The Buccaneers left Week 3 with a 23-16 loss to the Vikings, and the damage was bigger than the final score. Tampa Bay dropped to 0-3, and Baker Mayfield is expected to miss several weeks with a dislocated right thumb.
Adam Slivon’s latest Top 10 Takeaways points to a team that keeps running into the same problems no matter the opponent. The offense, despite the buzz around coordinator Zac Robinson, has not found its rhythm.
Mayfield was struggling before he exited, the running game never got going, Riley Dixon punted nine times, and Tampa Bay went just 2-17 on third down. Chase McLaughlin had to settle for three field goals because the offense could not finish drives.
The wide receivers never gave the unit a steady answer, either. Ted Hurst III was the bright spot on one snap, getting wide open for a 40-yard touchdown, but then he was largely absent after that. Up front, the offensive line continued to be a problem and, in Slivon’s view, is holding the entire offense back.
If there was a silver lining, it came on defense. Tampa Bay’s defense played its best football of the season in Week 3, doing a better job of limiting Kyler Murray, even with Justin Jefferson missing much of the game.
Murray still felt the pass rush more than Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson had in earlier games, but there is room for improvement there too. Slivon says one way to get more out of that group is to use David Walker more on the outside, since he is the only edge rusher who can consistently get to the quarterback.
Through three games, Slivon identifies Walker, Josiah Trotter and A’Shawn Robinson as the team’s three best defenders. That, in turn, raises uncomfortable questions about players such as Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr., Yaya Diaby and Calijah Kancey, whom he says are not living up to their price tags or extension value.
Looking ahead to Week 4, Tampa Bay turns to Jalon Daniels for the matchup with the Packers. Daniels will have plenty on his plate at Raymond James Stadium, where Slivon expects a heavy Packers presence in the stands. He also says it is hard to blame fans for not showing up, with the Glazers facing difficult decisions and the season already feeling like it is slipping away.
Whatever this is, it has to end.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Made A Venables Decision Fans May Regret Fast
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The timing is what makes the decision feel so loaded. If Oklahoma stumbles into a losing season, the contract becomes more than a vote of confidence - it turns into a financial commitment that would make any midstream reset far more complicated, and far more expensive, than it would have been before the extension. [Read more 🡒]
Porter Mosers Staff Just Added A Familiar Face And A Key Role
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For Oklahoma, the Greenman hire brings another basketball voice into the room, while Godwins return adds a familiar face with a direct connection to the program. Former Sooners players often bring a useful blend of institutional memory and practical support when they come back in off the floor, and Godwin steps into a role that can matter just as much behind the scenes. It is the kind of staff tweak that does not grab headlines for long, but can say plenty about how Moser wants the operation to function. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Fans May Not Like What This Bye Week Really Means
The bye week arrives with Oklahoma at 2-2 and searching for answers on an offense that has looked too uneven to trust. Brent Venables has been clear that the pieces are there for improvement, but the Sooners have not yet put it together, and the issues go well beyond a simple tweak in the playbook. Ben Arbuckle's plan against Georgia showed some signs of life, yet turnovers and shaky offensive line play kept it from turning into anything sustainable.
For Oklahoma, this pause is less about resting up and more about confronting the uncomfortable realities that have slowed the season. The quarterback room is still learning on the job, and the line has not consistently protected the passer or created room in the run game, which leaves the offense fighting uphill on nearly every series. A bye week can help clean up details, but it can only do so much when the larger problems are still sitting there in plain view. [Read more 🡒]