Minnesota
Vikings
0-2
21
FINAL
35
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
2-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 3 matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers topped the Minnesota Vikings 35-21, solidifying their position in the NFC as they continue to build momentum in the 2026 season. The victory showcased the Bucs' offensive firepower, leaving the Vikings searching for answers as they look to regroup.
Leading the charge for Tampa Bay was quarterback Jordan Love, who threw for an impressive 275 yards and connected on three touchdown passes, showcasing both precision and poise in the pocket. Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson was his favorite target, racking up 116 receiving yards, while running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt added 81 rushing yards to keep the chains moving and the defense guessing.
While the offense shined, the Buccaneers' defense also played a crucial role in the victory, highlighted by Anthony Hill Jr.'s eight total tackles and Lathan Ransom's sack, which disrupted Minnesota's rhythm. The game's turning point came in the second quarter when Tampa Bay's defense forced a critical turnover, allowing them to extend their lead and ultimately secure the win. The combination of a potent offense and a steadfast defense proved too much for the Vikings to overcome.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Love | QB | 43 | 21 | 49% | 275 | 3 | 0 | 92.6 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 36 | 23 | 64% | 186 | 2 | 0 | 95.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 16 | 81 | 5.1 | 33 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 18 | 63 | 3.5 | 17 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Woody Marks | HB | 6 | 37 | 6.2 | 13 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 6 | 25 | 4.2 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Terrance Ferguson | TE | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | — | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Jordan Love | QB | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darius Slayton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Bellinger | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brenton Strange | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Arroyo | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 6 | 116 | 19.3 | 65 | 1 | 67 | 1 |
| Elijah Arroyo | TE | 7 | 83 | 11.9 | 18 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 5 | 60 | 12.0 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 1 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | 4 | 53 | 13.3 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Brenton Strange | TE | 4 | 50 | 12.5 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Darius Slayton | WR | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Woody Marks | HB | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Devin Duvernay | WR | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Daniel Bellinger | TE | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Parker Washington | WR | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | — | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Matthew Golden | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Terrance Ferguson | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lathan Ransom | SS | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anthony Hill Jr. | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nate Landman | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Jefferson | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D'Angelo Ponds | CB | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Abdul Carter | LEDG | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Isaiah McDuffie | SAM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zack Baun | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minkah Fitzpatrick | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brandon Jones | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Renardo Green | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kei'Trel Clark | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kelee Ringo | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bud Clark | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Davis | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron Donald | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marlowe Wax | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Eboigbe | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nik Needham | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Sieler | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Ramsey | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tershawn Wharton | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Epenesa | REDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 2 | 2 | 3 | 50 |
| Wil Lutz | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

