The Bengals got the kind of Week 1 result that can fool people fast: a 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, four takeaways on defense, and an offense that looked competent enough to start 1-0 without much drama.
That doesn’t mean everything was perfect. Joe Burrow threw a pick-six, Ja’Marr Chase barely made a dent in the box score, and there are still roster questions hanging around the edges. But for a team that too often opens seasons with the offense sputtering and Burrow dealing with some kind of health issue, this was a welcome change of pace at Paycor Stadium.
The defense deserves the first big nod. If this group ends up as a top-15 unit in total yards allowed, that would be the highest such finish of the Joe Burrow era.
And after what happened Sunday, that kind of jump no longer feels far-fetched. Bryan Cook forced and recovered a fumble.
Boye Mafe forced a sack-fumble. Jonathan Allen added a sack.
Dexter Lawrence helped lock down the run game and made Baker Mayfield spend much of the afternoon trying to survive in the pocket. On top of that, Cincinnati’s second-year linebackers made their presence felt, with Barrett Carter forcing the fumble out of the end zone and helping set up Demetrius Knight Jr.’s scoop and score.
Joe Burrow also gave the Bengals something they haven’t always been able to count on entering a season: mobility. He ran five times for 20 yards, and that total includes a knee to finish the game. There were designed runs and some useful scrambles mixed in there, and just seeing Burrow move like that in Week 1 was a notable sight.
There’s also a case to be made that the offense should lean more on Dohnte Meyers. If the WR3 job is truly being settled on merit, Mike Gesicki may have taken a big step toward winning the argument with five catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Still, Meyers flashed enough to matter, finishing with one carry for 10 yards and one target that went for 18 yards while also handling return duties. Against the Texans in Week 2, the suggestion here is to deactivate Colbie Young, move Ke’Shawn Williams and Samaje Perine onto kickoff return, put Williams on punt return, and make Meyers a bigger part of the offense.
And then there’s Chase. Two catches for 12 yards would usually be the sort of line that drags the whole operation down.
Instead, Cincinnati still won comfortably enough that it almost makes the rest of the league nervous. If that ends up being Chase’s worst game of the season, the Bengals are in a very good place.
The under-center adjustment didn’t blow up either. That’s not nothing.
It looked like a change that could have been messier than it was, especially with a road trip to Houston coming next. But the Bengals’ veteran core leaned on experience and continuity to get through the new wrinkles, even against a Tampa Bay defense that was throwing plenty of complicated, unscouted looks at them.
It wasn’t flawless, but it was solid.
One part that probably should not repeat: Drew Sample getting three targets. He caught all three for 19 yards, but the production just isn’t there. He’s not offering much as a pass-catcher, and the question naturally follows: how is Jack Endries not active over him?
Taken together, though, this was the kind of opener that hints at something bigger. Week 1 can lie, sure.
But Tampa Bay is expected to be the favorite in the NFC South and a real playoff threat. For the Bengals to beat that team while their offense avoids the usual early-season slump and the defense forces all those turnovers is a strong sign.
They still have room to sharpen things up, but the early look says this is a Super Bowl team.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Incident Keeps Bengals Opener Under The NFL Spotlight
Joe Burrows season opener at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the kind of tense, physical edge that tends to follow the Bengals early in the year. Cincinnati still finished the night with a win, holding onto its lead and getting the result it wanted to start the 2026 season, but the game also included a moment that quickly drew league attention.
Tampa Bay safety Tykee Smith was flagged for a late hit on Burrow during the game, and the NFL is now reviewing the play for possible fines. For Cincinnati, it adds another layer to a win that already had enough significance on its own, with Burrow taking the opening-week hit and the Bengals still walking away unbeaten after one game. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Rookie Gave Week 1 A Feel-Good Moment Fans Loved
Landon Robinson made his first NFL game day feel a little different. The Bengals rookie defensive lineman showed up at Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wearing his Navy Service Dress Blue uniform, a sharp reminder of the path that brought him from Copley, Ohio, to Cincinnati after a standout college career at Navy, where he was named the 2025 AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Robinson, a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, earned a spot on the Bengals' 53-man roster as interior depth, even though he was inactive for the opener. For a team that values toughness and versatility up front, his arrival offered a feel-good moment before kickoff and a glimpse of a rookie whose story already carries a little extra weight beyond the usual first-year NFL introduction. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Just Handed Bengals Fans A Brutal Reminder
Baker Mayfields first game under his new deal with Tampa Bay turned into the kind of opener Cincinnati fans wont mind replaying. In the Buccaneers Week 1 loss to the Bengals, Mayfield put the ball on the ground three times, and one of those miscues went all the way back for a touchdown as the Bengals seized control early and kept the pressure on.
It was a rough reminder of how quickly a game can tilt when turnovers start piling up, especially against a defense ready to capitalize. Mayfield entered the season fresh off a new three-year contract worth about $165 million, a commitment that was supposed to stabilize Tampa Bay through the 2029 season, but his first outing only gave Cincinnati more reason to feel good about how that matchup unfolded. [Read more 🡒]