Ira Kaufman’s 10 Takeaways From Bucs-Vikings
September 27th, 2026
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
When your biggest strength turns into a weakness, trouble ensues.
Tampa Bay’s offensive line, intact and healthy, suffered through a miserable Sunday against the Vikings in a 23-16 setback capped by a right thumb injury that may keep Baker Mayfield sidelined for a while.
The five starters up front never played a game together last season due to an array of injuries. But Buc fans remember how the group excelled in 2024, when Tampa Bay averaged 29.5 points per game under offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
On Sunday, it looked like the Bucs started five rookies in front of Mayfield. How else do you explain allowing six sacks while being flagged for critical penalties that wrecked drives against Minnesota’s defensive mastermind, Brian Flores?
And let’s not forget there were virtually no open lanes for a ground game that averaged a mere 2.7 yards per carry.
Mayfield is now on pace to be sacked 73 times. That’s unlikely to happen — but only because he’s probably going to miss a game or two. Tampa Bay has scored only four offensive touchdowns in three weeks, relying far too much on the virtually automatic right leg of Chase McLaughlin.
The Vikings, who played the final three quarters without their best player, Justin Jefferson, were begging to get beat in front of a sparse crowd dotted with Minnesota jerseys.
“I know our players just absolutely love the feeling when we see that much purple in the house,” said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell.
Wait until Green Bay fans flood the stadium next week.
A special teams score put Minnesota ahead 10-0 less than seven minutes into the game and the Bucs never led. The Vikings couldn’t run effectively and Kyler Murray threw for only 168 yards as Minnesota punted eight times in 13 possessions.
With Lavonte David and Warren Sapp in the house, the Buc defense played well enough to avert an 0-3 start. It didn’t happen, and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is now shackled by a line that didn’t match Minnesota’s physicality.
The Bucs have now dropped 10-of-12 games since their bye week last year. The only NFL team with a worse record in that span is Arizona — and the Cardinals have played better football than Tampa Bay through these first three weeks.
To win consistently in this sport, you have to make winning plays. The Bucs don’t make enough of ’em. They sputter when they should be surging.
Late in the third quarter, with the Bucs trailing 17-13, Mayfield completed an apparent 85-yard TD pass to Chris Godwin, only to see the play nullified by a holding penalty against Luke Goedeke.
That was a crushing blow, but so were holding calls against Cody Mauch and Graham Barton in the red zone.
You get the picture, and it’s no modern art masterpiece.
Todd Bowles seems to have run out of answers and with each loss, the questions intensify. All Tampa Bay’s head coach could offer after the game was the sad but true fact that the Bucs are only one game behind the Falcons, Saints and Panthers in the woeful NFC South. That’s scant consolation for fans who are having thair allegiance tested by a team that has forgotten how to win.
The Vikings wouldn’t have beaten many teams on Sunday, but they were good enough to beat what should have been a desperate club on the road. Desperate teams don’t commit eight penalties for 81 yards. Desperate teams don’t allow their quarterback to take a beating. Desperate teams don’t go 0-for-9 on third down in the second half.
NFL analytics say an 0-3 start is close to a death sentence when it comes to making the postseason. Will the 2026 Bucs end up being an outlier? It’s hard to see a dramatic turnaround, especially with an injured quarterback.
Todd Bowles has a no-identity team, says Ira Kaufman.
This team has no identity, no aspect of the game to turn to in pressure moments. The Glazer family surely expected more. Jason Licht certainly didn’t expect to be at the bottom of a division that reeks with a 3-9 cumulative record heading into Week 4.
Here’s how the Vikings extended Tampa Bay’s misery until the next NFC North opponent struts into town:
* Special teams had been solid until the Bucs allowed an 86-yard punt return in the first quarter, giving new assistant coach Danny Smith something to work on this week. Spotting a Brian Flores defense a 10-point lead is no formula for success.
* Mauch was called twice for holding and Payne Durham got into the holding act early in the fourth quarter. Later in that drive, the Bucs caught a break when the Vikings were flagged for unnecessary roughness on third-and-29. Despite the automatic first down, the drive stalled and the Bucs settled for McLaughlin’s 54-yard FG to pull within 17-16. He is now 3-for-3 from 50 yards out or more.
* Mayfield was sacked six times and hit 12 times overall. The O-line as a group couldn’t handle the disguised blitzes by Flores as Tampa Bay was limited to 11 first downs.
* Alex Anzalone struggled in his first two games as a Buccaneer, but the veteran inside linebacker was very solid against Minnesota. He tackled well and registered one of Tampa Bay’s three sacks.
* Dallas Turner was a dynamic pass rusher for the Vikings through two games, but Tristan Wirfs did a heck of a job on the third-year pro out of Alabama.
* Jacob Parrish is going to be a solid pro, but he got turned around and lost track of the ball on Murray’s 41-yard TD pass to Jordan Addison, who had a nice game with five catches for 90 yards.
* Tampa Bay’s run defense has been rock solid all season. Opponents are averaging 3.1 yards per carry, with a long gain of only 14 yards in 73 rush attempts.
* Ted Hurst shook loose on a post pattern for his first TD catch as a pro. Many more will likely follow.
* Godwin’s apparent 85-yard score shouldn’t obscure the fact that he’s been an afterthought. He has fewer catches than Bucky Irving or Cade Otton.
* It’s probably time to roll out a lyric by that big football fan, Bob Dylan, who once crooned, “It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there.”
September 27th, 2026 at 11:56 pm
My number one takeaway is to put my money on the Packers.
Its the last resort, hoping to pay cash money in hopes my bet will backfire on me and cause the Bucs to win. And if the Bucs once again lose, at least I’ll make a few dollars. Bet already win, straight money line on the Packers.
September 27th, 2026 at 11:58 pm
A complete disregard for what 3 games has shown.
The horse is dead.
There will be no turnaround. There will be no staff changes.
This is now just a bus ride through bad times.
September 27th, 2026 at 11:58 pm
You know Munch that’s honestly a solid plan I cant win money betting to save my life and it’s worth the $20 lmao
September 28th, 2026 at 12:04 am
I think it is a foregone conclusion that Bowles is gong to get canned after the season is over but what about Licht, he is also responsible for putting together as garbage roster, shouldm’t he be held accountable for this train wreck? Anyhow, time to tune out the Bucs for a while and start cheering on the Ryas, who unlike the Bucs play inspired ball, have passion and are having an amazing season. I will also start following the Bolts as well, they play good hockey until the playoffs start as opposed to the Bucs, who are awful each and every Sunday now with a head coach who is clueless and is probably mailing it in.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:10 am
Joes****
Surprising how our line stands pat with a man like Brady.
They know the pocket. They know their protection. They know their timing.
With Baker. With Baker he makes them look bad. To Psychotic in the pocket.
They get penalties because they have no idea what he is doing!!
Sad to say he is a liability.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:16 am
FortMyersDave Says:
September 28th, 2026 at 12:04 am
I think it is a foregone conclusion that Bowles is gong to get canned after the season is over but what about Licht, he is also responsible for putting together as garbage roster, shouldm’t he be held accountable for this train wreck?
——–
Again, if Baker wasn’t a garbage QB, the Bucs – prior to today – would have been 7-0 in their last 7, and had made the playoffs.
Not sure about today yet, if I can say it’s all on Baker or not – have to see the ALL22, and see if Baker again had guys running wide open and refused to throw the ball – which made the line look terrible, or if the awful blocking from the TE’s and RB’s wasn’t giving Baker much of a legit chance to get rid of the ball. Last week, even from the TV view and limited replays, I could see guys were open and Baker was hesitating – this week I’m less sure of that.
One thing I do know is they badly miss Rachaad White, he was Baker’s bodyguard, and he was the guy for years now that was picking up those blitzers, and even helping to clean up Otton’s bad blocking. At the same time, however, White wanted out of town for whatever reason, I seriously wonder if he’s in love with the Redskin’s Daniels, and I’m not even joking. It’s very very weird how lovingly White talked about Daniels and lusted to play with him. Very uncomfortable.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:17 am
This team is so bad they just lost to calamari and JJ out, who played worse and offense is worse than bakers.
Can’t wait to see how the bad packers team gets right against this awful poorly coached bucs team
September 28th, 2026 at 12:23 am
I don’t know about this particular game but Las Vegas decides who wins the heavy bettor games. There was so much obvious referee collusion at the end that Rams game to spark an investigation. Betting has destroyed what was once a sport. Now it is professional wrestling. None of this matters to a poorly coached train wreck like the BUCS. No amount of cheating would help these degenerates win. Hey, at least at the end of the season they’ll force us to win just enough games to insure we do not win the #1 pick in the draft. This team is by far the worst in the league, but they won’t want us to draft a #1 QB. So we will be forced to win a few games in December and January. If any of us are still watching by then of coarse. No decent coach would want to be saddle with baked mayfield. Hopefully sepsis sets into baked’s thumb so we can see what Daniels can do.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:25 am
Todd Bowles is a guaranteed loser. He’s a guru!!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
September 28th, 2026 at 12:28 am
Yanno, for a white guy baked sure has an awfully brown thumb.. Wonder where it’s been?
September 28th, 2026 at 12:36 am
“The only NFL team with a worse record in that span is Arizona — and the Cardinals have played better football than Tampa Bay through these first three weeks.”
Yep. Arizona was one of our actual WINS. Albeit, just BARELY… A 3-point ‘win’ at HOME. And, the only other one, was also JUST BARELY… Another 3-point ‘win’ at HOME, against the Panthers. So, a 6-point margin of victory, in the 2-wins we do have. We could’ve very easily, LOST them both. 💯
September 28th, 2026 at 12:54 am
I was so over it and bored with it, that I fell asleep and took a nap. So, I missed the “holding call” on the supposed 85-yard TD pass to Godwin… Never knew it happened. I don’t know if it was a legit holding call, that should have been called that obviously effected the play, or a BS phantom “holding call” that never happened, OR a ‘legit’ holding call, that was so far away from the actual PLAY, that is was just STUPID and EGREGIOUS on Goedeke’s part. Cause, LOTS of times, IF the player hadn’t HELD there, then there never would’ve been any 85-yard TD to speak of in the first place, SINCE the QB (or ‘running back’/receiver) would’ve been flat on HIS BACK. Not ALL “holding calls” are obviously, EQUAL. So, which was this one!? Egregious call, egregious play by Goedeke… OR, did Goedeke just get BEATEN by a “BETTER Player” on that particular play, and then he had no ‘other choice’ than to just grab ahold him, in order to prevent him from DESTROYING his QB!?
September 28th, 2026 at 12:58 am
The Sage summed it up pretty well. I don’t think you zonked Baker- but he’s lining himself up to need a good zonking. Our offense doesn’t look like it is well coached- or quarterbacked.
It’s got the Baker bashers(Munchesbusily) comparing the Baker years and the Winston years. Said Baker is 45% wins at Tampa and Jameis close behind in the 40’s.
Baker regular season in Tampa is now 27-27. Winston in Tampa was 28-44. I’m no mathematician, Rod, but 50% is still alot better than 38%.
But Mayfield isn’t good enough now and that’s for sure. And it’s gonna be interesting to see how this season plays out. 17 games is a long season. And if our defense can keep up the momentum it played with today we ought to be able to find a way to get back in it in this division, anyway.
This Vikings defense just made Caleb Williams, Jordan Love, and Baker Mayfield look like rookies. Gotta give them some credit.
September 28th, 2026 at 12:59 am
Problems always start in the trenches IMO, and yesterday that was oh so true. Our OLine looked like they’d never played together before, and the Vikes’ DLine dominated. As a consequence, our QB & RBs literally got beaten up. There’s no excuse for the exceptionally poor play we saw out of our OLine yesterday.
It was very clear after yesterday’s game however that Baker Mayfield is NOT the answer. Bucs WILL ‘earn’ a very high draft pick at the end of this season, and analysts predict that this is the best QB draft class we’ve had in awhile. HOPEFULLY the Glazers are smart enough to admit they made a huge mistake with Mayfield, and have their GM draft a top QB prospect.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:03 am
dear ira,
that thumb and hand will not be right all year…even if he does come back…
baker will need a full offseason to get it 100%…
opposing players will hit and bump into it as much as they can moving forward, for the rest of the season, if he gets back under center
sincerely, tom thumb
September 28th, 2026 at 1:04 am
Munch if you think the pass pro blocking of the RBs and TEs was the problem, you may want to follow another sport.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:05 am
“Jason Licht certainly didn’t expect to be at the bottom of a division that reeks with a 3-9 cumulative record heading into Week 4.”
That’s because, HE IS CLUELESS, way over his head, and NOT good at HIS JOB. I mean, you do know that HE is now, ONLY 3-more losses away from having a career “Winning Percentage” of .399 in his 10-YEARS without “Tom Brady,” aiding him on his EVERY MOVE. Tick-Tock, Tick-Fricken-TOCK. 399… He is who is. And, always has been. Completely CLUELESS, and just waaaay OVER HIS HEAD. Lazy and Incompetent. Extremely unimpressive, in EVERY WAY IMAGINABLE. 💯
September 28th, 2026 at 1:09 am
Well I’m glad the Bolts season just started and the Rays are in the playoffs the Bolts alone will get us to the draft. This season was lost the moment they decided to retain Bowles. May the Glazers reap what they’ve sewn.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:11 am
Ahhh yes. 2024 under coen when that dude of the ball was clicking!! Rolling!!!
Whatever you want to say. Then you got the jags clicking rolling winning!!!!
Then you got Bucs guru Mr 22 games under 500 as a HC. I mean wtf are we doing!!! Dude was in the building showing you up close what he can do but nah we’ll stick with the other guy🥴
September 28th, 2026 at 1:11 am
Give up the ship. Great idea, DR. Let’s retreat and reevaluate, huh. Live to fight another day?
Great plan, DR.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:22 am
Licht must walk the plank with Bowles. They put this roster and staff together.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:23 am
Truthfully when Coach Bowles was retained, I was done at that point being emotionally invested in this team.
Then the draft happened and I go sucked back in….I was excited about the propects of having a really special defense this year.
The defense I saw yesterday with Minnesota is what I thought we were getting this year.
Of course, I bought into the offensive line talk about being a Top 5 offensive line.
The biggest tell to what we are saying came in the pre season after the Jacksonville practices when Baker admitted that had it been a real game he dounts that they would have won, and Mike Evans left for lesser money.
The talent is there to win, which makes this so disappointing.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:40 am
Ira sees more positives from this game than Joe does. That’s a good balance Ira. But the fact is this team really needs to clean house because it leaderless from top(Glazers) to bottom (team captains).
September 28th, 2026 at 1:45 am
@ Defense Rules – It’s not JUST QB’s. It is LOADED at many other very valuable positions. That’s WHY McShay and many others have called-it an “All-Time LOADED Draft-CLASS.” And, drafting a QB is JUST STUPID. And, is being ‘DELUSIONAL’ about THIS ROSTER. It is a TRASH ROSTER and a new ‘rookie’ QB is not going to do a DAMN THING with it. Especially, IF this FO is finally “SMART” FOR ONCE, and moves EVERY ‘available’ asset with value at this season’s upcoming trade-deadline, outside of just a ‘handful’ of our younger players, that WE CAN build with… And, NOTICE I said to “build with” and NOT “build around.” It’s waaayy TOO LOADED of a ‘draft-class’ to WASTE on a Quarterback, with a DEPLETED ROSTER. It does absolutely NOTHING whatsoever, AT ALL. Baker is our QUARTERBACK. We are now HANDCUFFED with what we can do in “Free-Agency” FOR YEARS NOW. So, HOW is that going to help a ROOKIE QB!? And, just STOP about the BRONCOS. They actually had a STRONG ROSTER to start… We DON’T. And, they went out and hired a super ‘agressive’ marine type of HOF Head Coach, who also happened to be a GENIUS “Play-Caller,” AND a freaking Quarterback WHISPERER. Annnnddd, they JUST NOW BARELY, had enough money to FINALLY, be able to go out and get themselves a #1 type of WR. We’ll NEVER get a ‘top-tier’ level HC and GM combo right now, with the current makeup of THIS TEAM being completely ‘handcuffed’ and CASH-STRAPPED, and with a TRASH ROSTER… EVEN IF, the Glazers were ‘willing’ to PAY FOR IT. And, they won’t. At least 5-years & $100-MILLION. NOT. HAPPENIN. The ONLY MOVE and best bet is to BUILD. THE. ROSTER. FIRST. We have ZERO “ELITE-level” YOUNG TALENT. NONE. Again, there are a ‘handful’ of nice pieces… But, NOT ELITE. There are NO Bijan’s, Pitts, London’s, Walker’s, Watt’s, or Pearce Junior’s. THIS is not a ROSTER that can Contend. PERIOD. End of Story. So, otherwise, you’re only wasting more time, the longer you continue to WAIT, before tearing it ALL DOWN.
September 28th, 2026 at 1:49 am
I’ve been following the Bucs since 1982. I’ve lived through enough of the bad to know when a season has started riding out the string. There’s 14 games to go but this team is DOA and isn’t coming back until the record is wiped clean next year.
Todd Bowles will keep his job until the end of the year. I know all of the rageaholics want their pound of flesh but they’ll need to be patient. The Glazers aren’t going to do a thing until January 11, 2027. Mark your calendars.
This team is going to look a LOT different next season, as underperforming players and their salary cap dead money hit the streets – don’t expect a miraculous turnaround.
The Baker Mayfield contract was proven to be a mistake less than 30 days after he signed it. There may never again be $165M a franchise wishes they could get back as fast as the Glazers are wishing it now. Baker isn’t a bad QB, but this team wasn’t good enough to support his strengths and hide his limitations. Now the Bucs are an even bigger cautionary tale than the Dolphins were with Tua. It’s a Florida thing, lol.
Prediction: Vita Vea, Chris Godwin, Anthony Nelson, Cody Mauch, Yaya Diaby and every 2026 free agent signed are playing their final year in Tampa. Also, Graham Barton won’t have his option picked up.
The saddest thing about this season (so far) is the team MVP is the kicker. And it’s not even close.
September 28th, 2026 at 2:05 am
Kenton Smith Says:
Baker regular season in Tampa is now 27-27. Winston in Tampa was 28-44. I’m no mathematician, Rod, but 50% is still alot better than 38%.
——–
Baker isn’t even at 38% if he was facing NFL MVP Newton, NFL MVP and 1st ballot HOF’er Ryan, and 1st Ballot HOF’er Brees.
If Winston was in THIS NFC South, he’d have been making the playoffs every year and have a winning record.