VT’s Vikings Postgame: Climbing to 3-0 Despite a Clunky Tampa Effort

Somehow, the Minnesota Vikings are a 3-0 football team. Not many predicted that outcome going into the 2026 season (I certainly didn’t).

VT’s Vikings postgame has plenty to consider following the 23-16 victory over the Buccaneers. Brian Flores had another sizzling day. So did Matt Daniels. What was lacking was Kevin O’Connell’s end of things, a crew that is yet to figure things out. Consider some of the other rapid-fire thoughts.

Vikings Postgame: 6 Quick Thoughts

1 — Decent News for Justin Jefferson

The bad news is that Justin Jefferson sprained his ankle and didn’t come back. The good news is that he was close to doing so.

Kevin O’Connell was reasonably upbeat in his postgame presser. Minnesota’s skipper clarified that Jefferson was close to returning, as the game broadcast suggested when showing #18 trying to test his ankles after getting taped.

What’s sometimes true, though, is that a player is more sore on a Monday than on a Sunday when the adrenaline is pumping. Consider Jefferson questionable, at best, moving into Week 4.

2 — Yet Another Passer Hurt

Yet again, a passer facing off against that Brian Flores defense left the game with an injury. The Vikings are playing clean, physical football. What sets them apart is an unusual level of sophisticated aggression.

Both of Caleb Williams in Week 2 and Baker Mayfield in Week 3 did an admirable job of hanging in there. Eventually, though, it feels like a dam breaking, allowing the waters of pressure to drown the quarterback.

It looks very difficult to leave a game against Flores without having a ton of bumps and bruises.

3 — Will Reichard is Steph Curry

Will Reichard is a beast. The specialist went 3/3 on his field goals and 2/2 on his extra points, doing so with Johnny Hekker as his holder. A pair of those field goals came from beyond 50.

Coach O’Connell referred to him as being Minnesota’s version of Steph Curry. Get the K1 open for a three and just wait for the football to go swoosh.

4 — Nice Bounce Back from Eric Wilson

Early in the game, I made note of a tough Eric Wilson rep when a pulling guard pushed him back before tossing him to the ground. Mr. Wilson then had a fantastic game.

The veteran linebacker finished his day with 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 quarterback hits, and 1 pass defended. He was all over the place, proving vital within the suffocating defensive effort.

5 — Only a Matter of Time

Only a matter of time for Mr. Price. Check it out:

Don’t forget that he was an undrafted add who demanded $0 in guaranteed money. Mr. Price has earned things the whole way through a pile of hard work.

6 — Kyler Murray Had a J.J. McCarthy Day

Not a great day at the office for Kyler Murray.

He finished the Week 3 game having gone 15/29 for 168 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He got sacked 3 times and finished with a 66.5 passer rating. On a few occasions, Murray underthrew the ball when going deep.

Murray isn’t yet a finished product in this offense. Do note, though, that next week’s game will mean roughly 1/4 of the way through the 2026 Vikings season.

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