'It Was A Joy' - Dexter Lawrence Victorious in First Bengals Outing of 2026 Season

Cincinnati is 1-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time in a decade.

Sep 13, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) runs on the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dexter Lawrence had plenty to get hyped about at his locker after the Bengals won in his regular-season debut with the team. The mauling defensive tackle had just one quarterback hit in the game, but he affected Tampa Bay's plays all afternoon and helped make life easier on the Bengals' young linebackers, who shined with huge moments all afternoon.

Cincinnati is 1-0 after taking out the Buccaneers 33-27.

"Loud," Lawrence said about the home crowd. "I like that. Keep that coming. I like that. I just kept pumping them up every time I had the chance, so it was a joy."

Lawrence and the defense took the responsibility head-on and held Tampa Bay to 20 offensive points and forced four fumbles, including three by Baker Mayfield.

They likely won't force that many or recover every one as often as they did today, but they did more than enough to set Cincinnati up for success and lead for basically the whole game.

"We know the team goes as we go, so we put that responsibility on our back, and we knew we needed to play physical and strong and with a motor, and that's what we did," Lawrence said.

The whole message from the postgame vibes has been to keep proving things and turn the page to Houston next week.

"Gotta keep proving it," Lawrence noted. "We gotta continue to bring it. I think we are mature enough to know we can't allow all of that to hinder who we are. We just gotta be ourselves and go dominate."

Lawrence proved team owner and president, Mike Brown, right in his first chance on Sunday.

"He's unusual. He's a very big man, yet he carries himself like a smaller man, which is what you want. He can move easily and well, and he's powerful," Brown told Dan Hoard before the game. "It's hard for the opponent to handle him with a single blocker. That guy, if he's a single blocker, had better be very good. That's what he brings to the defense. He's effective against the run because he can penetrate. He is just powerful enough to push the blocker aside or get the edge on the blocker.

"And as a pass rusher, he gets real penetration. He can get deep in the backfield towards the pocket and the passer. He's an unusual player. We think he will benefit us, make us better, and give us the chance we are looking for to go all the way if we can."

Lawrence can seek his first sack and more against Houston next Sunday.

Check out the big fella's comments via CLNS Media's Mike Petraglia below:

Dexter Lawrence II “We know the team goes as we go, so we put that responsibility on our back, and we knew we needed to play physical and strong and with a motor, and that's what we did.” pic.twitter.com/tcFpOWWLUA

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 13, 2026

Sign Up For Our DAILY Newsletter for More Free Coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals Delivered to You Directly

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to check us out on your favorite audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon.