The Buccaneers did plenty right on defense Sunday. They just did too much wrong everywhere else.
Tampa Bay held Minnesota to one offensive touchdown and 230 total yards, but the combination of penalties, stalled drives and missed chances dragged the Buccaneers into a 23-16 loss that dropped them to 0-3 for the first time since 2014. It also marked their 12th loss in their last 14 games since the Week 9 bye last season.
The game turned on the kind of mistakes that can bury a team fast. Tampa Bay finished with eight penalties for 81 yards, most of them coming on offense, and went just 2-for-17 on third down. Even when the Bucs found a spark, a flag was usually waiting to erase it.
That happened late in the third quarter after A’Shawn Robinson came up with his second career interception, snagging a tipped pass from Kyler Murray at the Minnesota 22 with 8:35 left in the period. Tampa Bay could only manage two yards on the drive, though Chase McLaughlin did trim the deficit to 17-13 with a 38-yard field goal.
The bigger gut punch came moments later. After another Vikings three-and-out, Baker Mayfield absorbed a sack on second down and the Bucs faced third-and-15.
Mayfield then hit Bucky Irving for 15 yards, only for a chop-block penalty to wipe it out. On the next snap, Mayfield found Chris Godwin for what looked like an 85-yard touchdown, but Luke Goedeke was flagged for holding and the score disappeared.
Tampa Bay finally cashed in on a Vikings mistake in the fourth quarter. Joshua Metellus drew a personal foul after Mayfield connected with Emeka Egbuka on third-and-29, setting up an automatic first down. McLaughlin later drilled a 54-yard field goal with 9:02 remaining to pull the Buccaneers within 17-16.
Minnesota answered when Aaron Jones converted on fourth-and-1 with 6:14 left, setting up Will Reichard’s 56-yard field goal with 3:10 to play. That pushed the Vikings ahead 20-16 and forced Tampa Bay to chase the game late.
The Buccaneers went for it on fourth-and-13 with less than two minutes remaining, but Mayfield’s throw was picked off by Andrew Van Ginkel. Mayfield also dislocated his right thumb on the play and did not return.
The loss had been building since the opening minutes. Minnesota got on the board first with a 54-yard Reichard field goal on its opening drive, then capitalized on special teams when Myles Price took Riley Dixon’s 41-yard punt 86 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead with 8:59 left in the first quarter.
Tampa Bay answered quickly. Mayfield led an 80-yard drive in five plays, finishing it with a 40-yard touchdown to Ted Hurst III, the first touchdown catch of Hurst’s career, to cut the margin to 10-7 with 6:44 left in the first quarter.
After that, the game settled into a punting battle for much of the first half. The Bucs finally broke through again on a drive that reached the Minnesota 7 after a 37-yard completion from Mayfield to Cade Otton, but back-to-back holding penalties pushed them backward and forced them to settle for McLaughlin’s 28-yard field goal, tying it at 10-10 with 5:33 left in the second quarter.
Minnesota answered right back. Murray hit Jordan Addison on a 41-yard touchdown pass with 4:11 left in the half, sending the Vikings into the break with a 17-10 lead.
Mayfield finished 17 of 34 for 217 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Murray went 15 of 29 for 168 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
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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 🡒]