The Cincinnati Bengals sprinted out to a big lead against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then a few major miscues led to a close game before a 33-27 win.
Those Bengals entered the season with high expectations and, for one half of football, indeed looked like the dominant force most projected them to be.
Some Joe Burrow mistakes and little standard Week 1 stuff like missed tackles, though, let the Buccaneers scratch and claw their way back into it late.
Here are some quick notes, stats to know and takeaways from the game.
Bucs vs. Bengals notes
- Demetrius Knight scored the first touchdown for the Bengals all season after recovering a fumble. Great way for him to start turning things around in his second season.
- Bryan Cook and Boye Mafe were involved in the defense’s three forced fumbles in the first half. Talk about the big investments paying off right away.
- Mike Gesicki was a matchup nightmare for the Bucs. He led all Bengals targets well into the fourth quarter. That won’t be the case every week, but that’s what makes it so hard to prep for them.
- Ja’Marr Chase, on the other hand, had just four targets well into the fourth quarter. Fans will surely see talking points about that one all week.
- For all the good during the day, Joe Burrow had a disaster set of sequences that included taking a really bad sack to almost knock the team out of field goal range, then a stunningly poor decision on a pick-six.
Key stat
4: Number of turnovers by the Bucs. Or rather, number of turnovers forced by the defense. If nothing else, it serves as jarring proof that the Bengals have a capable defense again.
Top takeaway
Statement made: By the defense, that is. The Dexter
Lawrence-led unit looks like it can play with anyone, which is proof that Al Golden’s vision can pan out. Burrow’s offense needs to stop the bad mistakes that marred last season, but the other side of the ball finally has a pulse, at least.
What’s Next?
The Bengals hit the road and don’t come back until Week 4. They’ll go to Houston to play the Texans in Week 2 during a normal early-afternoon Sunday kickoff slot.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Instant analysis after Bengals beat Buccaneers in Week 1
