The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense was nothing short of a nightmare on Sunday against the Vikings.
The Bucs bested Minnesota 20-17 in Minneapolis, and a big reason was the three turnovers the defense boasted across the day. An interception and one fumble recovery helped lead the Bucs to a 1-0 start for the team’s third season-opening victory in a row, and head coach Todd Bowles’ stout defensive unit was likely the biggest reason why. Pro Football Focus took to grading every Bucs player with meaningful snaps, and there are some familiar faces among the team’s top performers.
Here are PFF’s 10 highest-graded defensive players in Tampa Bay’s first win:
(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
Overall grade: 90.7
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Overall grade: 75.8
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Overall grade: 73.7
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Overall grade: 73.2
(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
Overall grade: 72.5
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Overall grade: 72.0
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Overall grade: 70.1
(AP Photo/Alex Menendez)
Overall grade: 68.8
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Overall grade: 65.5
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Overall grade: 63.1

