The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened the 2026 season with a 33-27 loss at Cincinnati, and the story of the game was ball security. Four lost fumbles, three of them charged to Baker Mayfield, including a strip-sack that the Bengals returned for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead. Cincinnati rattled off 21 straight points before Tampa Bay answered.
There were encouraging moments. Rookie Josiah Trotter returned an interception for a touchdown to pull the Bucs within seven, and Mayfield’s ten-yard rushing score made it a six-point game with just over three minutes left. But Joe Burrow converted a third-down sneak on the final drive, and the Bengals ran out the clock. Head Coach’s crew gets Cleveland at home next Sunday.
Baseball offered a much happier Sunday. The Rays hammered the Astros 14-4 at Tropicana Field to complete a three-game sweep, launching four home runs, two of them off the bat of Jonathan Aranda. The AL East lead holds at four games over the Yankees, who also won. With the season winding down, every series in St. Pete matters, and this team is answering the bell.
Which concerns you more heading into the home opener: the turnovers on offense or the 33 points allowed on defense?
