The Bengals opened the 2026 season with a win, and for once, the defense had a lot to do with it. There were some familiar warts along the way, but Cincinnati made enough plays to hold off Tampa Bay, 33-27, at Paycor Stadium.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher admitted he made a Ja'Marr Chase mistake at practice.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — When Ja’Marr Chase finished Week 1 with just two catches in the Bengals’ 33-27 win vs. the Buccaneers, the noise was immediate. Coach Zac Taylor talked about getting him more involved.

Over the last few seasons, one of the biggest concerns for the Cincinnati Bengals has been the health of their quarterback. Joe Burrow has failed to log more than 10 games in two of the last three years.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were defeated by the Cincinnati Bengals, 33-27 on the road to start the 2026 regular season. Defense: LB Josiah Trotter - 10 total tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 INT, 1 TD

The Cincinnati Bengals host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium on Sept. 13 and USA TODAY's NFL experts have locked in their picks for the action.

Cincinnati scored 24 points off Tampa Bay’s turnovers.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Bengals defense had quite the makeover in the offseason, highlighted by the trade for Dexter Lawrence II. And the first test was a tough one against Baker Mayfield, who had lost just twice to the Bengals in his career and usually played great against Cincinnati,

Gronk & Jules break down the 2026 Bengals defense's impressive debut and the Buccaneers shaky start in week 1.