The Bengals opened Week 1 with the kind of win that can calm a lot of nerves fast. Cincinnati’s 33-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium was messy in spots, but it also felt like a different kind of Bengals team - one with a defense that could actually carry some of the load when Joe Burrow hit a rough patch.
Burrow did have the costly mistake that let Tampa Bay back in it. His pick-six, taken back by Josiah Trotter, cut the lead to 27-20 in the third quarter.
But the bigger picture was hard to miss: Cincinnati kept answering, and the new-look defense kept piling up splash plays. Four turnovers.
Real pressure. A much sturdier group than the ones Bengals fans have been stuck watching in past seasons.
Burrow’s day still had plenty to like, especially considering the result. He was protected well, he used his legs on a few smart runs, and Cincinnati ran the ball well enough to keep the Buccaneers honest. The wild part is that the Bengals still won even though Ja’Marr Chase finished with just 12 yards on two catches - a scenario that would have felt impossible in earlier years of the Burrow-Zac Taylor era.
A big part of the story was what happened around him. Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr., two second-year linebackers who came into the season with real questions attached to them, looked ready for the moment.
Carter handled the green-dot role and was everywhere, including a touchdown-saving tackle on Baker Mayfield that helped set up a touchback fumble recovery by Bryan Cook. Carter also had a half-sack on Mayfield before the fumble that Knight scooped up and returned for a score.
Knight’s takeaway was one of the biggest plays of the afternoon, and Cook kept making his presence felt after that. In his Bengals debut, the former Kansas City defender forced a fumble on Bucky Irving that led to a touchdown and later recovered Mayfield’s fumble in the end zone. For Cincinnati, that’s exactly the kind of physical, tone-setting work the secondary was supposed to get from him.
Evan McPherson added his own punch. He hit field goals from 55 and 58 yards, plus another from shorter range, and both long kicks mattered.
One came when Cincinnati was up 27-20, and another helped stretch the lead to 27-10 on the first second-half possession. If Week 1 was any sign, Money Mac is back to looking like the version that flashed as a rookie.
There were still some sloppier edges, especially up front. The Bengals were flagged for four offsides early, with Jonathan Allen lined up in the neutral zone twice. Those are the kind of mistakes a veteran defensive line should clean up quickly.
Even so, the defense did enough to turn the game into a statement about how much better this group looks. The line produced multiple sack-fumbles that led to turnovers, Knight’s score changed the game, and Tampa Bay was kept relatively one-dimensional.
Mike Gesicki also made his mark in the passing game. With the Buccaneers paying a lot of attention to Chase, Gesicki became the release valve and the biggest Bengals receiving threat of the day. He finished with a team-high five catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.
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Joe Burrow Incident Keeps Bengals Opener Under The NFL Spotlight
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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 🡒]
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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
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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 🡒]