Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. recovered a fumble on a sack by teammates Barrett Carter and Myles Murphy of quarterback Baker Mayfield and returned it 27 yards for the Cincinnati Bengals' first touchdown of the season during the first quarter of their NFL Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium.
The Bengals' Boye Mafe recovered another fumble, by running back Bucky Irving, on the Buccaneers' next drive. That turnover led to another Cincinnati touchdown a short time later.
"When you make the commitment that this organization has made on the defensive side of the ball, you don't expect to reap the benefits as quickly as this defense has done here in Week 1," Fox analyst Daryl Johnston said during the broadcast. "This is a completely
different defense than we saw last season."
Early in the second quarter, Barrett Carter forced a fumble that Bryan Cook recovered.
It's the first time since Sept. 2007 the Bengals' defense has had fumble recoveries on three consecutive drives.
Social media reactions to the Bengals' first score:
BENGALS WITH THE SCOOP AND SCORE!!!
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
TBvsCIN on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/XV5FjYppBP
A great series for the Bengals defense that started with a nice tackle by TJ Slaton on first down. Ended up a turnover for score.
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) September 13, 2026
The #Bengals defense scoring the first touchdown of the 2026 season is poetic after that offseason.
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) September 13, 2026
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Demetrius Knight Jr gives Bengals first touchdown of season | Reactions
