The Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET from Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH. Tampa Bay and Cincinnati open the season with a milestone in reach.
Baker Mayfield is three passing touchdowns away from 200 for his career, a mark only 52 players in NFL history have hit, and just nine of them are still active. Cincinnati can match that firepower on its own side of the ball. The Bengals scored 36 receiving touchdowns in 2025, the second most in the NFL, a number that raises the stakes for what could turn into a shootout.
Below, we'll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game. How to Watch Buccaneers vs. Bengals Players to Watch Cincinnati opens this matchup with its quarterback at the center of everything, especially against a Tampa Bay team that ranked 24th in third down percentage entering Week 1.
That matters because Burrow is the player most likely to turn sustained drives into a real edge for the Bengals. He is also one of the biggest names in this game, and the attention around him has only grown this week. Burrow was highlighted among the league's upper tier quarterbacks heading into Week 1, and his passing yardage line for this matchup sits at 265.5.
In a game where Cincinnati will want control of tempo and possession, his command on money downs could shape the whole afternoon. With Cincinnati monitoring the health of its top receivers, Chase stands out because he returned to practice Monday after dealing with a hyperextended left knee. He was back in uniform, which keeps him firmly in focus for this matchup as a projected featured target if he is cleared for full game action.
The matchup angle is simple. Few players can tilt coverage the way Chase can, and Tampa Bay comes in with its own questions around availability at several spots. His receiving yardage line is 85.5 for this game, and his anytime touchdown probability was listed at 50.5 percent.
If he looks like himself early, Cincinnati's passing game can stretch the field and force the Buccaneers to defend every blade of grass. For Tampa Bay, this game starts with Mayfield's ability to answer Cincinnati score for score. The Buccaneers just committed to him with a 3 year, $165 million extension, a clear sign that he remains the engine of their offense heading into this opener.
His recent body of work in Tampa gives that decision weight. Over his first 3 seasons with the Buccaneers, Mayfield averaged 31.6 touchdown passes per season and led the team to 2 playoff appearances. He also enters this matchup with a passing yardage line of 229.5.
Against a Bengals team that ranked 6th in third down percentage, Tampa Bay needs Mayfield to keep drives alive and avoid putting the game entirely on the defense. One of the more interesting swing factors here is whether Tampa Bay can get enough from its secondary receiving options, and Egbuka fits that conversation. He was participating in warmups and running routes Monday while working back from a toe issue, which points to him being available or close to it for this opener.
That makes him worth tracking against a Cincinnati defense with several question marks on its own injury report. Egbuka's receiving yardage line is 54.5, a notable number for a player whose role could expand quickly if he is moving well. If he gives Mayfield a reliable target beyond the obvious names, Tampa Bay's passing game becomes much harder to squeeze.
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