CINCINNATI (ENQUIRER) – If the Bengals’ opening day of the 2026 NFL season was any indicator, Cincinnati’s offseason retool of its defense was a resounding success, our partners at the Enquirer say.
The Bengals’ defense kept a consistent hold on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and forced four turnovers in a 33-27 season-opening win Sept. 13 at Paycor Stadium.
Cincinnati’s defense forced four fumbles and recovered them all. It also sacked visiting quarterback Baker Mayfield four times.
“We came into this game saying we’ve got to make a statement,” Bengals defensive end Boye Mafe said. “We’ve gotta know who we are as a defense, and you felt it today, and it wasn’t just one person. It was the whole room. And that’s the one thing I wanted.”
Mafe sacked Mayfield once and recovered a fumble for Cincinnati.
Mayfield was 23-of-28 passing for 216 yards with five carries for 30 yards and a late touchdown.
Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. returned the first of Cincinnati’s four fumble recoveries 27 yards for a go-ahead touchdown and a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. That equaled the number of defensive scores by Cincinnati over the entire 2025 season.
“You can’t ask for a play like that on opening day,” Knight said. “It’s a lot harder than it looks to pick up a ball that’s rolling away from you − keep your legs high and keep running into the end zone.”
