Wk 1 · 2026
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals — Sun, Sep 13
Sun, Sep 13 ·
Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
· Fox FINAL
Weather
No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
at
1:00pET
CIN -3.5 · total 50.5 DraftKings
Ratings differential CIN by 5.3
What is at stake
An interconference game, NFC against AFC. It counts in both overall records — which is what seeding is settled on first — and in neither team’s division or conference record.
What the ratings imply
The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers:
The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus
1.7 points of home field.
It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site
compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026
games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have
been through a draft and a free-agency window since.
Efficiency · 2026 ratings
Efficiency margin
Offense
Defense
Points / game
Points allowed / game
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.
Team stats
The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.
Buccaneers form
W 24-16at DALL 14-17vs GBL 16-23vs MINL 19-23vs CLEL 27-33at CIN
2026 season
Bengals form
W 31-24at MIAL 17-22vs JAXL 27-30at PITW 20-6at HOUW 33-27vs TB
2026 season
Buccaneers this season
Straight up1-4 · 20% (5 games)
Against the spread1-3-1 · 25% (5 games)
Over / under2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Bengals this season
Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Against the spread2-2-1 · 50% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.
Common opponents · 6
| Opponent | Buccaneers | Bengals |
|---|---|---|
| Browns AFC | vs L 19-23 preview | at Wk 13 · scheduled preview |
| Steelers AFC | vs Wk 6 · scheduled preview | at L 27-30 preview |
| Panthers NFC | at Wk 7 · scheduled preview | at Wk 15 · scheduled preview |
| Falcons NFC | vs Wk 8 · scheduled preview | N Wk 9 · scheduled preview |
| Ravens AFC | at Wk 14 · scheduled preview | at Wk 7 · scheduled preview |
| Saints NFC | vs Wk 15 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Bengals leads 4–2 · Bengals has won the last 4
6 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
2.8 points toward Bengals
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-09-13 | Buccaneers 27 — 33 Bengals | at CIN | Bengals |
| 2022 | 2022-12-18 | Bengals 34 — 23 Buccaneers | at TB | Bengals |
| 2018 | 2018-10-28 | Buccaneers 34 — 37 Bengals | at CIN | Bengals |
| 2014 | 2014-11-30 | Bengals 14 — 13 Buccaneers | at TB | Bengals |
| 2010 | 2010-10-10 | Buccaneers 24 — 21 Bengals | at CIN | Buccaneers |
| 2006 | 2006-10-15 | Bengals 13 — 14 Buccaneers | at TB | Buccaneers |
Buccaneers leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Baker Mayfield QB #6 | 61/96, 615 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Jalon Daniels QB #10 | 19/30, 148 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INT | |
| Rushing | Bucky Irving RB #7 | 56 CAR, 241 YDS, 1 TD |
| Baker Mayfield QB #6 | 11 CAR, 65 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Jalon Daniels QB #10 | 9 CAR, 64 YDS | |
| Receiving | Cade Otton TE #88 | 15 REC, 157 YDS |
| Emeka Egbuka WR #2 | 15 REC, 154 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Chris Godwin Jr. WR #14 | 16 REC, 142 YDS | |
| Ted Hurst III WR #17 | 8 REC, 128 YDS, 1 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Josiah Trotter LB #45 | 34 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr. S #31 | 24 | |
| Alex Anzalone LB #34 | 22 | |
| Sacks | David Walker LB #51 | 2 |
| Alex Anzalone LB #34 | 1 | |
| A'Shawn Robinson DT #91 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | A'Shawn Robinson DT #91 | 1 |
| Josiah Trotter LB #45 | 1 | |
| Jacob Parrish CB #25 | 1 |
Bengals leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Joe Burrow QB #9 | 112/157, 1171 YDS, 7 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Chase Brown RB #30 | 58 CAR, 207 YDS, 1 TD |
| Samaje Perine RB #34 | 13 CAR, 42 YDS | |
| Joe Burrow QB #9 | 11 CAR, 38 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Tee Higgins WR #5 | 25 REC, 401 YDS, 1 TD |
| Ja'Marr Chase WR #1 | 21 REC, 212 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Mike Gesicki TE #88 | 11 REC, 155 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Dohnte Meyers WR #81 | 11 REC, 129 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Demetrius Knight Jr. LB #44 | 34 |
| Barrett Carter LB #49 | 30 | |
| Jordan Battle S #27 | 27 | |
| Sacks | Dexter Lawrence II DT #97 | 3 |
| Jonathan Allen DT #93 | 2 | |
| Boye Mafe DE #53 | 2 | |
| Interceptions | Jordan Battle S #27 | 1 |
These are regular-season totals for
the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year,
taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's
roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still
appears against the year he earned it; the
roster
pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is.
A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.