The Buccaneers know exactly where the danger starts against Minnesota: Justin Jefferson.
That much is obvious. The Vikings’ star receiver has been one of the NFL’s toughest covers since he entered the league in 2020, and Tampa Bay will have to account for him when Minnesota comes to Raymond James Stadium on Sept.
- But the bigger problem for the Buccaneers may not be Jefferson at all.
It may be what happens underneath and over the middle, where tight ends have already done real damage to Tampa Bay’s defense.
That weakness has shown up in back-to-back games.
In the season opener, a 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buccaneers did a solid job on Ja’Marr Chase, holding him to two catches on four targets for 12 yards. They also kept Tee Higgins in check, limiting him to three catches on six targets for 59 yards, and neither wideout reached the end zone.
But while Tampa Bay handled the Bengals’ receivers, tight end Mike Gesicki took over. He finished with five receptions on seven targets for 78 yards and a touchdown, added five first downs and averaged 9.0 yards of target depth. Backup tight end Drew Sample also got involved, catching all three of his targets for 19 yards and a first down.
The next week brought more of the same.
In a 23-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Buccaneers again held the opposing rookie receivers down, as Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion stayed under 100 yards receiving. Yet the Browns found plenty of room through their tight ends. Harold Fannin Jr. caught five passes on six targets for 54 yards and three first downs, and Blake Whiteheart delivered the decisive blow with a 17-yard touchdown and 3:51 remaining.
That’s the backdrop for a Minnesota offense that can still lean on Jefferson even if he hasn’t gotten off to a blazing start with backup quarterback Carson Wentz. Through two games, Jefferson has 11 receptions for 147 yards and two receiving touchdowns, and he’s sitting in the top 20 in the NFL in yards, receptions, targets, receiving touchdowns, explosive plays and receiving yards per game.
The Vikings also bring a tight end group that can stress a defense in the same places Cincinnati and Cleveland did. TJ Hockenson has seven catches on nine targets for 65 yards and a receiving touchdown, and that score helped fuel Minnesota’s 39-22 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. Josh Oliver has added three catches on five targets for 46 yards.
Tampa Bay has seen Jefferson before, and the results have been mixed. In two previous games against the Buccaneers, Jefferson had four catches for 39 yards as a rookie in 2020, then came back in 2023 with nine receptions for 150 yards. He has never scored a receiving touchdown against Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers may well be able to keep Jefferson out of the end zone again. But if they want their first win of the season, the real test may be whether they can finally close the middle of the field and stop the tight ends from deciding the game.
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