The Good, Bad and Ugly From Buccaneers' 33-27 Loss to the Bengals

It was a long wait, but on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally took the field again for regular-season NFL action.

The Bucs were faced with a daunting challenge right out of the gate, as they not only needed to hit the road for Week 1, but they had to take on what should be one of the league's most prolific offenses.

It wasn't the Bengals' offense that hurt the Bucs' defense in this game, though — it was their own. After losing four fumbles, the Buccaneers simply could not overcome the deficit they had created for themselves and lost 33-27 as a result.

Let's take a look at the good, bad and ugly that took place in this first game of the 2026 season for the Buccaneers.

Good

Josiah Trotter

Although he took some time to get adjusted in the first half, it ended up being quite a debut game for the Buccaneers' second-round pick out of Missouri, LB Josiah Trotter.

Based on the performance of the Bucs' LB's last season, it was no surprise to see Trotter earn himself a starting spot heading into this game. That being said, despite the 21-year-old's impressive offseason, he wasn't expected to deliver nine total tackles, a sack and a pick-six in his first career game. If this is a sign of things to come, it looks like the Bucs got themselves a steal with the 46th overall pick in the Draft.

Per FOX research, Bucs rookie LB Josiah Trotter is the first player in NFL history with a pick-six and a sack in his NFL debut.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 13, 2026

Bucky Irving

Coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw Irving miss a ton of time due to injury, there were questions about how he would look this year. Irving quickly put any concern to rest as he looked spry, elusive and played with great physicality in this game.

The Bucs were forced to abandon the run to a certain extent in this game, but Irving still managed to average 5.6 yards per carry on the day, totaling 45 yards and a TD on just eight rushing attempts. Despite the game script, Irving still proved to be the team's most dynamic weapon on offense, leading the team with seven receptions in addition to 45 yards receiving on the day.

Bucky Irving runs in for 6️⃣

TBvsCIN on FOX/FOX One pic.twitter.com/h0gNZUlkjZ
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

Cornerback Play

Heading into this season, the Bucs' cornerback room was widely considered the biggest question mark on the roster. That being said, Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison all held their own in what will end up being one of the position group's toughest matchups of the season. Not only did the Bucs' young CBs hold up in coverage, but they supported the run with strong pursuit and sound tackling — something that has plagued the team in recent seasons.

The Buccaneers' corners held the superstar WR duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to just 71 yards on 5 catches in this game. Unfortunately, they were let down by their own offense, which simply couldn't take care of the football.

Bad

Tristan Wirfs and Baker Mayfiel — Sep 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) congratulates quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) after a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Ball Security

The Buccaneers had four fumbles lost in this football game. Unfortunately, each of those turnovers led to points for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Baker Mayfield was responsible for three of those fumbles, with his second happening on the doorstep of the end zone and his third during a crucial drive in the final frame of the game when the Buccaneers trailed 30-20 and desperately needed to score.

Trench Play

The Buccaneers surely thought they would dominate both sides of the line of scrimmage in this game. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Although it should be noted that Tampa Bay's revamped defensive line didn't make the immediate impact that many expected, the Bucs' offensive line put together a really disappointing performance. Not only did they give up pressures and sacks at key moments, they also failed to generate consistent leverage in the run game.

Tristan Wirfs, in particular, had a really tough day. Arguably the best offensive tackle in the sport, Wirfs gave up multiple sacks in this game and two false starts in the second half.

Tristan Wirfs is really shaking off some rust today. Apparently he is human.
— Collin Haalboom (@SI_Buccaneers) September 13, 2026

Ugly

Baker Mayfield

Mayfield lost three fumbles in this game. We covered that already, and his OL did him no favors, but it's simply not acceptable for a veteran quarterback, fresh off signing the biggest contract in franchise history, to single-handedly hang his defense out to dry by not taking care of the football.

Mayfield made some plays in this game, as he does, but his inability to sense pressure in the pocket and get rid of the football cost his team dearly on this day. It's something that has plagued Mayfield throughout his career, and something that needs to change if the Bucs are going to have any hope of reaching their ceiling with him as the starting quarterback.

Wirfs has got Mafe 11 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Baker has got to feel space, step up and hear the clock screaming in his head. Terrible sack to take. https://t.co/y4LWFaXO3F pic.twitter.com/da8O7qML3I
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) September 13, 2026

Key Injury

Jacob Parrish was one of the few bright spots on Todd Bowles' defense last season. He was so good that, despite thriving as a nickel corner in his rookie year, the team decided to move him outside for Year 2. Parrish looked good in this game, highlighted by some great coverage on Ja’Marr Chase early, which included an excellent PBU at the front of the end zone in the first quarter. However, Parrish was forced to exit this game in the first half due to a back injury sustained while making a tackle.

Hopefully for the Buccaneers, the injury isn't serious and Parrish will be back in the lineup soon. If not, the team will be depending on second-year player Benjamin Morrison, who has a lengthy injury history himself, to hold down the fort.

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