​CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 13: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates 33-27 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with fans after the game at Paycor Stadium on September 13, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images Just before training camp got underway in late July, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor wrote on a board during a team meeting: The Bengals’ 2025 record— 6-11. Even after a great offseason on the field and from the front office that, from a fan’s perspective, put last season’s disaster in the rearview mirror, Taylor pushed the right button by reminding the players that last season wasn’t good enough. Let’s not forget that while a lot of players from last year aren’t here, a lot of last year’s team still is. That created the sense of urgency we saw throughout the offseason and training camp.That sense of urgency carried into the preseason and Week 1, when the Bengals beat the Buccaneers 33-27 to start the season 1-0. Some say Week 1 is a liar, and that may be true. However, I put a lot of stock in Week 1. It’s the first game of the season, and it sets the tone. Tampa Bay came into Sunday with five straight season-opening wins, the second-longest streak in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Baker Mayfield had thrown nine touchdowns in Week 1 over his first three seasons with the Buccaneers. On Sunday, the Bengals became the first team since Week 16 of 2018 to have a scoop-and-score against the Buccaneers, snapped Tampa Bay’s five-game winning streak in Week 1, and held Baker Mayfield without a touchdown pass. They also forced and recovered three fumbles from Mayfield and recovered a fourth fumble from the Buccaneers.Zac Taylor had the Bengals ready to play. The Bengals’ defense, much-maligned over the last three years, was all over the field for the entire 60 minutes. They didn’t force a punt, but they forced four turnovers. That makes up for not forcing a punt. Before training camp, Taylor also challenged his coordinators to make sure they’re using their great talent accordingly. On Sunday, Al Golden’s defense sacked Mayfield four times and recovered four fumbles. They also held Tampa Bay to two field goals, including on a promising first drive for the Buccaneers. They even held the Bucs to just 282 total yards. They held just two teams under 300 yards last year: The 5-12 Cleveland Browns and the 3-14 Arizona Cardinals.The Bengals’ defense will also improve, and their leaders will make sure of it.For what it’s worth, the Bengals only punted once, and their offense, after a three-and-out on their first drive, scored on five of their next seven drives. One of those drives ran out the clock in the fourth quarter. After the Bengals’ first preseason game, Zac Taylor said in the locker room that they had to get better at finishing games with their four-minute offense. On Sunday, the Bengals ran out the final 3:14 of the clock on offense. They were aggressive, hea