John Romano: Buccaneers stumble, bumble and fumble their way to a season-opening loss to Bengals

John Romano, Tampa Bay Times on Sep 13, 2026

Published in Football

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The final score was at least respectable. The performance was not.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers began the 2026 season by giving the Bengals a 33-27 win in Cincinnati. And we do mean the Bucs gave the game away.

For the first time in a dozen years, the Bucs lost four fumbles in a game. The Bengals took advantage by converting the four turnovers into 24 points.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield was responsible for three of the fumbles, the first time in his nine NFL seasons that he lost the ball that many times in a single afternoon.

The fumbles weren’t the only problem. Mayfield was constantly harassed by a Bengals defense that was one of the worst in the NFL last season. The middle of the Bucs defense played as if it was unaware that tight ends were eligible receivers. And a defensive line that drafted Rueben Bain Jr. in the first round, signed Vita Vea to a fat new deal and brought in a pair of free agents failed to generate much of a pass rush on Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.

It was the first time in Todd Bowles’ five seasons as head coach in Tampa Bay that the Bucs lost a season opener.

Game ball

Welcome to the NFL, Josiah Trotter. Leading the team in tackles in your first NFL game would have been a nice start by itself. Adding a sack sweetened the pot. But throwing in an interception with a 38-yard return for a touchdown made it a day to remember for Trotter.

Play of the game

Oh, Baker, Baker, Baker. You’ve got to love the fearlessness of the Bucs quarterback, but you cringe at the recklessness. The Bucs were in the red zone with a chance to cut Cincinnati’s lead to four points early in the second quarter when Mayfield scrambled out of the pocket. Instead of being content with a first down and sliding to avoid contact, Mayfield kept fighting for extra yards and fumbled into the end zone. The Bucs were chasing the Bengals the rest of the day.

Keep an eye on

The one certainty going into the season was the offensive line. It seems a little less certain today. Mayfield was sacked four times and was often under pressure when looking downfield. Two of Mayfield’s three fumbles were his fault — including one when he simply held the ball too long — but he did not get nearly enough help from his buddies on the line.

NFC South update

The good news? The Bucs were not the only losers in the division. The bad news? The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons both played much better than expected. Even with third-string quarterback Cooper Rush in a starting role, Atlanta hung tough in a 20-13 loss to Pittsburgh. The Saints scored in the final two minutes to tie the Detroit Lions and send the game to overtime before losing 31-30.

Up next

The very best cure for a season opening loss? Getting Cleveland in Week 2. The Browns were curb-stomped 34-10 by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and Deshaun Watson’s grip on the starting quarterback job should already be a topic of conversation.

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