Game 3

Vikings at Bucs

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m.

TV: FOX (WTVT-TV Channel 13, locally) with Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Megan Olivi.

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Streaming: FOX One, NFL+. (Geographic restrictions may apply; subscription may be required).

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network WXTB-FM 97.9 in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region with Tony Castricone, Dave Moore and Jay Recher. (Transmisiones de radio en español en WTMP-FM 96.1 y WMGG-AM 1470 en Tampa). Additional stations throughout Florida carrying the game on the Buccaneers Radio Network can be found here. The game will also be broadcast on SiriusXM Channel 198 (Buccaneers Radio Network feed).

Weather: We may luck out. Per AccuWeather.com, today is expected to be mostly sunny all day. So maybe no lightning delays? Tailgaters will have nice weather starting in the mid-70s mid-morning. It will gradually warm up to an expected 85 at kickoff. The temperature will gradually slide down to 81 at the end of the game.

Odds: Per Hard Rock Bet, as of midnight, Bucs +1 (-105); over/under 42.5.

Referees: Scott Novak and his gang will work today’s game. Per Pro Football Reference, Novak’s posse averages three flags per quarter. For gamblers, home teams in games worked by Novak’s outfit have the worst record in the NFL covering spreads.

Injuries: Vikings — Out: C Nick Samac (knee), P Brett Thorson (hamstring). Bucs — Out: OLB Rueben Bain (groin), ILB Josiah Trotter (shoulder).

Outlook:  It’s real simple: If Todd Bowles wants to return as Bucs coach in 2027; if the Bucs really want to be playing meaningful games in January, then there is no more meaningful game than today.  There is a split decision at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters. The two Joes are of differing opinions about what a loss today means. One Joe thinks the Bucs could still climb out of an 0-3 hole. The other Joe looks at history and knows full well a loss today is a virtual death sentence for postseason play hopes. The only time the Bucs made the playoffs starting 0-3 it took an NFL work stoppage to accomplish this, when over half the teams in the NFL were allowed to make the playoffs (1982).  And the Joe typing here is not optimistic in any way that the NFLPA will stage a walkout in the next three months. The Bucs (in a full, uninterrupted season) have never made the playoffs after starting 0-2. Since the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020, only one team started 0-3 and made the playoffs. That was last year’s Texans, and the Bucs defense so far in 2026 is nowhere near last year’s Texans. So the Bucs better unload everything in their playbooks to win this game. And if the Bucs can pull off this upset today, Joe can easily see the Bucs going 2-2 because the Packers looked truly awful Thursday night against the Dixie Chicks. And if the Bucs make it to 2-2, it’s a brand new season. But how does this awful Bucs defense (which allows a 75 percent completion percentage) stop the Vikings? The Bucs are down the only linebacker playing worth a s(p)it. Josiah Trotter is out with a bum shoulder. If Joe were Kevin O’Connell, Joe would throw at the Bucs linebackers all afternoon, specifically at Alex Anzalone, until the Bucs linebackers can demonstrate they can stop the pass. And Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is no dumbarse. So today is the turning point of the season. Win and January football is still a real possibility. Lose, and it’s time to start studying for the draft and researching who will replace Bowles come January. Get it together, Bucs. NOW!

Fun facts: Minnesota QB Kyler Murray has 20,478 passing yards and 121 touchdown passes in 88 career games. He is fourth among quarterbacks with 3,202 rushing yards since 2019. Murray had 362 yards (324 passing, 38 rushing) and 3 touchdown passes in his only career game against the Bucs in 2019. … RB Aaron Jones led Vikings with 105 rush yards in Week 2, his 23rd career game with 100+ rush yards. Jones ranks fourth among running backs with 2,683 receiving yards since 2017. Had at least 90 scrimmage yards in his last two road games. … WR Justin Jefferson led Minnesota with 55 receiving yards last week. He leads the NFL with 590 receptions and 8,627 receiving yards since 2020. Jefferson has the second-most receiving yards by a player under 28 in NFL history. Jefferson has nine catches for 150 yards against the Bucs to open the season in 2023 in Minneapolis. … DL Jalen Redmond had a pass defensed and a forced fumble last week. Redmond has a pass defensed in each of his last two road games. … LB Blake Cashman led Minnesota with 10 tackles and a sack last week against the Bears. Cashman has a four-game streak with at least a half-sack and is looking for his 14th-straight game with at least seven tackles. … S Josh Metellus had seven tackles and a pass defensed in a win over the Bears last week. He has had at least seven tackles in three of his past four games. … Bucs QB Baker Mayfield had his first touchdown pass of the season against Cleveland which was his 198th career touchdown pass. Mayfield has a touchdown pass in 23 straight home games. … RB Bucky Irving ran for 89 yards last week and is one of three NFC running backs (along with Jahmyr Gibbs and D’Andre Swift) with 90+ scrimmage yards both their first two games of the season. Bucky has 50+ scrimmage yards in 15 of his 16 career home games. … WR Chris Godwin had five catches for 51 yards in last game against Minnesota. … TE Cade Otton had five catches last week and is looking for his third-straight home game with five catches. … OLB David Walker had his first career sack last week. … OLB YaYa Diaby is looking for his fifth-straight game with a tackle for loss. … S Tykee Smith had a career-high three tackles for loss against Cleveland.

There's no limit for Emeka Egbuka 📈

🔜 MINvsTB Sept. 27 @ 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX pic.twitter.com/v1VGAKm6JT

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 25, 2026