Cincinnati Bengals vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick-off time
The Cincinnati Bengals will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio) on Sunday, September 13, during Week 1 of the 2026 NFL regular season. The game is scheduled to kick-off at 6pm BST.
The game serves as Cincinnati’s annual ‘Open In Orange’ event, meaning the Bengals will wear orange uniforms, and fans are encouraged to wear orange to the stadium.
How to watch Cincinnati Bengals vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The game will be screened live on NFL Game Pass on DAZN and Sky Sports+.
NFL Game Pass on DAZN is the official way to watch the 2026/27 NFL season, offering access to every game live and on-demand. This includes the regular season, the playoffs, and Super Bowl LXI. Access to NFL Redzone and the NFL Network is also available. You can purchase NFL Game Pass as a standalone package without needing a regular DAZN subscription.
DAZN offers two primary tiers for the full NFL season, Regular and Ultimate, with options to pay all at once or in monthly instalments.
Subscription Tier
Upfront One-off Price
Monthly Instalment Plan (12 months)
Season Pro Regular
£179.99
£18.99 / month
Season Pro Ultimate
£199.99
£21.99 / month
Those purchasing the ‘Season Pro Ultimate’ package will also receive these additional features:
Multiview Screen Sharing: Ultimate subscribers can watch up to four live games simultaneously on one screen. This is ideal for packed Sunday nights when multiple games are happening at the same time.Enhanced Picture and Sound: The Ultimate tier introduces High Dynamic Range (HDR) video quality and Dolby 5.1 surround sound. These enhancements apply to marquee broadcasts, including Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, key playoff games, and the Super Bowl.Alternative Broadcast Feeds: Ultimate gives you access to popular alternative commentaries. This includes the ManningCast with Peyton and Eli Manning, as well as TNF Prime Vision which overlays Next Gen Stats directly onto the live feed.Account Sharing Limits: If you want to share your account with family or watch on the go, the Regular plan limits you to 2 streams on the exact same internet connection (IP address). The Ultimate plan expands this significantly, allowing up to 5 concurrent streams across 2 entirely different physical locations.
NB: Two Sunday games per week (one game from the 6pm window and one game from the 9pm window) will be subject to blackout restrictions. These two blacked-out games are not live on NFL Game Pass, but they are made available to watch fully on-demand 24 hours after the game ends.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL’s guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team NewsCincinnati Bengals Team News
The Bengals are trending towards being almost entirely healthy for the opener, which is a massive boost after injuries derailed their previous campaign.
Wide Receivers: Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that superstars Ja’Marr Chase (knee) and Tee Higgins (heel) are fully on track to play. “Yes, they’ll continue to do more and more every day, but I like the pace that they’re on right now,” Taylor said.
Dax Hill: The starting cornerback has missed most of camp with a hamstring injury but looked “really good” in practice and is gearing up for a busy Sunday.
Shemar Stewart: The rising second-year pass rusher has made a speedy recovery from a frightening training camp knee hyperextension. Coach Taylor will not rule him out, calling his availability “a possibility”.
Team Captains: The players voted for seven team captains, introducing huge offseason trade acquisition Dexler Lawrence II (DT) and Bryan Cook (S) immediately into the leadership group alongside mainstay QB Joe Burrow.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team News
The Buccaneers head into Week 1 hoping to kick off a bounce-back year with their heavily reconstructed roster.
Running Backs: Head coach Todd Bowles stated that one unnamed Buccaneers running back is considered a true game-time decision. While the official full list is still filtering out, depth charts show concerns for Sean Tucker, who is dealing with an undisclosed issue.
Wide Receivers: Rookies and newcomers Jalen McMillan (knee) and Emeka Egbuka (toe) are being monitored and carry “questionable” tags into the week.
Offensive Line Continuity: After an injury-plagued 2025 where their preferred line didn’t play a single snap together, the Bucs will field their top five; Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch, and Luke Goedeke. Mauch is making his official return from a leg fracture.
Quarterback Depth: While Baker Mayfield steers the ship, rookie Jalon Daniels officially won the primary backup job in training camp, beating out veteran Jake Browning.
Team Captains: The Bucs’ 2026 captains are Baker Mayfield, Tristan Wirfs, Chris Godwin Jr., Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr., and newly added linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Key Storylines
Quarterback Battle: It’s a highly-anticipated matchup between Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield, with both looking to bounce back after their respective teams missed the playoffs at the end of last season.
Coaches on the Hot Seat: Zac Taylor (Bengals) and Todd Bowles (Buccaneers) face heavy pressure to make deep postseason runs this year and they would love to make a dream Week 1 start.
Bucs Defense vs Bengals Offense: Tampa Bay’s retooled defense, featuring newcomer Alex Anzalone, faces an immediate trial by fire against Cincinnati’s high-powered passing offense.