The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed enough in their 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals to feel like they could have won. Instead, four lost fumbles, shaky pass protection, and defensive issues underneath turned a competitive performance into a 0-1 start.
Tampa Bay finished with 282 total yards, converted five of 10 third downs, and never punted. The Bucs also fought back from a 21-3 deficit and had the game within six points late, but the turnovers kept Cincinnati in control.
Here are the Buccaneers' Week 1 grades by position.
Quarterback: C-
Baker Mayfield's game was almost a perfect reflection of Tampa Bay's afternoon. He completed 23 of 28 passes for 216 yards without an interception, added 30 rushing yards, and scored on a nine-yard run in the fourth quarter.
The number one problem for Mayfield was ball security. Mayfield fumbled three times and lost all three of them. One was returned 27 yards for a touchdown, another went through the end zone for a touchback near the goal line, and the third came on a fourth-quarter strip-sack while Tampa Bay was trying to complete its comeback.There is some living and dying by the sword with Mayfield. Part of what makes him unique is his willingness to fight through contact, extend plays, and create something when a play looks dead. When it works, everyone loves it. When it ends with the football on the ground, it looks reckless. Against Cincinnati, he pushed that line much too far.
Running backs: C+
Bucky Irving was one of Tampa Bay's most dangerous players, but his fumble keeps the grade down.
Irving carried eight times for 45 yards and a touchdown while catching all seven of his targets for 48 yards, giving him 93 yards from scrimmage. His vision stood out throughout the game, especially when he had to redirect runs after the initial lane disappeared.
His first-quarter fumble was costly. Cincinnati recovered at Tampa Bay's 33-yard line and scored seven plays later. Tampa Bay's first three lost fumbles ultimately turned into 21 Bengals points, including a defensive touchdown and two subsequent Cincinnati possessions.
Kenneth Gainwell added 15 rushing yards on five carries, but Irving was clearly the centerpiece on Sunday.
Wide receivers: B
Tampa Bay's receivers were solid, though no one completely took over the ball game.
Emeka Egbuka led the team with 63 receiving yards on five catches, while Chris Godwin caught all four of his targets for 40 yards. Godwin also produced Tampa Bay's longest offensive play with a 30-yard reception.
Rookie Ted Hurst gave the offense a spark late, catching three consecutive passes for 16, eight, and 12 yards during Tampa Bay's final touchdown drive.
It was a good overall performance, but not one where a receiver consistently changed the game.
Tight ends: C
Cade Otton finished with three receptions for 26 yards and contributed on multiple scoring drives, but he also left opportunities on the field.
Otton dropped a wide-open pass around midfield in the first half and committed a false start to begin the second quarter. There was enough production to keep the grade average, but the mistakes were tough.
Offensive line: C-
The run blocking was respectable, but the pass protection was not good enough.
Tampa Bay averaged 4.5 yards per rushing attempt, but Cincinnati recorded four sacks for 23 yards. Jonathan Allen's third-quarter sack forced the Bucs to settle for a field goal, while Boye Mafe's fourth-quarter strip-sack created Tampa Bay's fourth turnover.
Some of the pressure was on Mayfield for holding the ball while trying to extend plays, but the pocket still broke down too often. Tristan Wirfs also committed a fourth-quarter false start, while Cody Mauch had a holding penalty declined and later committed another false start during the extra-point sequence.
Defensive line and edge rushers: C
Tampa Bay showed a few flashes up front but never consistently made Joe Burrow uncomfortable.
Burrow was sacked once for nine yards, and Cincinnati finished with 351 total yards while averaging 5.6 yards per play. Yaya Diaby was active off the line, but didn't do much; Calijah Kancey generated decent pressure on a third down, and Vita Vea helped collapse the pocket on Josiah Trotter's interception.
Rookie Ruben Bain was a non-factor, but the Bucs will be patient with his development. Adjusting to NFL offensive linemen takes time, especially for a young edge player.
Linebackers: B-
Josiah Trotter had one of the best performances of any Buccaneers player, but the group as a whole was more uneven.
Trotter finished his NFL debut with 10 combined tackles, a nine-yard sack, an interception, two tackles for loss, and a pass breakup. He followed his first career sack by dropping into coverage on Cincinnati's next possession, jumping a pass intended for Andrei Iosivas and returning it 38 yards for a touchdown.
Alex Anzalone's first regular-season game with Tampa Bay was much rougher. The offseason addition from Detroit finished with seven combined tackles but slipped on multiple plays, was caught out of position at times, and did not look comfortable.
Tampa Bay also experienced communication issues during the game, though there is no confirmation that any headset problem directly affected Anzalone. Trotter's debut pulls the grade up, but the group was not consistent enough for anything higher.
Cornerbacks: B+
Tampa Bay's cornerbacks handled a difficult matchup fairly well. Zyon McCollum helped force Cincinnati's opening three-and-out by breaking up a third-down pass intended for Ja'Marr Chase. He finished with nine combined tackles and two passes defensed, while Chase was held to two catches for 12 yards.
Benjamin Morrison stepped into a larger role after Jacob Parrish left with an injury and responded with four tackles and a pass breakup. Todd Bowles also successfully challenged a 33-yard Tee Higgins reception that was overturned in the third quarter.
Safeties: C
Antoine Winfield Jr. finished with nine combined tackles, while Tykee Smith added four, but Cincinnati repeatedly found space underneath and in the flats.
Mike Gesicki finished with five catches for 78 yards and a touchdown, and the Bengals continued creating opportunities for their backs and tight ends in space. Smith also committed an unnecessary roughness penalty after a Burrow scramble late in the first half. The safeties were active, but the under-coverage was too inconsistent.
Special teams: A-
Chase McLaughlin made both field-goal attempts, including a 51-yarder, and converted all three extra points. Tampa Bay totaled 206 yards on seven kickoff returns, averaging 29.4 yards per return.
Josh Williams added a 47-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter, while David Walker made his presence felt in coverage. A false start during an extra-point sequence keeps this from being a perfect grade.
Overall grade: C
Tampa Bay did enough good things to win, but lost the game because of a few very big mistakes. The Bucs never punted, scored 27 points, and fought back after falling behind 21-3. Trotter looked like an immediate impact player, Irving was dangerous with the ball, and Mayfield made enough plays to keep Tampa Bay alive.
The four lost fumbles changed the game for the Buccaneers. The first three giveaways ultimately amounted to 21 Cincinnati points in some form, which was too much to overcome in a six-point game.
Week 1 showed what the Bucs can look like when things are clicking, but it also showed how quickly turnovers, pass protection issues, and defensive breakdowns can undo it.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs Week 1 report card: Grading every position vs. Bengals
