The Cincinnati Bengals are on the brink of host Tampa Bay on Sept. 13 because the common season will get underway at Paycor Stadium.
Tampa and Cincinnati enter the season with excessive expectations. Each groups underachieved in 2025, successful a mixed 14 video games. The Buccaneers and Bengals are standard picks to win their respective divisions and have not performed one another since 2022, making for an intriguing Week 1 matchup.
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Here is what the Bengals should do to beat the Bucs and begin the season with a win.
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Rating early and do not enable Bucs’ move rush to get rolling
Tampa Bay’s head coach, Todd Bowles, is understood for the totally different stress packages he makes use of in a sport.
Bowles has the respect of the Bengals’ teaching workers and gamers.
“Todd has been doing it for a very long time,” head coach Zac Taylor stated of the Bucs’ coach. “Todd’s received loads of respect for the stress they placed on you. He is received the items he likes. Makes it difficult for an offense.”
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Yaya Diaby, Vita Vea and rookie Reuben Bain are three gamers who’re most definitely to trigger points for Cincinnati’s offensive line. Diaby led the Bucs with seven sacks final season. Vea is thought to be one of many prime inside defensive linemen within the NFL, with 4.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss in 2025. Vea signed a one-year extension with the Tampa forward of the season after requesting a commerce.
The Bengals might want to get the ball out of quarterback Joe Burrow’s arms shortly, and if Cincinnati can rise up on Tampa early, it can negate the Bucs’ skill to achieve momentum with their move rushers.
Comprise Bucs’ standout broad receiver Emeka Egbuka
Veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield is able to taking on a sport when he is in rhythm with former Ohio State standout broad receiver Emeka Egbuka.
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In his rookie season, Egbuka proved he is an elite expertise within the NFL catching 63 passes for 938 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Bengals cornerback DJ Turner is probably going to attract the task of holding Egbuka in verify for many of the sport alongside Dax Hill. Turner’s standing shall be intently monitored by means of Sunday after showing on the harm report on Sept.10 with a hamstring harm.
Cincinnati’s entrance workplace did not give Turner a contract extension forward of the season for a purpose. If Turner can preserve a participant like Egbuka to restricted manufacturing, it can assist his case in desirous to be paid long-term by the Bengals.
Sort out effectively and preserve Tampa’s operating again duo to beneath 100 dashing yards
Regardless of a down yr within the NFC South, one of many shiny spots for the Bucs was the play of their operating backs. Bucky Irving and Rachaad White mixed for 1,160 yards on 305 carries for 5 touchdowns.
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The Bengals struggled to sort out at a excessive stage in 2025, and so as to get to the place they wish to be in late January, they should be higher on this space.
If they’ll forestall the Bucs’ operating backs from massive runs with sound tackling, it may pressure Tampa to throw the ball extra. The Bengals invested of their line of defense closely this offseason to create extra alternatives to hurry the passer.
Sunday’s sport in opposition to Tampa would be the first time the Bengals’ new-look line of defense will take the sphere collectively for an everyday season sport.
This text initially appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Keys to the sport: How do the Bengals beat the Bucs?
