Buccaneers game grades: 2017 Week 3 loss in Minnesota

SPECIAL TEAMS

I don’t remember ever having to write anything negative about Buccaneers punter Bryan Anger, but it’s happening today.

Field position in tightly contested games can’t be understated. In the early parts of this contest, when the Bucs were still well in this thing, Anger failed to flip the field.

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Instead, the Vikings got the ball outside their own 20-yard line routinely, and even got the ball with just over half of the field in front of them with a two-score lead.

This was a game where Tampa needed their punter to show Pro Bowl flashes like he has so many times in the past, and he just didn’t get it done.

I still think he’s one of the best punters in the league, but this weekend’s performance left a lot to be desired.

In the field goal game, Nick Folk nailed his only try of the day, and mad his two extra point tries. It’s nice to not be worried about the Buccaneers when a place kicker comes out, and Folk has missed just one kick to this point.

The return game had one good return, but many more bad ones. Any return which doesn’t make it to the 25 is considered a loss, and all but one did just that.

Bernard Reedy might be the best option, but he needs to be a smarter one. It’s ok to accept a touchback in lieu of returning the ball to your own 15-yard line.

Theme of the day was just a lack of spark and intelligent play, it didn’t change for this unit either.

GRADE: C-

In other news, there were multiple occasions of the Vikings defenders making helmet-to-helmet contact with Buccaneers players.

Credit to the players for not turning it into a distracting factor, but the bottom line is, if the NFL is going to preach player safety as much as they do; they really have to get their officials online.

Andrew Sendejo was the biggest culprit, but he wasn’t the only one.

These were this week’s grades as I saw them. My scale isn’t the same as your scale though, so tell me how you think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers position groups or individual players did against the Minnesota Vikings.

Find me on Facebook, Twitter, or at walkingtheplankpodcast@gmail.com to give your part of the conversation.

Next: Week 3 Immediate Reactions

Next week, the Buccaneers are back home to play the New York Giants, come back to The Pewter Plank all week leading up to the first road game of the season.