By By Ken Filler | Tampa Bay Sports Journal
CINCINNATI — There are easier places to begin an NFL season than Paycor Stadium against Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will get an immediate look at whether their rebuilt defense is ready, and whether they can become an NFC playoff contender again, when they open the 2026 season Sunday afternoon against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Both teams are attempting to recover from disappointing seasons.
The Buccaneers finished 8-9 after beginning the year 6-2, while Cincinnati missed the playoffs after Burrow suffered a toe injury that cost him nine games.
Now Burrow is healthy. Baker Mayfield has a new contract. Both teams believe they can return to the postseason.
The Bengals are 3½-point favorites, but the Buccaneers are not going to Cincinnati without a chance.
Mayfield has historically played well against Cincinnati, Tampa Bay has won five consecutive season openers, and the Bucs have enough offensive talent to make this one of the weekend’s most entertaining games.
Here are five keys to a Buccaneers victory.
1. Pressure Joe Burrow without exposing the secondary
This must be the foundation of Todd Bowles’ defensive plan.
Burrow is one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks when he has time to diagnose a defense.
He understands where the pressure is coming from, gets the ball out quickly, and throws receivers open before they finish their routes.
If the Buccaneers keep sending six or seven defenders, Burrow will eventually find the open area.
That would put enormous pressure on Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish, and Benjamin Morrison against Chase and Higgins.
The Bucs need Rueben Bain Jr., Yaya Diaby, Vita Vea, and the rest of the defensive front to create pressure without Bowles being forced to blitz on every important down.
Bain could become a major factor in his NFL debut.
The rookie consistently disrupted practices during training camp, and his power should test Cincinnati’s offensive tackles.
But getting close to Burrow will not be enough; Tampa Bay must finish plays.
Burrow will take hits to complete passes, but the Bucs cannot allow him to settle into an early rhythm.
Bowles understands the size of the assignment.
“Big challenge, huge challenge,” Bowles said. “Those guys have been together for a long time in that offense. Burrow and Chase have been together since college, so they’ve been doing it for a long time.”
The Bucs do not have to sack Burrow six times to win. They must make him uncomfortable, force him off his spot, and prevent Cincinnati’s deeper routes from developing.
2. Keep Chase and Higgins from creating explosive plays
The Buccaneer defense is not going to eliminate Chase and Higgins. The goal is to prevent them from taking over the game.
Chase caught 125 passes for 1,412 yards last season even though Burrow missed more than half the schedule.
He can turn a short completion into a touchdown, beat a corner deep, or win a contested catch along the sideline.
Higgins presents a different challenge. At 6-foot-4, he gives Burrow a large target in the red zone and can overpower smaller defensive backs at the catch point.
McCollum will have to play like Tampa’s No. 1 cornerback.
Parrish, who earned the starting job outside after spending much of his rookie season in the slot, must show that he can handle a difficult assignment without drawing penalties.
Morrison must remain ready when Bowles uses additional defensive backs.
McCollum is embracing the opportunity.
“You are going to have guaranteed opportunities,” McCollum said. “They want to get their season started 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.”
That confidence is encouraging, but the Buccaneers also need discipline. The corners must tackle after the catch, communicate through motions, and avoid letting receivers run free because of busted coverages.
The Bucs can survive Chase and Higgins making catches. They cannot survive repeated gains of 30 or 40 yards.
3. Establish Bucky Irving and the running game
The best way to slow Cincinnati’s passing attack may be to keep it standing on the sideline.
New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has made it clear the Buccaneers want to establish a more physical, consistent running game.
Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell give Tampa Bay two versatile backs who can run between the tackles, catch passes, and create mismatches in space.
Cincinnati rebuilt its defensive front during the offseason, adding Dexter Lawrence II and Jonathan Allen to a group that needed significant improvement.
Lawrence is one of the NFL’s most disruptive interior defensive linemen, so the Buccaneers cannot expect easy yards up the middle.
The Bucs must be willing to attack different areas.
That could mean outside-zone runs, misdirection, and quick passes to the backs that function as extensions of the running game.
Tampa Bay doesn’t need Irving to rush for 150 yards.
It needs enough balance to prevent Cincinnati’s pass rush from ignoring the run and attacking Mayfield on every snap.
A successful running game would also shorten the game, control the crowd, and help the Buccaneers win the time-of-possession battle.
Tampa Bay should not want Burrow throwing the ball 45 times.
4. Protect Baker Mayfield against Cincinnati’s rebuilt front
The Bengals spent the offseason rebuilding their defensive line because they knew their offense couldn’t keep winning shootouts every week.
Lawrence will demand double-teams inside. Allen brings veteran pass-rushing ability, while Boye Mafe adds speed off the edge.
Cincinnati wants to generate pressure with four defenders and leave seven players in coverage.
That makes this a major test for the offensive line.
Graham Barton will have one of the game’s most difficult individual assignments against Lawrence.
The guards must prevent inside pressure from getting directly into Mayfield’s face, while the tackles cannot allow the Bengals’ edge rushers to collapse the pocket.
Mayfield has historically played well against Cincinnati.
He went 6-1 against the Bengals during his time in Cleveland, producing a 113.8 passer rating in those games.
Since joining the Buccaneers, he is 3-0 in season openers with nine touchdown passes, no interceptions, and a 114.5 rating.
Mayfield is at his best when he can operate on schedule.
The Bucs must avoid putting him in obvious third-and-long situations where Cincinnati can unleash its rebuilt front.
The Buccaneers also need Mayfield to take what the defense gives him. He cannot force throws simply because Burrow is scoring on the other side.
This is not a personal competition between quarterbacks. The Bucs do not get extra points if Mayfield outthrows Burrow.
Protect the football, distribute it to the playmakers, and live to play the next down.
5. Win the turnover and red-zone battles
Mistakes often decide first-week games.
Timing is not always perfect. New players are adjusting to new systems. Penalties, missed assignments, and poor communication can matter more than talent.
The Buccaneers cannot give Cincinnati additional possessions.
Burrow, Chase, and Higgins are dangerous enough without Tampa Bay giving up short fields.
That means Mayfield must protect the football. The offensive line cannot allow strip sacks, and the backs must secure the ball in traffic.
Defensively, the Bucs must capitalize when Burrow gives them an opportunity.
One takeaway at the right time could change the game.
The red zone will be equally important.
Cincinnati has too many weapons for the Bucs to expect repeated three-and-outs. When the Bengals move inside the 20-yard line, Tampa Bay must force field-goal attempts.
On offense, the Buccaneers must finish drives.
Settling for three points while Burrow is producing touchdowns is not a formula for winning on the road.
Bowles summed up the challenge. “We’ve just got to line up and be very sound at what we do, and we’ve got to make plays.”
The bottom line
The Buccaneers do not need to play a perfect game to beat the Bengals.
They need the defensive front to pressure Burrow, the secondary to limit explosive plays, and the offense to control the game through Irving and the running attack.
Mayfield must remain patient, and Tampa Bay must win in the red zone.
The Buccaneers lead the all-time series 7-6 and have won five of eight meetings in Cincinnati, but the Bengals have won the last three matchups.
Eight of the 13 games between the teams have been decided by six points or fewer.
This one feels like another close game.
For the Buccaneers, a road victory would do more than produce a 1-0 record. It would show that last season’s collapse is behind them, that the defensive changes are starting to work, and that the Buccaneers can beat quality opponents again.
Cincinnati will move the ball, but I believe Tampa Bay’s improved pass rush will create one critical turnover.
Baker Mayfield’s history against the Bengals, 6-1 as a starter, and his success in season openers give the Bucs an edge in a close game.
The deciding play could be a late interception or fourth-down stop by Tampa Bay’s secondary, followed by a game-winning field goal.
I believe the Buccaneers have enough offense and a much deeper defensive front to pull off the upset.
Baker Mayfield has consistently played well against Cincinnati, and the Buccaneers have won five consecutive season openers.
Joe Burrow will make his share of plays, but the Bucs’ pass rush will force one critical mistake late.
Tampa Bay leaves Cincinnati with a statement victory.
Final score: Buccaneers 27, Bengals 24.
Game information
Matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals. Date:Sunday, September 13. Time: 1 p.m. ET. Location: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati. Television: FOX
