The first week of the NFL season is upon us, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are preparing to kick off their season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s a challenging first assignment of the year to go on the road and take on one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses led by Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
It’s one of their toughest games of the year right off the bat, but the Buccaneers have one key advantage that could allow them to prevail. His name is Baker Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield is the key to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers win over Cincinnati Bengals
Dating back to his AFC North days with the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield has enjoyed a lot of success against the Bengals over the course of his career.
Through seven games, Mayfield holds a 6-1 record as a starter against the Bengals with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also came off the bench against Cincinnati during his time with the Panthers and threw two more touchdowns, bringing his total to 21.
According to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, among all active quarterbacks, Mayfield has the third-most touchdown passes vs. Cincinnati, behind only Lamar Jackson and Joe Flacco. His 115.0 passer rating against the Bengals is his third-highest against any opponent, behind only the Jaguars and Commanders.
He’s been dominant against the Bengals throughout his career, and the Buccaneers will need that trend to continue in order to win the season opener.
The Buccaneers ranked No. 27 against the pass last season, and while they overhauled the defensive unit this offseason, they’ll be starting three rookies against a dangerous Bengals offense. It’s fair to assume there could be some growing pains
If Tampa Bay is going to win, they might have to do it in a shootout. That means the pressure is on Mayfield and his offense to keep pace with Burrow and the Bengals.
Luckily, he could have a favorable matchup to do that against Cincinnati. The Bengals fielded a bottom-three defense last season, but they’ve made a ton of improvements including adding Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, and Bryan Cook. Like Tampa Bay, with a handful of new starters, it could take time for Cincinnati’s defense to gel, and the Buccaneers could exploit the remnants of what was one of the NFL’s worst defenses last year.
Baker Mayfield is entering a contract year, and his performance this season will play a big part in setting his market value. The season opener is his first chance to make his case for a lucrative long-term contract.
If he rises to the occasion with another elite performance against the Bengals, the Bucs will be in a great position to start the season in the win column.
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