury, it has taken time for him to reach that same level of success. The first few games were not the smoothest as he attempted to shake off the rust, and PFF currently grades him 53rd out of 74 guards.

Bucs RG Cody Mauch – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Speaking with Mauch after Thursday’s practice, I asked him about where he is at. It sounds like each rep is helping him settle in.

“Getting there, yeah,” Mauch said. “It’s a process, especially coming back, missing most of the season. I just missed out on a lot of reps, practice, like, a lot of [individual] stuff too, you know, like technique and all that. It’s coming, takes a while, but yeah, you know, getting there.”

Mauch looking more like he did at his best would obviously serve him and the rest of the offense well. In a contract year, Mauch has the second half of the season to strengthen his case for a lucrative second deal — and whether the Bucs are the ones giving it to him. Given his athleticism and ability to climb to the next level, he is also central for Zac Robinson’s wide-zone running scheme.

While running Bucky Irving ran wild like an untamed horse in the Lone Star State, he was saddled with a difficult day against the Steelers’ front seven last week. Mauch said the offensive line has improved in pass protection in recent weeks but still needs to execute better in the run game.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I think you could tell [with] pass [protection] — we’re getting better,” Mauch said. “There are still a couple things in the run game maybe where it’s close but getting on the same page again in terms of pass pro, you know, passing off stunts. I’ve come a long way since that first game, so a lot of work to do yet, but I feel like we’re close.”

“When you know the runs are called, you got to execute them better. I get — you know, the flow of the game, sometimes you got to start to rely on the pass a little bit more and a couple drives there we were doing some more tempo stuff. We were marching down the field with some of the quick game, so I definitely understand that as well. Whenever runs are called, we just got to execute it up front.”

The 1-5 Bucs do not have an easy path to turn the season around. Six games in, and the team is already on its last leg facing the 3-2 Panthers. While much of Carolina’s success is a product of having the NFL’s fourth-best scoring offense, their defense has a few playmakers, too. They have gotten the most production from their front seven, with linebackers Devin Lloyd and Bobby Okereke leading the team in tackles and combining for three interceptions up the middle of their defense.

Add in the presence that defensive tackle Derrick Brown brings in the trenches, Tampa Bay will be tested, especially with right tackle Luke Goedeke being ruled out with a calf injury.

“A lot of good individual players,” Mauch said about the Panthers defense. “The linebackers are great athletes, not afraid to bring some, they got some power behind them as well. Then they just got a bunch of big guys up front. You know, there’s obviously the Derrick Brown’s of the world, he’s kind of in his own category but you don’t have many guys on the D-line under 300. They’re a bunch of big dudes. I’m excited for the challenge for sure. Yeah, they got a good front 7, so it’ll be fun.”

Closing Slant

Tampa Bay’s offensive problems can’t be pinned entirely on one player or one position, but Zac Robinson’s play-calling is a major part of the equation. His opening scripts have failed to establish rhythm, force defensive adjustments or give the offense a clear identity.

If the Bucs are going to turn this season around, Robinson must show he can do more than call plays — he needs a plan that consistently puts his players in positions to succeed.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

At the same time, Cody Mauch’s comments offer a reminder that the offense’s problems are not entirely confined to the coordinator’s headset. Coming back from a major knee injury takes time, and the offensive line is still working to regain its cohesion, particularly in the run game. Mauch believes the group is making progress in pass protection, but the Bucs need that improvement to translate into more consistent production on the ground and not just hoping for Bucky Irving to break one.

That becomes especially important against Carolina, where Derrick Brown and the Panthers defensive front will challenge Tampa Bay’s ability to win at the line of scrimmage. With Luke Goedeke sidelined, the Bucs have even less margin for error up front. Robinson needs to give his offensive line favorable looks and keep Carolina guessing, while the linemen must execute when the opportunities are there.

At 1-5, Tampa Bay doesn’t have much time left to figure things out.

The opening-drive numbers suggest the offense isn’t setting the right tone, Mauch’s assessment shows there is still work to do up front, and the Panthers present another difficult test. The Bucs need better offensive execution with Baker Mayfield returning as the starter, but they also need a more convincing game plan.

If Robinson can’t find a way to make defenses react instead of allowing them to dictate the game, the frustration surrounding this offense will only grow over the final 10 games of the season.