The Bucs don’t need a record book this week nearly as much as they need a win.
Tampa Bay comes home to Raymond James Stadium at 0-2, and Sunday’s matchup with a 2-0 Vikings team has the feel of a game the Bucs can’t afford to let slip away. Minnesota arrives undefeated and trying to widen its lead in the NFC North, while Todd Bowles’ team is trying to avoid an 0-3 hole that would be tough to climb out of.
After a six-point loss in Cincinnati that came with four turnovers, there was still some room for perspective. The home loss to Cleveland, though, erased a lot of that goodwill, especially after Tampa Bay led by 10 in the second half and still had the ball at the 28-yard line with two minutes left.
Another defeat at home would land hard.
Still, there’s more than one layer to this game for the Bucs. As is the case every week, there are milestones and marks in play for several key names across the roster.
Baker Mayfield is chasing a few notable ones. He still hasn’t had a game this season with multiple touchdown passes, and if he gets there against Minnesota, it would tie Tom Brady (31) for the second-most games in Bucs history with multiple passing scores.
Mayfield is also two touchdown passes shy of 200 for his regular-season career. A win would pull him even with Jameis Winston (28) for the fourth-most wins by a Tampa Bay starting quarterback.
He could also move up several passing lists with a productive day: a 250-yard game would tie him with Josh Freeman (23) for third-most in team history, while 300 yards would match Vinny Testaverde (12) for third-most. If he posts a passer rating of 90.0 or better, he’d tie Winston (34) for the most such games in franchise history.
And Mayfield is close to another couple of passing totals, needing 14 yards to pass Doug Williams (12,648) for sixth in team history and 335 to pass Trent Dilfer (12,969) for fifth.
Chris Godwin Jr. has his own climb underway. He needs four more touchdowns to pass James Wilder (46) for third-most touchdowns from scrimmage in Bucs history, and nine points would move him past Wilder (276) for 10th-most points scored in franchise history. Sunday will also be Godwin’s 123rd game with Tampa Bay, tying Gerald McCoy for 19th-most in team history.
At tight end, Cade Otton is one receiving touchdown away from passing Calvin Magee and Alex Smith (11) for seventh-most by a tight end in team history. That next touchdown would also move him into a tie for sixth. He’s also four catches away from having the third-most receptions by a tight end in franchise history.
Up front and on defense, Vita Vea is still looking to make up ground in the sack column. He’s 4.5 away from passing David Logan (39.0) for seventh-most in Bucs history. Sunday will also be his 115th game as a Buc, tying Karl “The Truth” Williams for 26th-most in franchise history.
Anthony Nelson is set for his 110th game as a Buccaneer, which would tie David Logan and Rob Taylor for 33rd in team history.
In the secondary, Zyon McCollum needs three passes defensed to move ahead of Simeon Rice (37) for 12th in team history. That would also put him level with Antoine Winfield Jr., who enters Week 3 with 38 and sits 11th on the franchise list.
Winfield has a pile of milestones within reach. He needs 10.5 sacks to pass Ronde Barber (28.0) for the most by a defensive back in Bucs history and the second-most by any defensive back in NFL history.
One more forced fumble would tie David Logan and Broderick Thomas (13) for ninth-most in team history. Another fumble recovery would move him past Lee Roy Selmon (10) for fourth-most ever by a Buccaneer defender and tie him with Cecil Johnson and John Cannon (11) for third.
He’s also one interception away from 10 for his career, which would put him in a rare group: the 16th defensive back in NFL history since sacks became official in 1982 to reach 500-plus tackles, 15-plus sacks and 10-plus interceptions. That list includes Bill Bates, Dave Duerson, Rodney Harrison, Derwin James Jr. and Adrian Wilson as the only defensive backs to do it in their first seven seasons.
Winfield also needs four passes defensed to pass Brent Grimes (41) for 10th in franchise history.
Chase McLaughlin is closing in on a couple of kicking marks as well. Two more field goals would move him past Matt Bryant (98) for fourth-most in team history. Three more points would let him pass Bryant and Donald Igwebuike (416) for fourth-most by a kicker and sixth-most overall in Bucs history.
Todd Bowles and Jason Licht are both near career milestones of their own. Bowles needs one more win to pass Bruce Arians (36) for fourth-most all-time among Tampa Bay head coaches, counting the regular season and playoffs. Licht is also still one victory away from his 100th as the team’s general manager, including the playoffs, which would make him the first general manager in Bucs history to reach that mark.
In Other News...
Bucs Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Fans Wanted To See
The Buccaneers 23-16 loss to the Vikings in Week 3 was more than just a one-score setback. Tampa Bay kept bumping into the same problems on both sides of the ball, with the offense never finding much rhythm under coordinator Zac Robinson and the defense undone at key moments, including an 86-yard punt return touchdown that tilted the game in Minnesotas favor.
Baker Mayfield finished with a 50% completion rate, one touchdown and one interception, then added a right hand injury late in the game to an already frustrating night. There were also rough stretches for players such as cornerback Jacob Parrish and right tackle Luke Goedeke, leaving the Bucs with an uncomfortable reminder that the issues exposed Sunday go well beyond a single bad sequence or a single phase of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Injury Just Raised The Stakes For A Reeling Bucs Team
Tampa Bays rough Week 3 got even messier late in the loss to Minnesota, when Baker Mayfield dislocated his thumb near the end of the game. The Buccaneers were already dealing with the sting of another defeat, and the injury to their starting quarterback quickly became the biggest concern coming out of the night.
Todd Bowles said Mayfield will undergo an MRI to get a better read on the injury, leaving the team waiting on a clearer update. Mayfield was replaced by rookie Jalon Daniels after leaving the game, and for a Bucs team trying to steady itself, the timing of the setback only adds to the pressure heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Loss Exposed Problems Fans Wont Stop Arguing About
The Buccaneers latest loss did more than dent the standings - it reopened the same arguments that have followed this team for weeks. Between the defenses uneven stretches, the offenses uneven rhythm and a special teams sequence that left plenty of second-guessing behind, the game against Minnesota became the kind of all-around mess that forces a closer look at how Tampa Bay is being coached and why so many drives still seem to stall at the wrong time.
Todd Bowles now has a familiar debate on his hands, because the scrutiny is not just about one bad afternoon but about how the Bucs handled key moments through the first three quarters. Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving and a few others had their moments, but the bigger issue is whether the teams decisions and execution can keep matching up against good opponents when the game starts tightening. [Read more 🡒]