CINCINNATI (AP) — The Bengals' new-look defense forced four turnovers — including its first fumble recovery for a TD since 2022 — Joe Burrow passed for 254 yards and a touchdown and Cincinnati defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-27 Sunday.
Evan McPherson had three field goals, including from 55 yards and 58 yards, as the Bengals won their opener for the second straight year.
Linebacker Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook, both signed in free agency, had
big games. Both had forced fumbles and recoveries while Mafe also one of Cincinnati's four sacks.
Burrow completed 25 of 35 passes. After a three-and-out on the opening series, the seventh-year franchise quarterback directed the Bengals to points on six of their next seven drives. The only hiccup was a pick-6 by Tampa Bay rookie linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.
Cincinnati scored 24 points off Tampa Bay's mistakes. Three were committed by quarterback Baker Mayfield, who signed a $165 million, three-year extension earlier in the week.
Mayfield was 23 of 28 passing for 216 yards. Two of the fumbles came while he was sacked and another on a scramble when the Buccaneers were on the verge of scoring.
Mayfield's 9-yard scramble TD pulled the Buccaneers within six with 3:19 remaining, but Cincinnati ran out the clock. Burrow's 18-yard completion to Tee Higgins to the Bucs 26 on second-and-10 put it out of reach.
It is the first time Mayfield has lost an opener in his four seasons with Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay scored on its first possession when Chase McLaughlin made a 34-yard field goal, but the Buccaneers turned it over on their next three possessions. Cincinnati converted all three fumbles into touchdowns.
Mayfield rolled right when he was sacked by Myles Murphy and Barrett Carter at the Buccaneers 26. Demetrius Knight picked up the loose ball at the 27 and went up the sideline for his first NFL touchdown.
It was the Bengals first scoop and score since Sam Hubbard's 99-yard touchdown in a 2022 wild-card round game against Baltimore. It also marked the third time that Cincinnati's first touchdown of the season has been supplied by the defense.
Burrow's 2-yard TD pass to tight end Mike Gesicki came seven plays after Boye Mafe recovered Bucky Irving's fumble at the Bucs 33.
Cincinnati extended its lead to 21-3 midway through the second quarter on Chase Brown's 5-yard run. The Bengals got the ball on their 20 after Cook recovered Mayfield's fumble in the end zone after linebacker Carter stripped the ball out of Mayfield's hands at the Bengals 4 as the nine-year veteran was trying to stretch for extra yards.
Trotter became the first player with a sack and pick-6 in his first game since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.
Both plays came in the third quarter. The second-round pick brought down Burrow for a 9-yard loss before jumping the route on a pass intended for Andrei Iosivas and ran it back 38 yards to get the Buccaneers within 27-20 with 2:16 remaining in the quarter.
Buccaneers: CB Jacob Parrish tweaked his back during the second quarter and did not return.
Buccaneers: Host Cleveland next Sunday.
Bengals: At Houston next Sunday.
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