Joe Burrow will look to change a surprising piece of history when the Bengals take on Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers in Week 1.
The Cincinnati Bengals will open their 2026 season Sunday afternoon when they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Paycor Stadium.
Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield will face off once again, with both quarterbacks entering the season looking to lead their teams to the playoffs and compete for a Super Bowl.
While there are plenty of storylines surrounding Sunday’s game, like the need for Burrow stay healthy and the first look of Cincinnati's new-look defense, one surprising stat stands out between the two quarterbacks.
Mayfield is 3-0 against Burrow when both quarterbacks have started.
The two first met during Burrow’s rookie season in 2020, when the Cleveland Browns defeated the Bengals 35-30. Burrow put together a strong performance despite the loss, completing 37 of 61 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Mayfield finished 16 of 23 for 219 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
The quarterbacks met again just over a month later, this time in Cincinnati. The Browns came away with another close victory, winning 37-34.
Burrow threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns while completing 35 of 47 passes. Mayfield had one of the best games of his career, completing 22 of 28 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns.
Their third and most recent meeting came in 2021, when Cleveland dominated Cincinnati 41-16.
Mayfield completed 14 of 21 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. Burrow completed 28 of 40 passes for 282 yards but failed to throw a touchdown and was intercepted twice.
Despite Burrow throwing for more than 1,000 yards across the three games, he has yet to beat Mayfield in a game where both quarterbacks started.
That will change Sunday if Burrow can lead the Bengals to a victory over Tampa Bay.
Of course, the three previous games have little to do with what happens Sunday. The quarterbacks are in completely different situations than they were during their first three matchups, and Burrow has established himself as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks since his first two seasons in the NFL when those games took place.
Still, the record is an interesting wrinkle heading into the season opener.
Mayfield has already found a way to beat Burrow three times in his career. Now, Burrow will have his first opportunity in nearly five years to change that.
With the Bengals opening the season at home and expectations high entering 2026, Burrow will need to start the year by doing something he has never done before: beat Baker Mayfield.
