The Buccaneers will take on the Vikings at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, September 27 at 4:05 p.m. ET and the matchup will be broadcast locally on FOX. After falling to the Browns in Week Two, 23-19, the Bucs will be vying for their first win of the 2026 slate to keep pace in the NFC South hunt. Tampa Bay's start to the 2026 season has been marred by turnovers, inefficiency in the red zone, protection breakdowns resulting in seven sacks allowed and tackling woes. Conversely, the Vikings are 2-0, powered by a defense that has tallied eight sacks and has helped generate four takeaways. Kyler Murray has cleared concussion protocol and will start on Sunday for Minnesota, with the ball going often to the club's prized possession – Justin Jefferson. Here are five Buccaneers to keep your eye on in Week Three:
Zyon McCollum
A lauded receiver comes to town in Week Three with the Vikings' Justin Jefferson. The technician is in the upper echelon of players at the position and became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 30 career 100-yard receiving games (62 games), besting Lance Alworth's mark (64 games). With 8,379 career receiving yards through Week 17 of the 2025 season, Jefferson passed Randy Moss (8,375) for the most by a player in his first six NFL seasons. In 2025, Jefferson has caught 11 passes for 147 yards and two scores. He has it all: speed, finesse, route-running acumen, catch radius, high-point capability and separation prowess at all three levels of the field. Jefferson attacks the ball with physicality, and he transitions will after the catch with outstanding body control. On Sunday, Bucs' cornerback Zyon McCollum will be tasked with containing No. 18. Through two games, McCollum has 12 tackles and two passes defensed. He has the speed to stay with receivers downfield and uses his hands to disrupt wideouts. McCollum has a quick backpedal and fluid hip turn, along with short-area explosion. He averaged just 1.5 yards of separation from receivers in Week One – the second-fewest among all defensive backs with five-or-more targets per Next Gen Stats and his 40.0% hawk rate (percentage of pass targets broken up or intercepted) was tied for the highest mark in the NFL among DBs with five-plus targets.
Tykee Smith
Against the Browns, Tykee Smith registered three tackles behind the line of scrimmage, marking the most in a single game of his career. Tampa Bay ranks fourth in the NFL in both rushing yards allowed per game (75.0) and yards allowed per carry (3.0), and Smith has brought the hammer in the open field. Smith, the Bucs' strong safety who is frequently down in the box, triggers quickly to the run and flies downhill with tenacity. He delivers a blow at the point of contact and disrupted several plays in the flat against the Browns, preventing the opposition from generating additional yardage. The Vikings have run the ball on 55.4% of their plays so far, the highest run percentage in the NFL, and running back Aaron Jones surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark against the Bears on 23 totes and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Jones is effective both between the tackles and on the outside, along with a pass-catching upside. He is shifty back that can spin out of contact for additional yards and hits the hole with a one-cut diagnosis. Jones makes flat footed defenders pay and Smith will play a key role in mitigating his impact on Sunday.
Tristan Wirfs
Dallas Turner leads the Vikings through two games with 3.0 sacks and has also posted 20 quarterback pressures per Next Gen Stats - the most in the NFL. Turner pairs first-step quickness with rare closing burst and beats blocks early with swift hands. He has the athleticism to take down play-extending mobile quarterbacks and lines up on both sides of the line in Brian Flores' pressure-packed system. Flores blitzes on a higher rate than any defensive coordinator in the league and Tristan Wirfs will be responsible for protecting Baker Mayfield's blind side. Wirfs has freaky athleticism and body control. He anchors the line in Tampa Bay and is adept on traps and pulls in space. Wirfs slides with smooth footwork and has the ability to press ends off his frame with upper-body strength.
David Walker
Rueben Bain Jr. suffered a groin injury against the Browns and did not practice on Wednesday, along with Anthony Nelson, who is dealing with a shin injury. The Bucs will utilize a by-committee approach in the rotation on Sunday, likely meaning David Walker will receive more snaps. Walker, who was selected by the Bucs in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, tore his ACL in the third training camp practice last season. He missed the duration of his rookie campaign and in his second career game against the Browns in Week Two, he snagged his first sack on Deshaun Watson for an eight-yard loss. Walker became a standout during the offseason workout program, perpetually making his way into the backfield on one-on-one pass rush reps and continued his production against Cleveland. He has a quick reaction clock to disrupt gaps and plays with natural leverage to work underneath blockers. Walker has pop in his hands and diversifies his rush attack. The instinctive and powerful rusher will strive to take advantage of reps as the Vikings come to town. Going up against a dual threat in Kyler Murray, setting the edge will be paramount to not provide the opposing signal-caller with an escape hatch.
Baker Mayfield
The Minnesota Vikings blitz on 79.3% of their defensive plays, the highest mark in the league per Pro Football Focus. Since joining the Bucs in 2023, Baker Mayfield has a 5.5 touchdown-to-interception ratio against the blitz, ranking fourth among quarterbacks with at least 30 pass attempts against the blitz during that span. Since 2023, Mayfield is one of four players with a 100-plus passer rating, 30-plus passing touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions against the blitz, alongside Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford. One of the best traits that Mayfield possesses is his improvisation skills. Like his third-and-nine scramble featuring a stiff-arm in Week Two against the Browns that set up the five-yard Emeka Egbuka touchdown, Mayfield's ability to extend plays using his legs is superior. Brian Flores will dial up the blitz in his pressure-centric system on Sunday and whether checking it down to the back, taking off or getting it to Cade Otton or Chris Godwin Jr. on an option route, Mayfield will work to sustain drives and move the sticks.
