The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defied the odds and the predictions, winning their season opener on the road against the Minnesota Vikings 20-17. The Buccaneers offense may not be as potent as it was with Tom Brady and Bruce Arians, but with a lot of help from the defense, Baker Mayfield and company did just enough to squeeze by Kirk Cousins and the Vikings.
It took a while for Baker Mayfield to get going, missing routine throws and dropping his eyes in the face of any hint of pressure. Mayfield’s first third down conversion did not come until halfway through the second quarter, but it appeared to help him found his rhythm, throwing a touchdown to Mike Evans.
Todd Bowles’ defense kept the Bucs in the game, forcing three turnovers, including two from Kirk Cousins. The first came from an Antoine Winfield Jr. sack-fumble on a blitz in the first quarter:
Antoine Winfield Jr delivers the BOOM
📺: #TBvsMIN on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/G4uoYVOqQn pic.twitter.com/cYu1P5p7H8— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2023
Cousins also threw a red zone interception to undrafted rookie Christian Izien, who practically ripped the ball from KJ Osborn:
Bucs INT at the goal line!
📺: #TBvsMIN on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/G4uoYVOqQn pic.twitter.com/DauoqZ1OqE— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2023
Izien had a strong debut, though he was victimized by a highly questionable redzone pass interference call. The new set of downs led to an Alexander Mattison touchdown where Izien himself was unable to make the score-saving tackle.
Tied in the fourth quarter, the Bucs managed a short 38-yard drive to put them in position for a 57-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin. After the Bucs defense held the Vikings offense to a three-and-out, Mayfield was able to keep the chains moving with a key third-down pass to Chris Godwin.
Tampa Bay was by no means perfect in any aspect of the game. Though the defense inevitably prevailed with its heavy pass pressure and strong run defense, the secondary allowed a number of deep passes on communication breakdowns, including the first Vikings touchdown reception by rookie Jordan Addison.
Nevertheless, the defensive front appeared prime for a disruptive year. Kirk Cousins was harassed most of the day, taking nine hits and two sacks. Devin White led the team with 12 tackles, appearing to shed his issues with missed tackles and tendency to take himself out of plays.
The offense clearly has work to do, but Dave Canales’ play-calling and overall design is already an improvement from Byron Leftwich’s antiquated offense. The main thing missing from the offense as it operated under Brady is the explosive plays. Mayfield managed just one throw over 20 yards.
It was a good start to the Bucs’ season, particularly given the low expectations nationally. Tampa Bay needs continued development of the offense and consistency from the defense to keep the wins coming beyond this win.
