Minnesota
Vikings
0-2
13
FINAL
34
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive Week 3 matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers topped the Minnesota Vikings with a final score of 34-13, solidifying their position as a formidable force in the 2026 season. The victory was crucial for Tampa Bay, who aimed to build momentum as they navigate their way through a competitive schedule.
Leading the charge for Tampa Bay was quarterback Bo Nix, who delivered an impressive performance with 389 passing yards and two touchdowns. His ability to connect consistently with receivers paved the way for a potent offensive display, while Velus Jones Jr. added a ground threat with 44 rushing yards, contributing to a well-rounded attack that kept the Vikings' defense on its heels.
Defensively, the Buccaneers showcased their dominance with Alex Highsmith recording 2.5 sacks, making life difficult for the Viking's offense throughout the game. The turning point came early in the second half when Highsmith's pressure led to a key turnover, allowing Tampa Bay to extend their lead and seize control of the game. With defensive stops and offensive firepower, the Buccaneers proved they have what it takes to contend this season.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Nix | QB | 41 | 33 | 80% | 389 | 2 | 1 | 112.2 |
| Sam Darnold | QB | 33 | 17 | 52% | 211 | 1 | 0 | 81.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velus Jones Jr | HB | 12 | 44 | 3.7 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 5 | 35 | 7.0 | 23 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 11 | 35 | 3.2 | 17 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Sam Darnold | QB | 8 | 31 | 3.9 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Devin Singletary | HB | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Deebo Samuel Sr | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| J.K. Dobbins | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Isaiah Likely | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deebo Samuel Sr | WR | 5 | 102 | 20.4 | 52 | 1 | 55 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 6 | 99 | 16.5 | 17 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 7 | 97 | 13.9 | 17 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Jaylin Noel | WR | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 9 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Isaiah Likely | TE | 7 | 62 | 8.9 | 17 | 2 | 16 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 5 | 41 | 8.2 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 5 | 35 | 7.0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Terrance Ferguson | TE | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Velus Jones Jr | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Connor Heyward | FB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Devin Singletary | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Eric Stokes | CB | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Branch | SS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| DeMarvion Overshown | MIKE | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Upton Stout | CB | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Greg Newsome II | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T'Vondre Sweat | DT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Jones | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ernest Jones IV | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Jones | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Samson Ebukam | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Sieler | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Barnes | SAM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ty Robinson | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evan Williams | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dorance Armstrong | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clark Phillips III | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zack Baun | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Juan Thornhill | FS | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quinnen Williams | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nik Bonitto | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wade Woodaz | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Da'Shawn Hand | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wil Lutz | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 31 |
| Tress Way | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dominic Zvada | K | 2 | 2 | 1 | 35 |

