Think about the confidence and questions surrounding the Bucs headed into this season. After one game, those confidences look like questions, and those questions might be confidences. As the musical Hamilton said, “The World turned upside down!”

Before we get into these macro topics, please know, none of this is a defined outlook. It’s more a data point down the path of understanding this team. It’s the first data point, but just one of several that will come to define the season. Or in simpler terms, it’s early. None of this is set in stone.

Bucs Secondary

While everyone was excited about the Bucs’ pass rush, their secondary drew concern all through the summer. Would Zyon McCollum be able to bounce back from a disappointing 2025? Could Benjamin Morrison a) stay healthy and b) play better than his rookie campaign when he allowed too many explosive plays? Did the Bucs have any depth behind Jacob Parrish?

Again, the sample size here is vanishingly small, but the early returns are encouraging. The Bengals’ All-World receiver Ja’Marr Chase was held to two catches and 12 yards on four targets. McCollum didn’t allow a catch to Chase all game. He even forced an incompletion on a third-down target to Joe Burrow’s favorite target on third down to end Cincinnati’s first drive of the game.

Bucs CB Jacob Parrish and Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

The Bengals tried to get Chase into the slot, hoping he could beat upon rookie Keionte Scott. No dice. Chase caught one pass for 16 yards against the young Buc. Parrish and Morrison, who replaced Parrish after he left the game due to injury, both locked down the former Offensive Player of the Year.

Tee Higgins had a better day, catching three of his six targets for 59 yards. He made a crucial catch 18-yard catch on the game-sealing drive with McCollum in coverage. But the Bucs corner had good positioning and played the route well. Higgins just made an incredible play. In all, Bengals receivers caught just eight of 14 targets for 91 yards, averaging just 6.5 yards per target and less than one yard per route run.

The Bucs secondary, including Morrison, played a strong game against one of the better receiving corps in football. That’s an encouraging sign going forward.

Bucs Pass Rush

Throughout the offseason, the Bucs made an effort to improve their pass rush. A’Shawn Robinson was brought in to replace Logan Hall. Rueben Bain Jr. was praised as the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Al-Quadin Muhammad was signed late in free agency. They also acquiesced to Vita Vea’s contract demands, handing him an extra $30 million on a one-year extension.

Confidence ran high that the Bucs’ pass rush would be able to get home with four rushers. This game didn’t turn out quite that way.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

In his first regular season game in the NFL, Bain underwhelmed. He generated no pressure on 26 pass rush attempts. Amarius Mims handled Bain well, absorbing his bull rushes time and time again. And in the rare instance where Bain tried to throw a change-up, Mims was ready. Vea was just as (in)effective as a pass rusher. Sumer Sports had him for 40 pass rushes and a goose egg for pressures.

The depth additions fared a bit better. Robinson had one pressure across 19 pass rushes. Calijah Kancey was the highlight of the defensive front, generating a team-high three pressures. He looked every bit of the player the Bucs believe him to be when he is healthy. He was also already on the roster before the team made their large investments in the line.

The Bucs only rattled Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow when they blitzed. Tampa Bay’s four-man pass rush was not improved over last year’s unit. That’s worrisome.

Baker Mayfield’s Play With A Healthy Offensive Line

Last year, Tampa Bay lost a lot of games played to injuries along their offensive line. Tristan Wirfs missed five games. Luke Goedeke missed six. Ben Bredeson was lost for the final six, and Cody Mauch was lost for the season after the Bucs’ second game of the season. As the team had to go deeper and deeper into their stable of offensive linemen, quarterback Baker Mayfield’s trust in his protection eroded. With better health, the Bucs offense was supposed to get back on track this year.

The first game of the season didn’t play out quite that way. Mayfield invited some issues. His third fumble of the day, a sack fumble given up to Boye Mafe, was a result of Mayfield holding the ball too long. His other fumbles were a result of Mayfield doing just too much.

His scramble on the team’s second drive of the game on third-and-nine should have been a throwaway. Mayfield did well to avoid a sack. But with no one open, a throwaway nets a punt that likely puts the Bengals backed up in their own territory. But because Mayfield would not quit the play, the Bucs gave up a score on a scoop and score after he put the ball on the ground

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

The fumble that bookended those two giveaways was, perhaps, the most egregious. Tampa Bay had first-and-five at the Bengals’ 12-yard line. A touchdown was likely, but any score would have put the Bucs back to within a score. Once again, Mayfield started the play well by evading pressure and scrambling for a new first down. But because he struggles to protect the ball and take what is available to him, he made one too many moves and put the ball on the ground, giving up the near-gimme score and putting the game out of hand.

Mayfield’s high-wire act could be excused last year because he had to put backup linemen on his shoulders. But with an improved offensive line he needs to trust that his teammates can execute better and win the next play. Doing so will help him protect the ball better and lead to better results.

These are early observations. Two are worrisome. One is encouraging. None are definitive. But I’ll be monitoring all of them when the Bucs meet the Browns next week.