Minnesota
Vikings
0-2
26
FINAL
34
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
2-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 3 matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers narrowly defeated the Minnesota Vikings with a final score of 34-26. Both teams entered the game looking to gain momentum early in the season, but it was the Buccaneers who ultimately came out on top in this competitive contest.
Baker Mayfield led the charge for Tampa Bay, throwing for two touchdowns and showcasing his ability to connect with his receivers under pressure. Kyler Murray kept Minnesota in the game with 227 passing yards, while RJ Harvey added a strong ground game with 91 rushing yards. Justin Jefferson was a standout for the Vikings, posting 96 receiving yards and making key plays to keep his team in striking distance.
Defensively, the Buccaneers made crucial stops that turned the tide in their favor. Zyon McCollum's nine total tackles helped contain Minnesota's offense, while Andrew Van Ginkel's sack was pivotal in stalling a critical drive. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Tampa Bay's defense held strong, allowing them to maintain their lead and secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyler Murray | QB | 36 | 23 | 64% | 227 | 1 | 1 | 79.2 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 36 | 19 | 53% | 227 | 2 | 1 | 79.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RJ Harvey | HB | 11 | 91 | 8.3 | 43 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Jordan Mason | HB | 12 | 68 | 5.7 | 17 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 12 | 42 | 3.5 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 10 | 36 | 3.6 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 2 | 33 | 16.5 | 26 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Sean Tucker | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Dawson Knox | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 7 | 96 | 13.7 | 50 | 1 | 47 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 6 | 85 | 14.2 | 12 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 20 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 19 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Chris Godwin Jr | WR | 4 | 36 | 9.0 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Dawson Knox | TE | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Payne Durham | TE | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Ko Kieft | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Golday | MIKE | 7 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keionte Scott | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rueben Bain Jr | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nohl Williams | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Banks | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A'Shawn Robinson | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ivan Pace Jr | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Van Noy | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Metellus | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kader Kohou | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 49 |
| Will Reichard | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 36 |

