10 Reactions to Vikings Loss vs. Buccaneers
The Minnesota Vikings got their 2023 regular season started by playing host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.
Minnesota ended up shooting themselves in the foot multiple times throughout the game. Despite moving the ball very easily in the first half, the Vikings often failed to turn yards into points, and they fell to Tampa Bay by a score of 20-17. Here are 10 reactions to this Week 1 loss.
1. Offensive Line Struggles Remain Apparent
The Minnesota Vikings had extreme struggles on their offensive line during the 2022 season, but they decided to run it back with virtually the same unit in 2023. The hope was that continuity would lead to improvements, but the group struggled against Tampa Bay’s stout defensive front. Kirk Cousins was constantly under pressure and got hit nine times.
2. Garrett Bradbury’s Injury
Garrett Bradbury was ruled out for the remainder of the game following a back injury suffered in the first half. If you’ll recall, he was greatly hindered by a back injury down the stretch of the 2022 season, so the concern here is that it is a flareup of the same injury.
3. Justin Jefferson Goes Quiet in the Second Half
Justin Jefferson had an explosion in the first half of this game, totaling seven catches and 138 yards in the first half. However, as was far too often the case in 2022, the Vikings were unable to get him involved during the second half. He totaled just two catches for 12 yards in the second half of the game as Minnesota’s offense sputtered.
4. Cousins’ Red Zone INT
The Minnesota Vikings made a number of terrible mistakes throughout this game. In order to have success in the NFL, you simply cannot afford to waste opportunities down in the red zone. The Vikings were unable to take advantage of a red zone drive in the first half as Cousins threw an interception to rookie CB Christian Izien.
5. Jay Ward’s Costly Penalty
One specific Vikings penalty directly led to more points for Tampa Bay on Sunday. After a third down stop by Cam Bynum, the Buccaneers lined up to attempt a 31-yard field goal. However, safety Jay Ward lined up offside, giving Tampa Bay a new set of downs. Three plays later, Baker Mayfield hit Trey Palmer for a 7-yard TD. Had that penalty not happened, it would have resulted in a four-point swing in favor of Minnesota. The Vikings lost this game by three, so there is an argument to be made that Minnesota wins if this penalty doesn’t happen.
6. Jordan Addison Catches First TD Pass
One of the few bright spots in this game was WR Jordan Addison. Not only did he catch four passes for 61 yards, getting involved regularly in the offense, but he had a 39-yard TD reception to his name. He showed off some great speed to get behind Tampa’s secondary, and Cousins hit him with a great throw for the score.
7. OLB Marcus Davenport Doesn’t Suit Up
Sunday was supposed to be Marcus Davenport’s Vikings debut, but an ankle injury popped up over the course of the week. As a result, he sat out this game, and Patrick Jones got many of the snaps in his place. Hopefully, he will be ready to go for Week 2 against the Eagles.
8. Disappointing Showing in the Running Game
Without Dalvin Cook around anymore, the Vikings are relying on the duo of Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler to produce on the ground. Unfortunately, the Vikings only totaled 41 rushing yards on Sunday, and seven of those yards came from Kirk Cousins. Mattison had 11 carries that went for only 34 yards, and Chandler’s three carries amounted to a grand total of zero.
9. Akayleb Evans Has a Strong Showing
The Minnesota Vikings came into the 2023 season with a lot of unknowns in their secondary, particularly at the cornerback spot. Amongst the group of cornerbacks who played on Sunday, Akayleb Evans was the player who stood out the most. He had a couple nice pass breakups and totaled five tackles on the day. It was a nice step forward for the second-year CB.
10. Pass Rush Needs Work, but a Promising Start for the Defense
Overall, the most promising piece of Sunday’s game was the fact that Minnesota’s defense played rather well, considering the circumstances. It isn’t often that a team gives up only 20 points when they also turn the ball over three times. If a fumble didn’t happen on their own side of the field and Ward’s penalty doesn’t occur, the Vikings could have taken away seven more of those Buccaneers points. The pass-rush needs to be better as Minnesota only got one sack, but Flores seems to have flipped things around on that side of the ball.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.