The Minnesota Vikings held Tampa Bay to 16 points and beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-16 on September 27, 2026 at Raymond James Stadium, improving to 3-0, using defense as the clearest part of the result.
Quarter-by-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIN | 10 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
| TB | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
Minnesota didn’t need much offense in Tampa because its special teams and defense kept doing the heavy lifting. Myles Price blew the game open early with an 86-yard punt-return touchdown — the first punt-return score of the 2026 NFL season and the first touchdown of his career. Kyler Murray, back in the lineup after clearing concussion protocol, later found Jordan Addison for a 41-yard touchdown that put Minnesota back ahead 17-10. Addison finished with 90 yards and the score, stepping up after Justin Jefferson left in the first half with an ankle injury and was eventually ruled out.
From there, Minnesota made Tampa fight for every yard. Baker Mayfield was sacked six times, the Buccaneers went a brutal 2-of-17 on third down and two turnovers kept killing any chance at a clean comeback. Eric Wilson and Kyle Van Noy combined for three sacks, while Andrew Van Ginkel and Isaiah Rodgers each came away with interceptions. Tampa still pulled within 17-16 in the fourth, but Will Reichard calmly drilled field goals from 56 and 43 yards to slam the door. The Vikings managed only 230 total yards and converted just two third downs themselves, but Price’s early explosion, Addison’s big play and a defense that refused to break were enough to grind out another ugly win.
Postgame Statistical Breakdown
Team Stats
| Stat | Minnesota Vikings | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 23 | 16 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 230 | 243 |
| Passing Yards | 152 | 186 |
| Rushing Yards | 78 | 57 |
| Total Plays | 55 | 64 |
| Yards Per Play | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| First Downs | 9 | 11 |
| Third Downs | 2-15 | 2-17 |
| Third-Down % | 13.3% | 11.8% |
| Fourth Downs | 1-1 | 0-2 |
| Passing TDs | 1 | 1 |
| Rushing TDs | 0 | 0 |
| Total Offensive TDs | 1 | 1 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 1 | 2 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Sacks Allowed | 3 | 6 |
| Penalties | 9 | 8 |
| Penalty Yards | 95 | 81 |
| Time of Possession | 29:03 | 30:57 |
Passing
Minnesota Vikings
- Kyler Murray — 15/29, 51.7%, 168 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 5.8 YPA, 3 SACK, 66.5 RTG
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Baker Mayfield — 17/34, 50.0%, 217 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 6.4 YPA, 6 SACK, 67.9 RTG
Rushing
Minnesota Vikings
- Aaron Jones Sr. — 17 CAR, 58 YDS, 3.4 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 14
- Kyler Murray — 2 CAR, 17 YDS, 8.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 12
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Bucky Irving — 15 CAR, 46 YDS, 3.1 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 8
- Jalon Daniels — 1 CAR, 9 YDS, 9.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 9
Receiving
Minnesota Vikings
- Jordan Addison — 5 REC, 9 TGT, 90 YDS, 18.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 41
- Aaron Jones Sr. — 5 REC, 6 TGT, 34 YDS, 6.8 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 12
- Justin Jefferson — 2 REC, 2 TGT, 32 YDS, 16.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 22
- T.J. Hockenson — 2 REC, 4 TGT, 11 YDS, 5.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 6
- Jauan Jennings — 1 REC, 2 TGT, 1 YDS, 1.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Emeka Egbuka — 5 REC, 9 TGT, 62 YDS, 12.4 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 21
- Cade Otton — 3 REC, 6 TGT, 56 YDS, 18.7 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 37
- Ted Hurst III — 1 REC, 4 TGT, 40 YDS, 40.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 40
- Chris Godwin Jr. — 3 REC, 4 TGT, 25 YDS, 8.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 13
- Kenny Gainwell — 2 REC, 5 TGT, 14 YDS, 7.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 13
Scoring Plays
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 10:20 | Minnesota Vikings | Will Reichard 54-yard field goal | MIN 3, TB 0 |
| Q1 | 8:43 | Minnesota Vikings | Myles Price 86-yard Punt Return (Will Reichard kick) | MIN 10, TB 0 |
| Q1 | 6:44 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Ted Hurst III 40-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick) | MIN 10, TB 7 |
| Q2 | 5:33 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chase McLaughlin 28-yard field goal | MIN 10, TB 10 |
| Q2 | 4:08 | Minnesota Vikings | Jordan Addison 41-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Will Reichard kick) | MIN 17, TB 10 |
| Q3 | 7:12 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chase McLaughlin 38-yard field goal | MIN 17, TB 13 |
| Q4 | 9:02 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chase McLaughlin 54-yard field goal | MIN 17, TB 16 |
| Q4 | 3:10 | Minnesota Vikings | Will Reichard 56-yard field goal | MIN 20, TB 16 |
| Q4 | 0:33 | Minnesota Vikings | Will Reichard 43-yard field goal | MIN 23, TB 16 |
Defense
Minnesota Vikings
- Eric Wilson — 10 TOT, 6 SOLO, 2 TFL, 1.5 SACK, 2 QBH, 1 PD
- Kyle Van Noy — 5 TOT, 3 SOLO, 3 TFL, 1.5 SACK, 2 QBH
- Blake Cashman — 8 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 QBH
- Andrew Van Ginkel — 3 TOT, 0.5 SACK, 2 QBH, 1 INT, 1 PD
- Isaiah Rodgers — 6 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 INT, 1 PD
- Joshua Metellus — 9 TOT, 4 SOLO, 0.5 SACK, 1 QBH, 1 PD
- Ivan Pace Jr. — 3 TOT, 0.5 SACK, 2 QBH
- James Pierre — 8 TOT, 5 SOLO
- Dallas Turner — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 0.5 SACK, 1 QBH
- Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 PD
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- David Walker — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 2 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Alex Anzalone — 5 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- A’Shawn Robinson — 3 TOT, 1 INT, 1 PD
- Anthony Nelson — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Vita Vea — 4 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 QBH, 2 PD
- Keionte Scott — 5 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 PD
- Jacob Parrish — 5 TOT, 4 SOLO
- Tykee Smith — 5 TOT, 3 SOLO
- Antoine Winfield Jr. — 5 TOT, 1 SOLO
- Zyon McCollum — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 2 PD
Kick Returns
Minnesota Vikings
- Myles Price — 5 KR, 132 YDS, 26.4 AVG, LONG 31, 0 TD
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Kenny Gainwell — 6 KR, 160 YDS, 26.7 AVG, LONG 40, 0 TD
Punt Returns
Minnesota Vikings
- Myles Price — 4 PR, 106 YDS, 26.5 AVG, LONG 86, 1 TD
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tez Johnson — 3 PR, 40 YDS, 13.3 AVG, LONG 16, 0 TD
