All Bengals

Postgame Observations: Bengals Beat Buccaneers 19-14 in Preseason Opener

Cincinnati improves to 1-0 this preseason.

James Rapien

CINCINNATI — The Bengals beat the Buccaneers 19-14 on Saturday night in their first preseason game of 2021. 

Cincinnati trailed early, but scored 16-straight points to get the win. 

There were plenty of highlights and a few lowlights. Here are our postgame observations:

Star Wide Receivers Make Plays

Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins each finished with one catch before leaving the game.

Chase caught a screen and ran 16 yards. Boyd had a key catch on third down for 15 yards and Higgins finished with an 11 yard grab.

That is the type of balance the Bengals hoped to have when they took Chase with the fifth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Money Mick Gets it Done 

Rookie kicker Evan McPherson drilled both of his field goal attempts on Saturday night. He made a 40-yard field goal and followed it up with a make from 31-yards out. Watch his first attempt here.

Austin Seibert made both of his attempts from 24 and 38 yards, respectively.

Down Goes the GOAT

The Bengals' first-team defense only played one series and they put their best foot forward.

The secondary held up well against the Buccaneers' wide receivers to force a third-and-long. Joseph Ossai and Trey Hendrickson did the rest by sacking Tom Brady.

Ossai had a huge night, finishing with three tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits.

Unfortunate Ending

Ossai's night ended prematurely. He left the game with a right wrist injury and did not return. Hopefully it isn't anything serious because he was arguably the Bengals' best player on Saturday night. 

Jackson Carman

The rookie had a couple of nice blocks, especially in the run game, but he struggled in pass protection for much of the night and got called for a holding penalty. 

It's still early, but the rookie from Clemson appears to have a long way to go if he's going to earn a starting job. 

Chris Evans

Evans has had an impressive camp and that translated to the field on Saturday night. He finished with 25 yards on 12 attempts and one touchdown. His average yards-per-carry was low (2.1), but he flashed his potential. 

Evans had a nice cutback on a 3rd-and-1 and extended a drive in the first quarter. He also found the end zone in the first half. 

He also had four receptions for 33 yards. 

Jacques Patrick also had a successful night, finishing with 71 yards on 15 attempts. He helped seal the deal with a 24-yard run on 3rd-and-2 in the fourth quarter. 

Turnovers

The Bengals turned the ball over on their first two possessions. First, Samaje Perine fumbled. Then, Mike Thomas put the ball on the ground. 

Kyle Shurmur threw a pick-six to Joseph Jones in the fourth quarter, which allowed Tampa Bay to hang around. 

Cincinnati did have two interceptions in the second half, but they still lost the turnover battle.  

Sleeper at Wide Receiver

Trenton Irwin had a good night on offense, finishing with three receptions (five targets) for 35 yards. 

He's played well in camp and is a dark horse candidate to make the 53-man roster. 

Make sure you bookmark AllBengals for the latest training camp news, including exclusive interviews, highlights and so much more!

You May Also Like:

Watch: Joseph Ossai and Trey Hendrickson Sack Tom Brady

NFL Insider: The Bengals Are Going to be One of the Most Exciting Teams in the NFL

Film Room: How Taylor & Pollack Can Use Wide Zone to Beat Modern Defenses

Look: Bengals 2021 Jersey Schedule Revealed

The Bengals Don't Have Any Margin For Error When it Comes to Bates' Future

Watch: Ja'Marr Chase, Jessie Bates Make Big Plays During Practice

Jessie Bates Gives Blunt Answer When Asked About New Contract

Three Bengals That Have Flashed Their Potential This Week

Joe Burrow Feeling Comfortable in Pocket After Slow Start

Watch: Highlights of Burrow, the OL and Secondary

Joe Burrow on AFC North: "We're Coming to Challenge the Division"

Elizabeth Blackburn: "We Have High Expectations" This Season

Report: Jessie Bates and Bengals Not Close to Long-Term Agreement

Duke Tobin on Jackson Carman: "He's Gotta Get Himself in Peak Shape"

Duke Tobin Not Concerned About Ja'Marr Chase Despite Talk of Slow Start

Ricardo Allen: Joe Burrow Reminds Me of Matt Ryan

Bengals Depth Chart Instant Reaction: Jordan Starting, Carman on 3rd Team

LOOK: Bengals Release First Official Depth Chart of 2021

Auden Tate is off to an Impressive Start

Zac Taylor Offers Up Big-Time Praise for D'Ante Smith

Joe Burrow Won't Play in Bengals' First Preseason Game

Joe Burrow Keeping Expectations in Check as Recovery Continues

Joe Mixon Bullish on Bengals' Offense: "Everybody Should Be Excited"

A look at Frank Pollack's Wide Zone Scheme and How it Will Impact Joe Mixon

The Bengals Don't Seem Worried About Their Lack of Depth at Offensive Tackle

Watch: Highlights From Wednesday's Practice Include Battle in the Trenches

Vonn Bell Praises Bengals' Defense, Likes What He's Seen From Ja'Marr Chase

Watch: Joe Burrow Connects With Ja'Marr Chase Deep Downfield

Mike Hilton Offers Up Big-Time Praise for Jessie Bates

Camp Notes: Joe Burrow and the Offense Continues to Struggle

Watch Practice Highlights of Jessie Bates, Ja'Marr Chase and More

Bengals Legend: Joe Burrow is "Better Than I Ever Was"

Watch: Video Breakdown from Bengals Training Camp

Watch Highlights from Day 4 of Bengals Training Camp

Watch Highlights from Day 3 of Bengals Training Camp

Film Breakdown: Why Ja'Marr Chase Has a Chance to be Special

Jessie Bates "Super Eager" to Agree to Contract Extension With Bengals

Joe Burrow Wants to Play in Preseason Games

Zero Dark Thirty: Joe Burrow Exits Social Media For Duration of Training Camp

Day One: Three Observations From Bengals Training Camp Practice

Mike Brown Bullish on O-Line: They're Going to "Surprise People"

A Breakdown of the Bengals Toughest Games on the 2021 Schedule

Three Down Look: Bengals Defense Under Pressure to Create Pressure

Joe Burrow Fully Cleared, But Don't Expect to See Him in the Preseason

Watch: Ja'Marr Chase Makes Amazing One-Handed Catch

Ken Anderson Has Big-Time Praise for Joe Burrow

Film Breakdown: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for Left Tackle Jonah Williams

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly From Vonn Bell's First Season in Stripes

Mike Brown Praises NFL Legend: 'The Greatest QB I Ever Saw Play'

Former NFL Scout Believes Chase and Burrow Will Have Huge Season

Film Breakdown: DJ Reader Should Be an Impact Player for the Bengals

Join the Faces of Who Dey Nation for Thursday Night Football

-----

Be sure to keep it locked on AllBengals all the time!

Subscribe to the AllBengals YouTube channel
Follow AllBengals on Twitter: @AllBengals

Like and follow AllBengals on Facebook

Published
James Rapien
JAMES RAPIEN

James Rapien is the publisher of Bengals On SI. He's also the host of the Locked on Bengals podcast and Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube. The Cincinnati native also wrote a book about the history of the Cincinnati Bengals called Enter The Jungle. Prior to joining Bengals On SI, Rapien worked at 700 WLW and ESPN 1530 in Cincinnati

Home/Gameday