Published: September 13, 2026 at 11:54 PM
TAMPA FL — W.P. Rader aka Captain Booty — BuccaneersFan.com
Game-Day Highlights
"Review from the slightly rum-soaked logbook of Captain Booty"
POST-GAME Highlights & Review from the slightly rum-soaked logbook of Captain Booty, Arrr… somebody fetch me a compass, a dry pair of boots, and whatever remains in that barrel marked “FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY!”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sailed into Cincinnati with full sails, cannons loaded, the flags flying, and enough optimism aboard to carry us through another championship voyage. We departed Paycor Stadium several hours later without our treasure, our dignity, or any clear explanation for why the football suddenly became as slippery as a greased cannonball.
The Buccaneers turned the ball over four times, all on fumbles, and watched three consecutive first-half possessions end with Cincinnati touchdowns. Tampa Bay still fought back, pulled within six points late, and somehow made a game of the wreckage. But the early damage proved too great, and the Bengals escaped with a 33–27 victory in the 2026 season opener.
So here I am, landlocked somewhere in Ohio, Warren/Niles per compass, attempting to sail north toward Cleveland through a field of corn, being chased by individuals in horse drawn buggies, while a pack of hungry hounds barking from east end zone (Sections 118–122 in the distance.
I assure ye, I have everything completely under control.
MOSTLY.
THE VOYAGE ACTUALLY BEGAN BEAUTIFULLY
The afternoon did not begin like a disaster.
Tampa Bay won the opening coin toss and placed the offense on the field first. Bucky Irving immediately looked sharp, Baker Mayfield connected with Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin, and the Buccaneers methodically worked their way into Cincinnati territory.
The drive eventually stalled inside the Bengals’ 25-yard line, but Chase McLaughlin calmly drilled a 34-yard field goal to give Tampa Bay the first points of the season.
Then the Buccaneers defense forced Cincinnati into a three-and-out.
At that moment, the sails were full, the waters were calm, and this old pirate was already nodding confidently toward the horizon.
“Fine voyage ahead,” I said.
The rum bottle said nothing.
It knew.
SOMEBODY GREASED THE CANNONBALL
Tampa Bay’s second offensive possession ended when Mayfield attempted to escape pressure and was caught from behind. The ball came loose, Cincinnati linebacker Demetrius Knight scooped it up, and 27 yards later the Bengals were celebrating a defensive touchdown.
Not ideal—but recoverable.
Unfortunately, the next Buccaneers possession began with another sack and ended with Irving fighting for extra yardage after a short reception. The ball was stripped, Cincinnati recovered at the Tampa Bay 33-yard line, and Joe Burrow eventually found tight end Mike Gesicki for a two-yard touchdown.
Two possessions. Two fumbles. Two Cincinnati touchdowns.
Still, the Buccaneers responded with an impressive drive deep into Bengals territory. Mayfield escaped what appeared to be a certain sack and scrambled toward the goal line. For one brief, glorious moment, it looked as though Tampa Bay had survived the storm.
Then the ball escaped Mayfield’s grasp, bounced into the end zone, and was recovered by Cincinnati for a touchback.
The Bengals followed that gift with an 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by Chase Brown’s five-yard run.
Three consecutive Buccaneers possessions had now ended in fumbles.
All three became Cincinnati touchdowns.
The scoreboard read 21–3, and I began checking the ship for leaks, curses, loose rigging, and suspicious Bengal-striped stowaways.
Head Coach Todd Bowles later summarized the situation with the painful simplicity it deserved:
“You can’t turn the ball over.”
No advanced navigation charts were required. Four turnovers, penalties, false starts, missed tackles, and inconsistent defensive pressure had placed Tampa Bay in a hole of its own making. The most frustrating part was that the Buccaneers did not punt during the game. Their possessions generally ended with points—or with the football being handed to Cincinnati.
BUCKY THROWS US A LIFE PRESERVER
To their credit, the Buccaneers did not abandon ship.
Mayfield connected with Godwin for a 30-yard gain and continued moving the offense before halftime. A completion to Cade Otton placed the ball at the Cincinnati 10-yard line, and Irving needed only one carry from there.
Bucky bounced outside to the left, found open water, and raced into the end zone.
The touchdown trimmed Cincinnati’s lead to 21–10 and temporarily restored oxygen to every Buccaneers fan who had spent the previous quarter shouting words unsuitable for a family-oriented pirate publication.
The Bengals answered before halftime, however, driving deep into Tampa Bay territory. Benjamin Morrison prevented a touchdown with a strong third-down stop, but Evan McPherson kicked a short field goal to send Cincinnati into the locker room leading 24–10.
At halftime, I consulted the rum bottle again.
This time, it advised me to secure the football.
A ROOKIE FIRES THE CANNONS
Cincinnati opened the second half with another scoring drive, although Tampa Bay’s defense kept the Bengals out of the end zone. Josiah Trotter Jr. blitzed up the middle and dropped Burrow for the Buccaneers’ first—and ultimately only—sack of the afternoon.
McPherson still connected from 55 yards, extending the Bengals’ lead to 27–10.
Tampa Bay answered with a sustained drive of its own. The offense stalled after Mayfield absorbed another sack, but McLaughlin showed no fear and launched a 51-yard field goal through the uprights.
The Buccaneers trailed 27–13.
Then Trotter changed the entire mood of the game.
Burrow attempted to throw into the right flat, but the rookie linebacker anticipated the route, stepped in front of the pass, secured the interception, and sailed 38 yards untouched into the end zone.
Suddenly, it was 27–20.
The Buccaneers were within one score, the sideline was alive, and this battered pirate stood on top of an overturned barrel screaming, “WE NEVER DOUBTED YE!”
That statement was not entirely accurate, but the moment required enthusiasm.
Trotter finished with a team-high 10 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, and the interception return for a touchdown. He was the brightest cannon flash in an otherwise uneven defensive performance.
Unfortunately, Cincinnati responded by moving into field-goal range again. McPherson calmly drilled a 58-yarder early in the fourth quarter, pushing the Bengals’ advantage back to 30–20.
THE FOURTH FUMBLE BREAKS THE MAST
Tampa Bay still had time.
Mayfield moved the offense across midfield with help from Irving, who continued producing as both a runner and receiver. But a delay-of-game penalty pushed the Buccaneers backward, and Mayfield was then sacked from behind by Boye Mafe.
The ball came loose.
Again.
Cincinnati recovered Tampa Bay’s fourth lost fumble with 10:31 remaining.
At that point, I did not throw my mug.
It slipped.
Repeatedly.
The Bengals converted the turnover into another McPherson field goal, extending their lead to 33–20 with five minutes left. The Buccaneers had now lost at least four fumbles in a game for the first time since September 18, 2014, and had not won a game in which they lost three or more fumbles since 2008.
Mayfield accepted responsibility afterward.
“This one falls on me.”
His turnovers directly contributed to 17 Cincinnati points. That is the sort of treasure no pirate should ever willingly deliver to an enemy vessel.
ONE FINAL CHARGE
Even after all of that, Tampa Bay refused to sink quietly.
Josh Williams ripped off a 47-yard kickoff return, giving the offense excellent field position at the Buccaneers’ 49-yard line. Mayfield then completed three consecutive passes to rookie receiver Ted Hurst for a combined 36 yards.
A scramble and a short completion to Otton moved the ball inside the Cincinnati 10. Two plays later, Mayfield took matters into his own hands, scrambled up the middle, juked a defender near the goal line, and scored with 3:19 remaining.
The Buccaneers had somehow pulled within six points.
Thirty-three to twenty-seven.
One defensive stop could give Tampa Bay another possession and an opportunity to complete one of the most improbable comebacks we had ever witnessed.
Instead, Cincinnati immediately attacked the right flat. Dohnte Meyers caught a pass and escaped two defenders for an 18-yard gain. Samaje Perine followed with a 14-yard reception, and an offsides penalty helped the Bengals remain ahead of the chains.
Brown eventually gained the final first down Cincinnati needed.
Burrow took a knee.
The cannons fell silent.
And somewhere outside the stadium, one devastated pirate attempted to load his ship onto a northbound wagon.
THE NUMBERS FLOATING AMONG THE WRECKAGE
Mayfield completed 23 of 28 passes for 216 yards. He also rushed five times for 30 yards and a touchdown. His accuracy was encouraging, and the offense repeatedly demonstrated that it could move the football.
Ball security erased nearly all of it.
Mayfield was sacked four times, including twice from behind, and Cincinnati’s revamped defensive front maintained relentless pressure throughout the afternoon.
Irving finished with 93 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. He carried eight times for 45 yards and matched a career high with seven receptions for another 48. His own fumble was costly, but his production remained one of the offense’s most encouraging signs.
Defensively, Trotter delivered the signature performance. Morrison also played well after starting cornerback Jacob Parrish left with a back injury, recording four tackles, one tackle for loss, a pass breakup, and an important goal-line stop.
Zyon McCollum added nine tackles, one tackle for loss, and two passes defensed.
The larger concern was Tampa Bay’s inability to consistently pressure Burrow. The Bengals quarterback completed 25 of 35 passes for 254 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was hit only six times and sacked once.
Cincinnati finished with 351 yards of offense compared with Tampa Bay’s 282.
The Buccaneers made enough plays to remain competitive. They simply made far too many damaging mistakes to win.
A SMALL BARREL OF HOPE
The defeat ended Tampa Bay’s streak of five consecutive season-opening victories and marked the Buccaneers’ fourth straight loss to Cincinnati.
However, the NFC South standings did not become any more treacherous. Atlanta, Carolina, and New Orleans also lost their opening games, meaning the entire division begins from the dock at 0–1.
There is also one strange historical bottle floating beside the wreckage: the last time Tampa Bay lost a season opener was in 2020.
That season ended with the Buccaneers winning Super Bowl LV.
I am not declaring another championship based upon one disastrous afternoon in Cincinnati.
I am merely saying the bottle is not completely empty. And we will be in the playoffs.
NOW WE SAIL NORTH
This was not a game in which Tampa Bay was thoroughly outclassed.
It was a game the Buccaneers repeatedly surrendered.
They moved the football. They scored 27 points. They produced a defensive touchdown. They never punted. They fought back from an 18-point deficit and were still alive during the final minutes.
But four lost fumbles are four holes below the waterline.
No amount of cannon fire can overcome that forever.
The corrections are painfully obvious: protect the football, reduce the penalties, finish tackles, and generate more consistent pressure. The Buccaneers do not need to completely rebuild the vessel. They need to stop throwing the cargo overboard.
As for me, I am continuing north through Ohio, stopping at Brothers Pizza, in Niles, for White Pizza with one boot missing, my compass spinning, and the Cincinnati skyline having faded many islands behind me. Somewhere ahead lies Cleveland—and judging by the barking echoing through the darkness, the hounds already know I am coming.
So secure the football.
Patch the sails.
Reload the cannons.
And somebody please point this slightly marinated pirate toward the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
The season is wounded—but it is far from over.
Per the words of Forest Gump… “And That's All I Have To Say About That”.
Beyond Game Day
W.P. Rader - In Full Disclosure; I'm Ready To Rock & Roll From The BOW.
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