From the jump during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season-opening clash against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buccaneers looked overwhelmed by the Bengals' aggressive defensive scheme. In the first quarter alone, Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield turned the ball over twice — with the Bengals sacking him and forcing a fumble on consecutive drives.

Cincinnati's first fumble recovery on Mayfield allowed them to score their first touchdown of the season, with Demetrius Knight Jr. taking the loose ball all the way to the end zone. And then on the following drive, Mayfield once again lost the ball on a fumble — with the Bengals scoring another touchdown on their subsequent drive.

With the Bengals leading by 14-3 early in the second quarter, the Buccaneers once again turned the ball over on a fumble. Cincinnati once again capitalized on having possession of the football and pushed their lead up to 21-3. By then, the game was too far lost for Tampa Bay to recover.

After the game, Mayfield pinned the blame on himself as the Buccaneers lost control of the game early on due to their carelessness with the football.

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“This one falls on me. I think they had like 17 points off of my turnovers and it turns out to be a one-score game,” Mayfield said, via The Pewter Plank of Fansided.

Now, being on the receiving end of four sacks isn't entirely Mayfield's fault. The Buccaneers' O-line has to be much better than it was at protecting him. But having stronger hands is Mayfield's responsibility, and this turnover spree simply cannot happen — especially not for someone who recently agreed to a three-year, $165 million extension with the team.

The most heartbreaking thing for the Bucs on the night was that they pulled the game back and lost by just six points in the end, 33-27. Had it not been for those turnovers, they might have had a good shot of winning the game.

Nonetheless, this is now a harsh learning lesson for Mayfield as they now look forward to their Week 2 clash against the Cleveland Browns.