The Cincinnati Bengals won their first game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Cincy defeated Tampa 33-27.
Joe Burrow had a good performance himself passing for 254 yards and a touchdown. Although Cincy got the win, Burrow still feels the team can improve. On the other hand, Burrow did have a pick-six that allowed Tampa to get back into the game.
“Joe Burrow: ‘If I didn’t have that interception, I’m feeling great walking out of here. You can’t make plays like that, so I got to get that fixed. Offensive line was pretty lights out. I thought we ran the ball, ran the ball well in spots, and you know, I got the got the ball to my guys in space pretty quickly,'” Mike Petraglia wrote on his official X account.
Defense Played Light Out
We have been asking for the Cincinnati Bengals defense to show up and they did just that. They forced four turnovers, including a crucial strip sack on Baker Mayfield in the fourth quarter.
“You felt their presence, all of them today,” Taylor said after the Bengals won their opener for the second straight year. “It was fun to watch those guys get in the action and create all those turnovers.”
“It was a win where all three phases contributed, something that could rarely be said about the Bengals over the past couple of seasons,” an ESPN article says. “Cincinnati scored 24 points off Tampa Bay’s mistakes. Three were committed by quarterback Baker Mayfield, who signed a $165 million three-year extension earlier in the week.”
What stood out was Cincy’s ability to get into the backfield to stop the run. The signings of Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence came in handy on Sunday.
In the ultimate gamble, the Bengals traded their 2026 first round pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence has been a dominant run-stuffer since coming into the league.
The 28-year-old run stuffer is a two-time First Team All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
Consistency Defensively Will Be Key
The Cincinnati Bengals signed DT Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $26 million contract worth a maximum of $28 million. Last season with the Vikings, Allen ended up playing in all 17 games. In his only season with the Minnesota Vikings, he racked up 68 total tackles to go along with 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
The important part for Cincy is for their secondary to hold up. The Bengals front line will be physical without any doubts, but can their secondary hold up late in games or when the team does not force 4 turnovers?
The Bengals ranked 26th in passing defense in 2025. They ranked 31st in total defense in 2025 and 32nd in rushing defense which is dead last. Cincinnati allowed 380.9 yards per game and gave up 60 total touchdowns.
In 2024, the Bengals ranked 25th in total defense. They ranked 21st in passing defense and 19th in rushing defense. Cincinnati allowed 25 points per game in 2024 and gave up 348 yards a game to opposing teams.
“I think this is the most talented roster that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Burrow said in May.“
Bengals’ Joe Burrow Sends Clear Message After Week 1 Game