Minnesota
Vikings
2-0
7
FINAL
34
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers cruised to a decisive 34-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3 of the 2026 season. With this win, the Buccaneers improved their record, showcasing their dominance on both sides of the ball as they continue to position themselves for a playoff run.
Baker Mayfield was the star of the show, throwing for four touchdown passes and leading the Buccaneers' offense with precision. Kyler Murray put up impressive numbers for the Vikings with 256 passing yards, but the Minnesota offense struggled to find the end zone, ultimately leaving them short in this matchup. Bucky Irving added a solid ground game for Tampa with 79 rushing yards, while Ty Drayton was a standout in the receiving corps, racking up 134 receiving yards.
Defensively, the Buccaneers were able to disrupt Minnesota's rhythm, with Rueben Bain Jr. contributing a key sack that shifted momentum in Tampa Bay's favor. The turning point came early in the second half when Bain's pressure forced a turnover, allowing the Buccaneers to extend their lead and effectively put the game out of reach. The Vikings' defense, led by Josh Metellus with eight total tackles, fought hard, but it was clear that Tampa Bay's strong performance on both sides of the ball made the difference in this lopsided affair.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyler Murray | QB | 44 | 24 | 55% | 256 | 0 | 0 | 71.7 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 29 | 16 | 55% | 249 | 4 | 0 | 123.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 18 | 79 | 4.4 | 22 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Doug Foster | HB | 15 | 51 | 3.4 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Nick Singleton | HB | 5 | 25 | 5.0 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 5 | 17 | 3.4 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 4 | 11 | 2.8 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ty Drayton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Drayton | WR | 7 | 134 | 19.1 | 74 | 2 | 75 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 8 | 89 | 11.1 | 22 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| KaVontae Turpin | WR | 5 | 65 | 13.0 | 16 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 3 | 58 | 19.3 | 36 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 4 | 44 | 11.0 | 22 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 3 | 42 | 14.0 | 14 | 1 | 32 | 0 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 5 | 37 | 7.4 | 7 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Doug Foster | HB | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Nick Singleton | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Metellus | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rueben Bain Jr | LEDG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Owen Pappoe | WILL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zah Frazier | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrison Smith | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calais Campbell | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keionte Scott | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Golday | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Wilson | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demonte Capehart | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Nowaske | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Reichard | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 47 |

