Todd Bowles sends Buccaneers a key message they can't afford to ignore heading into Week 1 vs. Bengals

History is on Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' side heading into Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but that doesn't mean Sunday's game will follow suit. Bowles is making sure his players know that. Trends and history are typically valuable details when it comes to NFL teams, but Todd Bowles isn't letting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers feel comfortable against the Cincinnati Bengals when it comes to one certain aspect that applies to both teams in heading into the Week 1 matchup.And that's the Week 1 record for each squad under Bowles and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. It's been a tale of two completely different sides of the coin for both coaches and teams since 2019 (when Taylor took over the Bengals) and the results paint an accurate picture.It's simple: Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers have had a ton of success in Week 1, while Taylor and the Bengals haven't.Since Bowles took over in 2022, the Buccaneers are 4-0 in Week 1. They beat the Dallas Cowboys, 19-3, in 2022. Then came a 20-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings and a 37-20 victory over the Washington Commanders in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Finally, there's last year's dramatic 23-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons. No matter where or who the Buccaneers played, they came out on top. They've done primarily in dominant fashion as well, winning by an average score of 25-15.But Bowles knows this is a different year and he made sure the Buccaneers aren't letting history doing the talking heading into Week 1. 'I don't think you can put too much stock in it,' Bowles told reporters after Monday's practice. 'Every year is a different year. We just got off to a good start the past couple, and obviously it means nothing going into this game on Sunday. So we got to prepare like we need to prepare and play like we got to play.' Things have been much different for the Bengals. They are 2-5 under Taylor in Week 1 and have lost by an average margin of 20-16. Joe Burrow and Co. have averaged just 15 points per game since he was drafted in 2020 and have scored 20 or more points just twice in the six contests.So, while history is on the Buccaneers' side heading into Week 1, Bowles knows they can't assume this current iteration of both Tampa Bay and Cincinnati doesn't guarantee the game will fall in line with previous results. Especially considering both teams are starving to get back to the postseason after missing out last year (or the last three years in Cincy's case).It's the right mindset/focus to have and we'll see if it pays off once again. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.