The Buccaneers are still searching for their first win of the season, but Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings finally gave Tampa Bay something positive to build on defensively. After two frustrating performances to start the year, the Bucs defense looked much more like the unit they expected this season. Minnesota finished with just 230 total yards, converted only two of its 15 third-down attempts, and averaged 4.2 yards per play. Tampa Bay also held the Vikings to just 78 rushing yards on 23 carries.
One of the biggest bright spots remains David Walker. Walker recorded a sack for the second consecutive week, bringing down Kyler Murray for a nine-yard loss on third down and forcing Minnesota to punt. He now has two sacks through the first
three games of his NFL career despite seeing limited opportunities early in the season. Walker also became the first Buccaneer since Antoine Winfield Jr. in 2020 to record multiple sacks within his first three career games. After missing his entire rookie season with a torn ACL, Walker is quickly starting to look like someone Tampa Bay needs to find more snaps for moving forward.
Alex Anzalone also put together his best performance since joining the Bucs. Anzalone struggled during his first two games in Tampa Bay, particularly when it came to tackling, but he looked much more comfortable against Minnesota. He tackled well and recorded his first sack as a Buccaneer when he brought Murray down for a two-yard loss on third down. It was the 14th sack of his career. The pass rush as a whole finally showed more life. Walker and Anzalone were joined by Anthony Nelson, who recorded his first sack of the season and the 22.5th of his career. Tampa Bay also finally created a turnover. Vita Vea got his hands on a Murray pass at the line of scrimmage, and A’Shawn Robinson came down with the deflection for an interception. Vea finished the game with two passes defensed, tying his career high.
There were still mistakes. Jordan Addison got behind the secondary for a 41-yard touchdown after Jacob Parrish lost track of the football, and Minnesota still found a way to score enough points to win. But compared to what Tampa Bay showed during the first two weeks, this was easily a step in the right direction. The defense gave the offense opportunities to win the game. Minnesota had only nine first downs and 230 yards, while its offense scored just two touchdowns. One of the Vikings’ three touchdowns came on an 86-yard punt return, meaning the final score does not completely reflect how well Tampa Bay’s defense played. The Bucs have plenty to fix after a 0-3 start, but for the first time this season, the defense looked like it might be moving in the right direction.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs defense shows signs of life in frustrating loss
