Zyon McCollum didn’t exactly tiptoe into Week 1.
The Buccaneers cornerback spent the week talking up Tampa Bay’s secondary and putting Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense on notice ahead of their season opener. McCollum said the ball is going to be in the air, and in his view, that means it belongs to the Buccaneers.
"They want to get their season started off right and they are looking to get into a rhythm early so the ball is guaranteed to go into the air and a ball in the air belongs to us," McCollum said to Tampa Bay media. "We know that we are going to get tested early and this is an incredible opportunity for us and there will be no better feeling than when you take away three, four interceptions."
That is a loud prediction, especially with Burrow on the other sideline. McCollum, who became a starter for Tampa Bay in 2024, has three interceptions over the last two seasons. Now he’s calling for three or four picks in one game.
There is some history behind the confidence. Burrow has not exactly come out firing in Week 1 during his career, posting 1,151 total yards across six games with a five-to-five touchdown-to-interception ratio. His roughest opener came in 2022, when he threw four interceptions in a loss to the Steelers.
That slow-start trend has lingered around Burrow, and the quarterback knows it has to change.
"You've got to play fundamentally sound football early in the season," Burrow said. "Your tempo in and out of the huddle, your substitutions, your play calls have to be correct, early in the season, that gets you so far."
Burrow also pointed to a Bengals offense that should look different this year. He said the unit has more ways to win now, and that Cincinnati’s defense should help make that possible.
"We're going to draw back and throw it, but I think we're more versatile this year on offense, where you know we can win in several different ways," Burrow said. "I think our defense will allow us to be able to be versatile in that way."
That sets up a very different kind of opening act for Cincinnati if the new approach shows up right away. McCollum made his challenge clear, but if the Bengals offense comes out balanced and efficient, those words could land right back in Tampa Bay’s lap.
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