5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Week 1
By Chris Schad
The Minnesota Vikings will look to open the 2023 regular season on a good note when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
The regular season has finally arrived for the Minnesota Vikings. On Sunday afternoon, the Vikings will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coming off a 13-win campaign in Kevin O’Connell’s first year, but to say that the Vikings are running it back would be incorrect.
The Vikings got rid of Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and Eric Kendricks this offseason. Several other key contributors to last year’s team (Patrick Peterson, Dalvin Tomlinson, Za’Darius Smith) either left in free agency or were traded. Even the defense has a new coordinator in Brian Flores, and everyone in Minnesota is excited for the big reveal.
The Buccaneers are in a similar spot, but their transition isn’t going as smoothly. After going all-in (and winning the Super Bowl) with Tom Brady, the Bucs are entering a new era with Baker Mayfield under center, but there are still some familiar faces. With Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield, and Mike Evans, Tampa Bay has enough firepower to pull off an upset – even inside a rowdy U.S. Bank Stadium.
In this article, we’ll give you five bold predictions for Sunday’s game and see if the Vikings can start the season with a victory.