Week 1 matchup with Bucs sparks memories of legendary Vikings debut

Near the end of the first quarter of their Week 1 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1998, the Minnesota Vikings faced a 1st-and-10 from the Bucs' 48-yard line. Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson took the snap, dropped back, and then fired a pass to his left in the direction of rookie wide receiver Randy Moss.

The rest is history.

Moss went on to have one of the most impressive debuts by a player in NFL history. He finished his first regular-season game with four catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns.

Moss wound up finding the end zone 15 more times during the 1998 season and that resulted in the former Minnesota superstar being named that year's Offensive Rookie of the Year.

In less than a week, the Vikings will be looking to get their first victory in a Week 1 home matchup against the Bucs for the first time since Moss's debut in 1998. Minnesota hosted Tampa Bay back during the 2005 regular-season opener, but the Bucs were able to leave the Vikings' home field with a win.

Coincidentally, this year's Week 1 matchup between Minnesota and Tampa Bay will also feature the debut of a Vikings rookie wide receiver who was selected in the first round of the most recent NFL Draft in Jordan Addison.

Addison isn't expected to storm out of the gates like Moss did, but who knows what Minnesota's latest rookie wide receiver might have in store for the Bucs on Sunday.

This year's regular-season opener will also feature the 2023 debut of Justin Jefferson, someone who has been the closest thing to Moss that Vikings fans have seen since "The Freak" departed from the franchise more than a decade ago.

Jefferson exploded for nine catches, 184 yards, and two touchdowns during Minnesota's Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers last season. Will the Vikings' All-Pro wide receiver deliver another Moss-esque performance against Tampa Bay in this year's regular-season opener?