Tampa Bay Buccaneers Upset Vikings in Minnesota

Bucs Sail Out of Minnesota with a Win

Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveled to take on Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings to kick off the regular season. The passion and grit of Mayfield proved to be fruitful as he put the team in position for their game-winning field goal. Chase McLaughlin’s 57-yard kick came with only 5:10 left to go in the fourth quarter. The Bucs start the season with a big road win against a former playoff team with the final score being 20-17.

We're just getting started 😏 pic.twitter.com/gsEsyg3myH

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 10, 2023

Tampa Winning the Turnover Battle

Even with the Viking’s high-powered offense, the Buccaneer defense remained locked in. The group was relentless as they forced two fumbles on each of the two sacks they administered. Additionally, QB Kirk Cousins also made a mistake in the air and was picked off once in the red zone.

Mayfield Reborn in Tampa?

It was a summer of competition between Kyle Trask and Mayfield. The organization went in the direction of the former first-overall pick. After being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2018, Mayfield has played for multiple teams including the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams. However, not being discouraged, Mayfield led the team to their first victory of the 2023 campaign and he seems to be the leader the organization hoped he’d be.

Head Coach Todd Bowels after the game commented, “Baker’s gutsy. He’s tough… The guys stayed behind him.”

Mayfield ended his day with 173 yards, two passing touchdowns and most importantly, zero interceptions.

He's got that look in his eyes 👀 pic.twitter.com/majhJ4Z7vE

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 10, 2023

Vikings Crash on Opportunities

“There were quite a few self-inflicted mistakes,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said after the game yesterday. Such mistakes included rookie safety Jay Ward lining up in the natural zone during a fourth down-field goal attempt by the Bucs. This led to a new set of downs for Tampa and an eventual touchdown catch by rookie receiver Trey Palmer.

The Vikings were able to show sparks of a great offense yesterday. Finishing drives was one of the themes of the day for the team. “We moved the football, but we turned the ball over,” Cousins continued,” The game will always be about points.”

What’s Next for Both Teams?

The Buccaneers will have their home opener against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Vikings will have a quick turnaround as they travel to take on the Philadelphia Eagles this Thursday at 8:15 p.m.