Baker Mayfield returns to Ohio
Sunday will bring Baker Mayfield back to the state where his NFL career began. The Cleveland Browns selected Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he spent his first four seasons in Cleveland. He helped lead the Browns back to the playoffs in 2020. Mayfield is now entering his fourth season with Tampa Bay and has established himself as the face of the Bucs offense. Still, opening the season back in Ohio adds a little extra familiarity to the matchup.
Mayfield has had plenty of success against Cincinnati
Mayfield's history with the Bengals goes beyond his time in the AFC North. He owns a 6-2 career record against Cincinnati, with all eight of those meetings coming during his four seasons with Cleveland. One of his best performances came in 2020 when he threw five touchdown
passes in a 37-34 win over the Bengals. The teams look much different now, but Mayfield has consistently played well against Cincinnati throughout his career. He has also been excellent in season openers since joining Tampa Bay. Mayfield is 3-0 in Week 1 with the Bucs, throwing nine touchdowns without an interception. Tampa Bay has won five consecutive season openers overall.
Can the revamped pass rush make life difficult for Joe Burrow?
Tampa Bay spent much of the offseason trying to improve its ability to create pressure without having Todd Bowles constantly send extra rushers. The Bucs used the 15th overall pick on Rueben Bain Jr., added veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad, and welcomed David Walker back after he missed his rookie season with a torn ACL. Those additions join Yaya Diaby in a group Tampa Bay hopes can become much more disruptive in 2026. Joe Burrow and Cincinnati's passing attack will immediately test whether those changes have made a difference. With Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the outside, allowing Burrow to consistently operate from a clean pocket could put plenty of pressure on Tampa Bay's young secondary. If Bain, Diaby, and the rest of the front can generate pressure without Bowles having to rely heavily on the blitz, it would be an encouraging start for a defense looking to take a major step forward this season.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Storylines to watch: Bucs vs Bengals
