The Minnesota Vikings beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-16 in a game where offensive production was scarce. Although Minnesota limited Tampa Bay to 243 yards of offense, the Vikings managed only 230. Special teams contributed to 16 of the Vikings' 23 points.
The Vikings entered the day as the league's 32nd-ranked offense, and Sunday's output won't change that. But we won't let that overshadow a day when defense and special teams lifted the team to its third win of the season.
Winner: Eric Wilson
Wilson was all over the field on Sunday. Officially, he tallied 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks. PFF gave Wilson an unofficial grade of 84.6 after the game, crediting him with five pressures and seven stops. His ability to take on running backs in pass protection keeps them from
getting out of the backfield and becoming outlet receivers for quarterbacks.
Loser: Kyler Murray
Murray had a tough return to action, completing 15/29 passes for 168 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. He also took three sacks, couldn't consistently create plays outside the pocket, and ran only twice for 17 yards. His interception came after a batted pass bounced around and fell into the hands of Tampa Bay defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson. Murray will have to be better moving forward if this Vikings offense wants to improve.
A'SHAWN ROBINSON BIG MAN PICK! 🤯
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 27, 2026
📺: #MINvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/dZiVA7Q2Ul
Winner: Andrew Van Ginkel
One week after Dallas Turner terrorized the Bears, Van Ginkel put in an impressive showing. Van Ginkel officially tallied 0.5 sacks and intercepted an off-target pass by Baker Mayfield late in the fourth quarter. PFF gave Van Ginkel a 72.5 grade, which ranked sixth on the defense.
#Bucs QB Baker Mayfield appears to injury his right thumb after this INT to allow the #Vikings to seal a win. pic.twitter.com/jF3QGYVKAB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 27, 2026
Loser: Jauan Jennings
After Justin Jefferson left the game in the first quarter, Minnesota's passing game faltered. Myles Price and Tai Felton are inexperienced, but Jennings was signed this offseason to be a reliable WR3 behind Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Jennings only caught one pass for one yard on Sunday, his first production in two games as a Viking (he missed last week's game at Chicago). There is plenty of blame to go around on Minnesota's offense. If they want to improve, Jennings will need to step up.
Winner: Myles Price
The Vikings got off to an early 10-0 start when Price took a punt back 86 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. It was his first career touchdown, coming just two weeks after his 68-yard kick return helped spark Minnesota's comeback against the Packers. It was also the first time the Vikings have returned a punt for a touchdown since October 9, 2016.
Loser: The running backs
Aaron Jones spent last week on the injury report with a knee injury. Although he was healthy going into Sunday, it was unknown how much of a workload he would get. Jones ran 17 times for 58 yards and caught five passes for 34 yards. Unfortunately, he got little help, as backups DeeJay Dallas and Demond Claiborne combined for only four runs for three yards and no catches. This running game is missing Jordan Mason, who is currently on injured reserve with a thumb injury.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Winners and Losers from the Vikings' 23-16 win over the Bucs
