The Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) refused to let an offseason full of high expectations go to waste.
In front of 66,625 fans at Paycor Stadium, the Bengals beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-27 in their home opener on Sept. 13.
Here were the biggest takeaways from the Week 1 victory:
Bengals defense shows substantial improvement
After one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history on the defensive side of the ball in 2025, the Bengals showed they won’t be the punching bag of the NFL this season.
Cincinnati forced three fumbles in the first half on defense, and added one more turnover in the second half. Linebackers Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight, defensive ends Myles Murphy and Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook all contributed to the turnovers.
The Bengals’ offense got off to a slower
start, and it was Cincinnati’s defense and the turnovers generated that changed the momentum.
Last season, the Bengals were -3 in turnover differential.
One game into the season, the Bengals have as many defensive touchdowns as they did last year. In 2025, the Bengals had only one.
Two of Cincinnati’s four turnovers led to points for the Bengals’ offense. The Bengals finished with four fumble recoveries, half of what they had for the entire season last year.
Each of the Bengals’ marquee free-agent signings made their presence known. Veteran defensive end Jonathan Allen registered his first sack with the Bengals on an important third-down play nearing the end of the third quarter to force a field goal.
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence constantly pushed the pocket and created pressure on Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield.
And Mafe and Cook both had fumble recoveries. Mafe's first sack also resulted in a forced fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle T.J. Slaton as the Bengals eliminated Tampa's momentum at a critical point in the fourth quarter.
It was as good of a debut for the Bengals’ newcomers as they could have hoped for.
Mike Gesicki shines for Bengals’ offense
After a rather quiet offseason and preseason for tight end Mike Gesicki, it was hard to predict what his performance in Week 1 would look like.
Gesicki made the most of his opportunities in the first half catching five of his seven targets for 54 yards and one touchdown.
His play ignited the Bengals on offense. NFL defensive coordinators will now have to pay closer attention to Gesicki in addition to wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase.
It was a quiet day at the office for Chase and Higgins who combined for five catches on 71 yards and zero touchdowns.
There’s only so much a defense can do when trying to defend as many weapons in the passing game as Cincinnati has.
Joe Burrow puts together up and down performance
Joe Burrow didn’t play his best game against the Buccaneers. There was some good and bad from Cincinnati’s quarterback in Week 1.
He completed 25 of 35 passes for 254 yards. Burrow threw one touchdown pass and was also responsible for a costly turnover.
Burrow’s interception late in the third quarter allowed the Bucs back into the game. He was picked off by Tampa linebacker Josiah Trotter, who returned his interception for a touchdown.
Trotter’s touchdown brought the Bucs within seven points with one quarter to go.
Evan McPherson proves he’s back to being a weapon for Bengals’ offense
Evan McPherson was clutch all day.
McPherson made all four of his field-goal attempts, with two coming from 50-plus yards out. He accounted for 12 of the Bengals' 33 points.
Given the ebbs and flows of Sunday’s game, McPherson showed consistency when his team needed it most.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals beat Bucs in season opener thanks to their improved defense
