Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
0-0
35
FINAL
7
Cincinnati
Bengals
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a dominating season opener, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers topped the Cincinnati Bengals 35-7, establishing their presence in the 2026 campaign. The Buccaneers aimed to set the tone early, and they certainly delivered, showcasing their offensive prowess right from the start.
Steve Young led the charge for Tampa Bay, throwing for 170 yards and three touchdowns, proving to be an unstoppable force. On the receiving end, Terry McLaurin emerged as the standout target, racking up 72 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Jeremiyah Love contributed on the ground with 32 rushing yards, adding another dimension to the Buccaneers' offensive attack.
Defensively, the Buccaneers were equally impressive, highlighted by Nick Bosa's 1.5 sacks and Lorenzo Styles Jr.'s interception, which shifted momentum early in the game. The turning point came when Styles picked off a pass in the first half, setting up another touchdown and putting the Bengals in a hole they couldn't escape. With a relentless defense and a potent offense, Tampa Bay sent a clear message to the league this season.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Young | QB | 11 | 8 | 73% | 170 | 3 | 0 | 154.3 |
| Dak Prescott | QB | 12 | 7 | 58% | 70 | 1 | 1 | 68.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 5 | 32 | 6.4 | 14 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Steve Young | QB | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | — | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Corey Dillon | HB | 7 | 10 | 1.4 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry McLaurin | WR | 1 | 72 | 72.0 | 19 | 1 | 72 | 0 |
| Vincent Jackson | WR | 1 | 31 | 31.0 | — | 1 | 31 | 1 |
| Drake London | WR | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 22 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Luke Musgrave | TE | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Corey Dillon | HB | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 21 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Hunter Henry | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Devontez Walker | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| A.J. Green | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Zavion Thomas | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Bosa | DT | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | DT | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier McKinney | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jailin Walker | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Ransaw | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tim Tebow | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eli Manning | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evan Williams | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Laiatu Latu | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Bates | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Charlie Smyth | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| A.J. Cole | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

