Vikings Escape Buccaneers to Earn 3-0 Start

It wasn’t exactly pretty, but a win is a win in the NFL.

The Minnesota Vikings put together a performance that was the epitome of that sentiment on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and despite some ugly moments, came away with another win to start the season.

Here are four takeaways following the victory on the road.

1. The Minnesota Vikings Are 3-0

The Minnesota Vikings are 3-0. That’s what matters after Sunday. They are one of five teams who remain undefeated heading into Sunday night (the 2-0 Eagles still have to play the Bears on Monday) and have the top seed in the NFC. It wasn’t always pretty at times, but a 3-0 start gives the Vikings a cushion and some grace for any momentary struggles.

Has the offense been unimpressive at times? Sure. Are there still things this team needs to clean up? Absolutely. But a 3-0 start to the year means that they are ahead of schedule in the NFC North and have a chance to clean things up as they get ready to head back home and face an 0-3 Miami Dolphins team.

2. Justin Jefferson’s Injury Leads to a Slog on Offense

There was a bit of a dark cloud over Sunday’s win, and that was Justin Jefferson’s ankle injury. The Vikings started the day with a 22-yard dart from Murray to Jefferson, and that along with a couple deep passes to Jordan Addison ended up being the only explosive plays of the day for Minnesota.

Jefferson’s injury is likely part of the reason why Kyler Murray ended the game completing just 16 of his 31 passes for only 168 yards. This injury will be something to keep a close eye on as the week progresses, and we’ll see how it impacts Minnesota’s offense moving forward.

3. Special Teams Steals the Show

The Vikings don’t win this game without the play of their special teams unit, and it wasn’t just one player taking over among that group. Collectively, it was a fantastic effort from Matt Daniels’ squad.

Myles Price put up an 86-yard punt return for a touchdown, which sparked Minnesota to a 10-0 lead just six and a half minutes into the game.

Johnny Hekker came in for the injured Brett Thorson and put up eight punts that averaged 46.5 yards and landed a pair of them inside the 20 with no touchbacks.

Finally, I’m running out of words for the great Will Reichard who punched all three of his field goals through the uprights, including two from more than 50 yards out.

4. Another Great Outing for the Defense

Minnesota’s defensive front might be the best group in football. They put together another great showing on Sunday, which included six total sacks.

On top of that pass rush, they allowed just 57 total rushing yards to Tampa Bay on 21 attempts. That’s elite stuff, folks.

Granted, Jalen McMillan left the field early with an injury, and Baker Mayfield left later on with a dislocated thumb before Tampa Bay’s final drive of the game, but this defense is good enough to compete for a Super Bowl. We’ll just have to see if the offense can hold up their end of that bargain.

Editor’s Note: Information from ESPN helped with this article.

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