Myles Price had an 86-yard punt return for a touchdown, and the Minnesota Vikings held on for a 23-16 win over the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon.
Kyler Murray completed 15 of 29 passes for 168 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Minnesota (3-0). Jordan Addison had 90 receiving yards and a score.
Baker Mayfield completed 17 of 34 passes for 217 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Tampa Bay (0-3) before being injured. Ted Hurst III caught the Buccaneers’ lone touchdown.
Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel intercepted Mayfield on Tampa Bay’s last-ditch effort on fourth-and-13. Mayfield was hit on the play and stayed down as teammates kneeled around him. He clutched his throwing hand as he walked off the field and has a dislocated thumb, according to coach Todd Bowles.
Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels was in for Tampa Bay’s last possession and didn’t complete any of his three throws, including an interception by Minnesota’s Isasiah Rodgers on the final-play ‘Hail Mary’ throw.
Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson injured his left ankle during the second quarter and did not return. He finished the game with two receptions for 32 yards.
The Vikings opened the scoring with Will Reichard’s 54-yard field goal on their first possession.
After a defensive stop, Minnesota made it 10-0 with 8:43 remaining in the first quarter. Price fielded a punt at the Vikings’ 14-yard line, weaved through several Buccaneers players and sprinted down the right sideline for an 86-yard touchdown.
Tampa Bay cut the deficit to 10-7 on the next possession. Hurst got open across the middle, caught a pass from Mayfield and ran untouched into the end zone for a 40-yard score and his first career touchdown.
A 28-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin evened the score at 10.
The Vikings finished the first-half scoring with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Murray to Addison to regain a 17-10 lead.
Tampa Bay tallied the only points of the third quarter. McLaughlin made a 38-yarder to bring the Buccaneers within 17-13.
Another Buccaneers field goal trimmed the deficit to 17-16 with 9:02 remaining.
Reichard came up big with his right leg to increase the Vikings’ lead to 20-16 with 3:10 to go. He booted a 56-yard field goal to make it a four-point game.
Minnesota made it 23-16 on Reichard’s 43-yard field goal with 33 seconds left.
