The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-27 Sunday at Paycor Stadium to open up the 2026 season.

The new-look Bengals defense forced fumbles on three straight Tampa Bay possessions in the first half, and LB Demetrius Knight Jr. returned the first one for the team's first touchdown of the season. Cincinnati took a 24-10 lead into the locker room after touchdowns by TE Mike Gesicki and RB Chase Brown. Gesicki finished the afternoon with five receptions for 78 yards.

Tampa Bay narrowed the score to a touchdown at 27-20 in the third quarter before two field goals by K Evan McPherson expanded the lead to 33-20. A late Tampa touchdown wasn't enough as the Bengals were able to possess the ball for the final 3:19 and win the game.

Cincinnati posted its most points in an opener since 2018 Sunday. QB Joe Burrow completed 25-of-35 passes for 254 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while RB Chase Brown recorded 16 carries for 56 yards and a score.

NOTES

Murphy's Strip-Sack Sets Up Knight's Scoop and Score

The Bengals' defense provided the first points of the season for Cincinnati midway through the opening quarter, as defensive end Myles Murphy strip-sacked Baker Mayfield and linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. collected the fumble before returning it 27 yards to the end zone. It marked the first fumble returned for a touchdown by the Cincinnati defense in a regular-season game since Week 18 of the 2021 season, when S Trayvon Henderson had a 29-yard return at Cleveland.

Murphy, the Bengals' first-round draft pick in 2023, is coming off a career-high 5.5 sacks in 2025. The play marked his first career forced fumble and Knight's first career recovery.

The score also marked the first fumble returned for a touchdown against Tampa Bay since Week 16 of the 2018 season. The Buccaneers had gone 118 games without allowing a fumble return TD.

Offense Cashes in on Mafe Recovery

A pair of free agent acquisitions teamed up to give the Bengals their second fumble recovery of the first quarter, as safety Bryan Cook knocked the ball free from running back Bucky Irving and defensive end Boye Mafe emerged from the bottom of the pile with possession. It marked the first forced fumble of Cook's career and the third recovery for Mafe. Both of his previous recoveries came in the 2023 season while playing for Seattle.

The play set up Cincinnati's offense at the Buccaneers' 33-yard line, which Burrow and company took advantage of with a seven-play drive ending in a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Gesicki. It was the 25th touchdown catch of Gesicki's career and his fifth with the Bengals.

Carter, Cook Team Up For Third Recovery of First Half

Cincinnati's defense tripled-up early in the second quarter, as second-year linebacker Barrett Carter tracked down Mayfield to force the ball free near the Bengals' goal line and Cook recovered in the end zone. It was the first forced fumble of Carter's career and the third recovery for Cook, who recovered a pair of fumbles in the 2023 season while playing for Kansas City.

The Bengals recorded fumble recoveries on three straight opponent possessions for the first time since Week 1 of the 2007 season, when they did so in the first quarter in a win over Baltimore.

Brown on the Board

Chase Brown scored Cincinnati's first rushing touchdown of the season on a five-yard scamper to boost the lead to 21-3 midway through the second quarter. The touchdown capped off a 12-play, 80-yard drive which saw the Bengals convert a pair of third downs.

Brown now has a touchdown in five of his past six games played, dating to Week 14 of last season. He has found the end zone a total of nine times in that span.

Mac Drills Two From Distance

Cincinnati opened the second half with an eight-play, 36-yard drive ending with a 55-yard field goal from Evan McPherson to increase the lead to 27-10. McPherson then nailed a 58-yarder later in the third to boost the advantage to 30-20. He now has 31 career made field goals from 50 or more yards, the most in Bengals history and tied for the fifth-most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2021.

McPherson also has made each of his last six attempts from over 50 yards in regular-season play, dating back to Week 12 of last season. Sunday marked his fifth career game with multiple made kicks of 50-plus yards.

Fourth Takeaway Leads to Another FG

Boye Mafe contributed to another Cincinnati takeaway when he sacked Mayfield early in the fourth quarter and knocked the ball free, leading to a recovery by defensive tackle T.J. Slaton Jr. The turnover set up an eight-play drive, ending with a 32-yard field goal by McPherson to extend the lead to 33-20.

The last time the Bengals had four takeaways in a game was last Thanksgiving, when they had five in a prime-time win at Baltimore.

McPherson finished the day with four FGs, increasing his career total to 123. He surpassed former kicker Horst Muhlmann (120) for the fifth-most made field goals in Bengals history.

Extra Points

• Jonathan Allen notched his first sack as a member of the Bengals in the third quarter, when on third down he dropped Mayfield for a loss of nine yards to force a Tampa Bay field goal attempt.
• Tight end Mike Gesicki caught five passes for a team-high 78 yards and a touchdown. He had three catches for 52 yards on a field goal drive at the end of the first half.
• The announced attendance figure for Sunday's game was 66,625, marking the fourth-largest announced crowd for a home game in Bengals history.

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