The Minnesota Vikings came away as winners after a 23-16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. But on an individual basis, it’s a much different story.
Sunday’s game tested the will of fans as they sat through an uneven performance from Kyler Murray and an offense that lost Justin Jefferson to an ankle injury. But even as some players failed to impress, others took a step forward on a team that is 3-0 and still on top of the NFC North.
Next week’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins gives an opportunity to build momentum. But for now, there are several winners and losers coming out of a gritty win in Tampa Bay.
Minnesota Vikings winners and losers from their Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Winner – Jordan Addison (WR)
Addison didn’t drop a “FREE 3” on social media, but things were trending in that direction coming into Sunday’s game.
In the first two games, he had just two catches for 21 yards. The opportunities were even more limited, as he had just two targets in the win against the Bears.
But when Jefferson left the game in the first quarter, Addison was the receiver who stepped up.
Murray found Addison for a 41-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that wound up being Minnesota’s lone offensive score of the game.
He was also the Vikings’ leading receiver, catching five passes for 90 yards, channeling the player who looked like a future star when he caught 70 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns during his rookie season.
The Vikings will need Jefferson to return as soon as possible. But if Addison plays like this, Jefferson can take time with his recovery and establish a rapport with Murray that could pay dividends when he returns.
Winner – Myles Price (WR/KR)
It had been more than 10 years since the Vikings had a punt return for a touchdown, and Price came through with an 86-yard return for a score in the first quarter.
It was the first punt return for a touchdown since Marcus Sherels took a punt 79 yards to the house in the Vikings' 31-13 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 5 of the 2016 season.
Price has a long way to go to match Sherels, who is the Vikings’ all-time leader in punt return yards. But he’s clearly carving a niche on the roster.
With averages of 26.5 yards per punt return and 26.4 yards per kickoff return on Sunday, he’s becoming the field-flipping weapon the Vikings have lacked on special teams, and with Jefferson on the shelf, his receiving ability could take center stage if he begins to climb the depth chart.
Winner – Will Reichard (K)
Vikings fans always have anxiety when they line up for a field goal, but Reichard continues to put it further in the rearview mirror. Reichard knocked down all three of his field goal attempts on Sunday, including a 56-yarder.
With those makes, Reichard has converted his past 26 field goal attempts dating back to a 53-yard miss in a 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8 of the 2025 season.
Again, that may do little to calm the nerves when Reichard lines up for a big kick. But the more he converts, the more reliable he’s become (unless there are camera wires in the way). Vikings fans may not want to say it too loud, but Reichard is becoming the kicker they’ve been hoping for.
Winner – Eric Wilson (ILB)
The Vikings didn’t spend a lot of money last year, but one player they did splurge on was Wilson. At 32 years old, a three-year, $22.5 million contract felt like an overpay. But Wilson showed why the Vikings were willing to make that investment on Sunday.
Wilson led the Vikings with 10 total tackles and added two tackles for loss on Sunday, and he had room for 1.5 sacks and a pass defense.
Pro Football Focus also credited Wilson with five pressures and seven run stops on the afternoon, making him an agent of chaos for a Vikings defense that needed to be on point through the first three weeks.
Winner – Kyle Van Noy (EDGE)
Viking fans squirmed all offseason as they looked for edge rusher depth, and they seem to have answered the need with the signing of Van Noy.
While he was on the practice squad to begin the year, Van Noy seems to have worked himself into shape, notching five total tackles and 1.5 sacks in the win over the Bucs.
PFF also credited Van Noy with three pressures on 10 pass-rushing snaps, and he was also active against the run with three stops on six snaps.
While Dallas Turner continued his hot start to the season with seven pressures and a half-sack, and Andrew Van Ginkel came away with an interception, Van Noy gave them a rotational player who can keep both starters fresh and fill a need the Vikings had throughout the summer.
Loser – Kyler Murray (QB)
This is by no means an endorsement of putting Carson Wentz back into the starting lineup, but Murray’s performance just isn’t going to cut it.
He completed 15-of-29 passes for 168 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and while he was willing to take shots downfield, he never could get the Vikings into a rhythm on an afternoon when Johnny Hekker had to punt eight times.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Murray shelving his dual-threat ability. Both of his carries were scrambles and came in the first quarter. While he got 17 yards on those carries, he remained in the pocket the rest of the afternoon, looking like there was a giant buffering wheel above his head.
There is no quarterback controversy for now, and perhaps if the Vikings didn’t stage a quarterback competition during training camp, Murray may have received the reps needed to feel comfortable in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
But he’ll need to play better beginning with next week’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins and show the kind of player O’Connell believes he can become.
Loser – Josh Metellus (S)
Metellus is a captain and the type of player that the younger guys on the roster should look up to. But his performance on Sunday was a continuation of his rough start to the season.
PFF grades have been out of sorts this season, but Metellus was the lowest-graded Vikings defender against the Bucs at 48.1. He also appeared to have a miscommunication with Isaiah Rodgers in the first quarter that allowed Ted Hurst III to run down the seam and score a 40-yard touchdown.
One of the leaders of Brian Flores’s defense, Metellus, doesn’t have to worry about getting benched. But the Vikings need better play from one of their biggest leaders if they want their dominant defensive performance to continue.
Loser – Demond Claiborne (RB)
Coming into the game, it felt like Claiborne would see a few more opportunities than he had in the two weeks as Aaron Jones was nursing a knee injury.
In some ways, that was true, as his three offensive snaps were more than the two offensive snaps he had a week ago. But even in a small sample size, he didn’t look like the promising player the Vikings have billed him to be.
Claiborne had three carries in the afternoon, but it amounted to just one yard. Even more alarming is that it appears that a stiff breeze could knock the Wake Forest product to the turf, with an average of 1.33 yards after contact on Sunday.
After failing to make T.J. Edwards miss on a reception last week in Chicago, Claiborne is showing why he lasted until the sixth round despite having speed to burn.
It makes the pre-draft comparison of a “Diet De’Von Achane” laughable and makes him look more like a Diet Ty Chandler as a back who can’t gain the trust of the coaching staff.
Loser – Jauan Jennings (WR)
Jennings was a hyped signing in the offseason as a player who could finally fill the No. 3 role in the offense. But through three weeks, he’s on the same path that many others have followed during their time in Minnesota.
A personal issue that made him miss the win over the Bears aside, Jennings has been quiet in the early weeks as a Viking.
While he had just one target in the win over the Packers in Week 1, he had a bigger opportunity when Jefferson left the game in the first quarter. But while Addison stepped up, Jennings continued to be non-existent, making one catch for one yard in Sunday’s win.
Perhaps the carousel at the quarterback position has something to do with his chemistry issues. But the Vikings need more from Jennings and will hope that he can get going when the Dolphins come to town next week.
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