Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor expressed satisfaction with his team's 33-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but stressed that there remains significant room for improvement as the season progresses.
"The objective isn’t to be your best team Week 1, it’s to be your best team at the end of the season," Taylor said Monday. "So I just want to see that process continue to improve for us as we get ready for Houston."
The Bengals are also mindful that a strong start does not guarantee success. Last season, Cincinnati won its first two games before losing eight of nine, a stretch that included an injury to quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow's season was hampered by turf toe, which he sustained in Week 2.
Defensive Performance
The Bengals' defense, bolstered by four offseason additions, demonstrated effectiveness in the season opener. The unit forced four turnovers and recorded four sacks of Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Despite these successes, the defense maintained a low blitz rate of 11.1%, tied for the second lowest in Week 1. Defensive coordinator Al Golden noted that the success of the four-man rush allowed for the reduced blitzing.
"We didn’t go into the game thinking it’d be a low blitz rate. It’s the way it materialized," Golden said. "Our four-man rush was hitting. We moved that route. That was a good job by the staff to move that way. That’s encouraging if you can cover with seven, rush four and hit someone like him (Mayfield)."
One area Golden identified for improvement is third-down defense, where Tampa Bay converted five of ten attempts. "Everybody knows there is a lot of room to improve. First games are hard," Golden added. "We saw a lot of different looks yesterday we didn’t prepare the guys for. I think they handled it well."
Looking ahead, the Bengals' defense faces a challenging slate of quarterbacks, including C.J. Stroud of Houston, Aaron Rodgers of Pittsburgh, and Trevor Lawrence of Jacksonville in the upcoming weeks.
Offensive Line and Special Teams
The offensive line performed solidly in the season opener. Tackles Amarius Mims and Dalton Risner did not allow a sack or quarterback pressure against Tampa Bay's top draft pick, Rueben Bain Jr.
Quarterback Joe Burrow threw one interception returned for a touchdown, his fourth since the start of last season, which tied for the league high. Tight end Mike Gesicki contributed five receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Kicker Evan McPherson has made 30 field goals of 50 yards or more since joining the Bengals in 2021, ranking fifth in the league over that span. Nine of those kicks have been from at least 55 yards.
The team reported no significant injuries from the game. The Bengals are scheduled to play Houston on Sunday, a team they have lost to in four of their last five matchups, including a 30-27 loss in 2023.