Game 1

Bucs at Bengals

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

TV: FOX (WTVT-TV Channel 13, locally) with Kevin Kugler, windy Daryl “Moose” Johnston and Allison Williams.

Streaming: FOX One, NFL+. (Geographic restrictions may apply; subscription may be required).

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network WXTB-FM 97.9 in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region with Tony Castricone, Dave Moore and Jay Recher. (Transmisiones de radio en español en WTMP-FM 96.1 y WMGG-AM 1470 en Tampa). Additional stations throughout Florida carrying the game on the Buccaneers Radio Network can be found here. The game will also be broadcast on SiriusXM Channel 262 (Buccaneers Radio Network feed).

Weather: Saturday was mostly overcast with some very light rain in Cincinnati, but that all should be pushed out of southern Ohio overnight. It has been otherwise rather warm for Cincinnati in mid-September, per AccuWeather.com. Tailgaters will enjoy 74 degrees and mostly sunny skies on the banks of the Ohio River. By kickoff it should be 82 and mostly sunny. It should heat up slightly and by the end of the game look for it to be 85 degrees.

Odds: Per Hard Rock Bet, as of midnight, Bucs +4 (-110); over/under 50.5.

Referees: John Hussey and his gang will work today’s game. Hussey is a homer referee and the numbers prove it. Since 2016, games worked by Hussey’s outfit, the home team is 113-51.

Injuries: Bucs — Doubtful: WR Jalen McMillan (knee), T Justin Skule (oblique),  RB Sean Tucker (hamstring). Questionable: LB Christian Rozeboom (foot). Bengals– Out: DE Shemar Stewart (knee).

Outlook: Joe is just scared to death the thin and in some cases inexperienced corners of the Bucs are going to get lit up by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Stop with the pass rush line! We’re talking KitKat-eating Todd Bowles here. We don’t know if the Bucs will have a pass rush. We have a lot of evidence the Bucs will have a subpar pass defense. Picture in your head Chase and/or Higgins going against a leaky secondary. Or, if Zac Taylor has any common sense, he will craft plays to get Chase matched up on Josiah Trotter. Joe is a big fan of Trotter and doesn’t necessarily swallow the Trotter-can’t-defend-the-pass drivel. Most rookies take a while to learn to defend the pass in the NFL. And a rookie linebacker trying to stop Chase or Higgins? M&Mer, baby. Joe is very much a burning bush kind of guy when it comes to a Bowles defense. He’s seen enough to know it is hard to buy into the sell.

Fun facts: KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles is 4-0 in Week 1 games as a Bucs coach. QB Baker Mayfield is 3-0 as a Bucs quarterback in Week 1 games. Mayfield is 3-0 when facing a Joe Burrow-led Bengals. Mayfield has thrown more touchdowns against the Bengals than any active quarterback (16). Bucs win, right? Well… not so fast, pirate breath. Bowles is 0-6 against AFC North teams as Bucs coach. So what gives today? … Mayfield passed for 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2025. Aims for sixth game in a row against Cincinnati with at least two touchdown passes. Mayfield had a touchdown pass in 16 of 17 games last season. Since 2023, he ranks second in touchdown passes (95) and third in passing yards (12,237). … RB Kenny Gainwell should make his Bucs debut. Had 1,023 scrimmage yards (537 rushing, 486 receiving and eight touchdowns (five rushing, three receiving) in 2025. … WR Chris Godwin recorded 33 receptions for 360 yards and two touchdowns in nine games in 2025. Had eight receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown in the last game the Bucs played the Bengals.  … DT Vita Vea had 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and two passes defensed last season. … ILB Alex Anzalone recorded 95 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 9 passes defensed and a pick last season. He should make his Bucs debut today after five seasons in Detroit. Last season Anzalone had a pass defensed in two of his last three games. …  S Antoine Winfield racked up 93 tackles, a sack, 4 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, 8 passes defensed and two picks in 2025. … Bengals QB Joe Burrow totaled 1,809 pass yards and 17 touchdown passes in 8 games last season. Passed for 225+ yards in each of the final 6 games of the season and at least two touchdown passes in 5 of the final 6 games. Completed 27 of 39 attempts (69.2 pct.) for 200 yards and 4 touchdowns vs. 1 pick the last time the Bucs played the Bengals. …  RB Chase Brown had a career-high 1,456 scrimmage yards (1,019 rushing, 437 receiving) and tied career-high 11 scrimmage touchdowns (6 rushing, 5 receiving) in 2025. Tied at sixth in the league among running backs with at least 100 scrimmage yards last season (8). … WR Ja’Marr Chase ranked second in NFL with 7 100-yard games receiving, third with 125 receptions, fourth with 1,412 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Became the third player ever with 125+ receptions in multiple career seasons. Had a touchdown catch last time he played the Bucs. … WR Tee Higgins was tied for second in the NFL with a career-high 11 touchdown catches. Higgins also had 59 receptions for 846 yards in 2025. He also had a touchdown catch against the Bucs.