Buccaneers who deserve the most blame after devastating loss to Vikings in Week 3

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are unraveling, falling to 0-3 and staring into the abyss of a lost season. 

On Sunday, Tampa Bay lost 23-16 to the Minnesota Vikings, and there’s plenty of blame to go around after the team’s latest debacle. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers who deserve the most blame after 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings

Offensive Line 

Tampa Bay’s offensive line, once regarded as a top-five group in the NFL, was awful against Minnesota. 

They had simply zero answers for the Vikings’ blitz-heavy scheme. Baker Mayfield was sacked six times and was under constant duress.

The run blocking wasn’t any better than the pass protection. Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell combined for 42 yards on 18 carries, averaging 2.3 yards per carry.

On top of it all, there were several drive-killing holding penalties that contributed to stalling drives and nullifying big plays.

Individual players, like Tristan Wirfs, might have had good days, but the unit as a whole was awful and held the offense back from having any success.

Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield didn’t receive much help from his teammates, but as the franchise quarterback, the buck stops with him.

Mayfield completed just 50% of his passes, going 17-of-34 for 217 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

He’s been one of the NFL’s worst starting quarterbacks through three games, and now he’s expected to miss time with a dislocated thumb he suffered in the fourth quarter. Whenever Mayfield returns, he needs to look like the franchise quarterback that Tampa Bay signed to a $165 million contract in the offseason. 

Punt Coverage

The Buccaneers allowed an 86-yard punt return in the first quarter to fall behind 10-0. In a game where Minnesota’s offense was stagnant and struggling to move the ball, surrendering that return touchdown and giving the Vikings easy points is inexcusable.

The Buccaneers lost to the Vikings by seven points, and if the special teams unit had prevented the punt return touchdown, we could be looking at a completely different result. 

Jacob Parrish

Jacob Parrish largely played a solid game, but he allowed a 41-yard touchdown pass, which was the only touchdown surrendered by the Bucs defense all day.

Minnesota’s offense otherwise struggled mightily throughout the game, going 2-for-15 on third down.

If Parrish had not allowed that deep touchdown and forced the Vikings to go the length of the field, the Buccaneers defense likely would have come up with a stop, or at least held Minnesota to a field goal.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow