Vikings Top Buccaneers 23-16 to Stay Unbeaten at 3-0

Minnesota beat Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium despite losing Justin Jefferson to an early ankle injury, while the Buccaneers lost Baker Mayfield to a thumb injury.

The Minnesota Vikings stayed unbeaten on Sunday, earning a 23-16 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. The win lifted Minnesota to 3-0 in the 2026 NFL season and marked a third straight victory to open the campaign. For Tampa Bay, it was a third straight defeat to open the year and a drop to 0-3.

Minnesota's win came despite a costly early development on offense. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson left the game in the opening quarter after hurting his ankle, and his afternoon ended there. The Vikings played on without one of their star wideouts, which placed more responsibility on the rest of the receiving group.

Special teams delivered the play that swung the game. Myles Price fielded a punt and took it back 86 yards for a touchdown, handing Minnesota a lift on an afternoon when points were scarce for both offenses. The return gave the Vikings a touchdown their offense never had to drive for, and it arrived with the game still in the balance.

The Minnesota passing game supplied its own spark through the Murray-to-Addison connection. Quarterback Kyler Murray hit Jordan Addison for a 41-yard touchdown that helped the Vikings build their lead. Addison finished with 90 receiving yards and the score, taking on a heavier workload after Jefferson departed and giving the offense a needed boost.

Minnesota never needed a prolific day from its offense to get the result. The Vikings leaned on timely plays, stingy defense and special teams to keep control of the game. Tampa Bay's offense, meanwhile, never got fully on track against Minnesota's defensive effort.

The Buccaneers kept the margin within one score and mounted a push in the late stages, but the Vikings' defense held every time it was tested. Minnesota made the necessary plays in the closing minutes to protect the seven-point lead and come away with the win.

Tampa Bay also left the stadium with an injury concern at quarterback. Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated right thumb in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter and had to exit, with rookie Jalon Daniels finishing the game in his place. Mayfield is scheduled for an MRI to determine how severe the injury is. The timeline for his return will depend on what the imaging shows.

The result sends Minnesota into Week 4 with a 3-0 record. The Vikings have demonstrated they can prevail when the offense struggles and injuries sideline key contributors, and they will look to continue doing so.

For the Buccaneers, the challenge is recovering from an 0-3 beginning to the season. Tampa Bay kept Sunday's contest close but could not produce enough offense to pull even, and the team heads toward its next game still searching for a first win.