TAMPA, Fla. - The Minnesota Vikings left Tampa with a 23-16 win on Sunday, but the victory came with a heavy price on both sidelines.
Myles Price flipped the game early with an 86-yard punt return for a touchdown, and Kyler Murray later hit Jordan Addison on a 41-yard scoring strike as Minnesota moved to 3-0 for the second time in three years. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, dropped to 0-3 for the first time since 2014.
The biggest concern for Minnesota came in the first quarter, when Justin Jefferson went down with a right ankle injury and did not return. For Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield’s day ended with a painful thumb injury on a desperation throw late in the fourth quarter, forcing rookie Jalon Daniels into the game for the final minute.
Murray, in his first full game with the Vikings, finished 15 of 29 for 168 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He had missed time after sustaining a concussion in the season opener, and Carson Wentz had guided Minnesota to the previous two wins.
Mayfield completed 17 of 34 passes for 217 yards, one touchdown and one interception while taking six sacks. The Buccaneers also had a touchdown wiped out by a penalty and repeatedly stalled in key spots against Brian Flores’ defense.
Minnesota jumped out fast. After a three-and-out, Price took the punt, found a lane up the middle, bounced right and raced down the sideline for his first career touchdown, making it 10-0 after one possession.
Tampa Bay answered with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to rookie Ted Hurst III to make it 10-7. The Bucs then had a chance to tie or take the lead after a 37-yard connection between Mayfield and Cade Otton put the ball at the Minnesota 7, but back-to-back holding penalties on Cody Mauch and Graham Barton forced them to settle for a 28-yard Chase McLauglin field goal.
Minnesota restored control in the second quarter when Murray found Addison deep on third-and-8. Addison beat Jacob Parrish one-on-one and made a clean adjustment on the ball for a 17-10 Vikings lead.
The Bucs kept hanging around, but the flags kept undercutting them. Mayfield had an 85-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin Jr. wiped out by a holding call on Luke Goedeke in the third quarter.
Later, a 14-yard scramble was erased by a holding penalty on Payne Durham. Even when Tampa Bay got a first down on third-and-29 after Joshua Metellus hit Emeka Egbuka helmet-to-helmet, the drive still ended with a field goal.
After A’Shawn Robinson intercepted Murray and gave Tampa Bay the ball at the Vikings 22, the Buccaneers again came away with only three points. Bucky Irving ran for 3 yards, then dropped a pass, and Mayfield was sacked on third down before McLauglin’s 38-yarder made it 17-13.
Will Reichard’s 56-yard field goal pushed Minnesota ahead 20-16 with 3:10 left, and he added a 43-yarder to finish the scoring.
Jefferson’s injury came after a defender fell on his right ankle. He walked to the locker room after watching a couple of series. Minnesota also listed punter Brett Thorson as inactive with a hamstring injury, and cornerback Charles Demmings left with a hamstring injury.
Tampa Bay had its own injury issues. Edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and linebacker Josiah Trotter were inactive, while wide receiver Jalen McMillan left in the first quarter with a knee injury and did not return.
The game also featured a family connection: Buccaneers left guard Ben Bredeson played against his younger brother, Vikings rookie fullback Max Bredeson. Their older brother, Jack, is the director of player information for the New York Mets. All three played at Michigan.
The Buccaneers will host Green Bay next Sunday.
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