Week 1: Buccaneers @ Bengals

[ArmyBengal]

That was exactly my thought on the game Stripes !!

[HoosierCat]

All green for the Bengals on the first injury report of the season.

https://www.bengals.com/news/buccaneers-bengals-injury-report-week-1-2026 

Chase, Tee and Shemar are the only ones listed and they all went full Wednesday.

Tampa looks a little more beat up with multiple guys limited and one RB not practicing.

[ArmyBengal]

Big football weekend:

Some good high school games Friday night.  (I've taken a liking to hitting up some of these locally)
#1 Ohio State vs #4 Texas Saturday night.
Buccaneers vs Bengals Sunday.

Yep, this is what happy feels like !!

[HoosierCat]

welp, here comes week 1 and the burning question is, will the Bengals shit the bed as usual? They’re notoriously terrible this week, having gone 2-4 in the Zac/Burrow era. They have scored an average of 15 points across these six games, tho they’ve allowed an average of just under 19 ppg. In short, despite all the talk this off-season about the defense, the week 1 problem is always that the O can’t deliver.

On the other side, over the past six years the Bucs are 5-1 in openers. In fact their last loss was back in 2020; they’ve won five straight since. Defensively they’ve allowed an average of 20.5 points, so a tad worse than Cincy, but have scored an average of 25.5 ppg.

one other note: the Bucs and Bengals have not played each other since 2022, when the Bucs’ QB was the guy shilling for Big Water last night. Bengals won 34-23. That game was in Tampa. The Bucs haven’t been to Cincy since 2018, when Jameis Winston got benched after tossing a pick 6 to Bates, and Fitzmagic mounted an 18-point fourth quarter comeback only to be defeated by Fat Randy at the buzzer. All that said, the Bucs have one big advantage in terms of familiarity: Baker Mayfield. 6-2 versus Cincy, 21 TDs, 7 picks, 115 passer rating.

can’t say I’m feeling this one guys. Prediction: Bucs 27-20.

[ArmyBengal]

Burrow needs to stay out of his head for the next couple of days and not be worrying about making mistakes.
If you do make a mistake, move the fuck on quickly and get to the business of whooping ass.

Karras said this was the toughest camp Zac has run since he's been here, but it's hard to tell what that means.
By the sounds of things, that bar wasn't that high to get over to begin with.

I'll try to be positive and call for a Bengals win, but won't be shocked if it doesn't happen.
Pissed, yes.  Shocked, no.

Bengals- 7,362
Buccaneers- 17

[HoosierCat]

I was not aware that the LA DC was the son of Cincy coaching legend Dave Shula.

If we suck again this year and Zac gets canned, I think I see our next HC…

[Stripes]

Stafford looks like butt so far.

2025 MVP finalists disease

[HoosierCat]

I know it’s a divisional game and they are always dogfights, but the Rams have been billed for months as this unstoppable juggernaut and I’m not seeing it so far tonight.

[ArmyBengal]

Yeah I took a small bit of pleasure watching them get punched in the mouth.

[HoosierCat]

We get a cameo:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hmDddkGtRyc&ra=m

[HoosierCat]

If you’re looking for reasons to hope about Sunday, Goodberry has them here:

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/onsi/bengals-vs-buccaneers-everything-you-need-to-know-for-week-1-01m23e9wn6z4

[HoosierCat]

DJ Turner (hammy) popped up on the injury report yesterday. Went limited. Hill and Allen got rest days.

[Stripes]

Looks like today's reports are positive for Turner, but Stewart is doubtful.

[HoosierCat]

I wasn’t expecting Shemar to play. They have to make a handful of guys inactive anyhow and given that he lost time in camp, is just getting back to 100 and they have plenty of depth on the dline, it’s an easy call to sit him.

[HoosierCat]

Lawrence was DNP today, no reason given. Not seeing anything so I assume it’s just a rest day for him.

[COB]

Biggest possible development: as Volcom said, Pitcher possibly calling plays.  When he called them in preseason they looked juggernautish.  With Zack calling them week 1 they look this-is-not-it-ish.  
 

You wonder if they’ll even reveal who’s calling them.  

In their zeal to shield everyone from criticism they hide who does what very effectively.  

There must be a league rule that you have to name a head coach.  Otherwise Zack would be “Assistant to the GM” - and in Brown family style they already have 3 Assistant General Managers.
 

But they have no General Manager.  The buck stops nowhere.  It’s not a football team, it’s a Kafka novel.  

 

[COB]

Don’t mean to rub salt in the wound but a 20-0 beating from the Brewers is pretty remarkable.  Did Francona go in to pitch at any point?  Eat a couple innings, save what’s left of the bullpen for tomorrow.

[COB]

Per Google, the bucs have a very good interior o-line.  We’ll get a good look at Dexter against quality competition.

[Scottishbengal]

It's nearly here - just one day and some hours til kick off ....these close seasons seem to get longer and longer.

 

Positives: Home field advantage...the stadium will be jumping. No serious injuries reported (Ja'Marr DNP Fri, listed as rest/knee - ??). Bengals returned all the important pieces on the offensive chessboard. Revamped D-line - impossible for this not to be an improvement.

 

Negatives: ZT still here, still in charge, probably still calling plays. Bengals historically poorly prepared after a break (close season or bye week). OBJ still here - will be sent postcards from defensive players as they breeze past him on the way to the QB. Linebackers not addressed - have Knight and Carter improved enough since the end of the season? Historically the Bengals are poor against the run, hot knife through butter scenario, and Tampa have Irving and Gainwell ready to take advantage, one of them will probably crack up 100+ yards. 

 

Bengals 20, Bucs 24

[ArmyBengal]

9 hours ago, COB said:

Don’t mean to rub salt in the wound but a 20-0 beating from the Brewers is pretty remarkable.  Did Francona go in to pitch at any point?  Eat a couple innings, save what’s left of the bullpen for tomorrow.

That was epic and I’m a Reds fan. I have no idea how the hell this team has fallen off the cliff as much as they have but I blame Mike Brown.  Seriously, I thought it was a football score when I first saw it.

[HoosierCat]

Hudson and Giles-Harris bumped up from the PS to the active roster for the game.

[Stripes]

This is a tough matchup given Zac's/Joe's week 1 history. I picked an L, but I'd be delighted to be wrong. With @HOU looming next week, it's bigger than your average opener.

[HoosierCat]

GAMEDAY

[Scottishbengal]

10 hours ago, Stripes said:

This is a tough matchup given Zac's/Joe's week 1 history. I picked an L, but I'd be delighted to be wrong. With @HOU looming next week, it's bigger than your average opener.

Exactly - gotta get off with W today but I'm gut feeling a L just due to ZTs inability to have the team ready.

[ArmyBengal]

I’m hoping the leadership of players like Dexter, Cook and Allen come into play for the defense.

Then I’m hoping Burrow stays out of his head for the game along with game calling that isn’t something out of the high school ranks.

Im headed down in an hour and will be doing my part in the stands That’s assuming the overwhelming stench of weed doesn’t mellow me out to a degree of ineffectiveness.

Enjoy the game my friends !!
WHODEY !!