The Buccaneers' season went into a full tailspin with their 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The offense was nothing short of impotent, hamstrung by a disintegrating offensive line and Baker Mayfield's inconsistent play. The offense struggled amid a defensive resurgence as the Bucs held the Vikings to 230 total yards and just nine first downs. The effort was wasted, as the offense simply could not function for most of the game.
Here are the studs and duds from the Bucs' Week 3 loss to the Vikings:
DUD: Baker Mayfield
Tampa Bay's $55 million quarterback had as bad a game as he could have while only committing one turnover. He was under duress all day from an aggressive Minnesota defense, but he did not react well. He missed open receivers, struggled with accuracy
for the third straight week, completing just 50% of his passes, and took six sacks. Mayfield finished the game in the locker room after dislocating his thumb on a 4th-and-13 that ended in an interception. While no team wants to be without their starting quarterback, the Bucs may need Mayfield to take the time to get his groove back.
DUD: The offensive line
Much of Baker Mayfield's erratic play could be traced to the untenable play of his offensive line. As a whole, the line allowed 13 pressures per PFF. Again, the line struggled to pick up stunts and games, but a new problem brought the offense to a grinding halt: penalties. Four of the five linemen were called for penalties, with three of them drawing holding penalties. Luke Goedeke's was particularly painful as it brought back an 85-yard Chris Godwin touchdown.
Right guard Ben Bredeson and center Graham Barton were the most problematic linemen down to down. Bredeson was getting consistently beat in pass protection, and Barton spent as much time on the ground as he did blocking. For all of Baker Mayfield's struggles, the offensive line is as responsible for Tampa Bay's offensive implosion as anything else.
STUD: Vita Vea
After a quiet start to the season, Vita Vea reminded the Bucs why he deserved his $30 million extension against the Vikings. Vea all but dominated the line of scrimmage, at times walking Minnesota's offensive line into the lap of QB Kyler Murray. The veteran defensive tackle added two pass deflections, the second of which was intercepted by A'Shawn Robinson. Vea's presence was a major reason why the Vikings managed just 78 rush yards. If the Bucs are going to salvage their season, Vea will have to continue playing as he did against Minnesota.
STUD: David Walker
The Bucs may have finally found a reliable pass rusher in David Walker. The second-year outside linebacker was easily Tampa Bay's best pass rush threat against the Vikings, pressuring Murray three times and sacking him once. He also led the Bucs' defensive line with a 22.2% pass rush win rate per PFF. Walker earned more playing time and should be considered for a starting role moving forward.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Studs and duds from the Bucs' Week 3 loss to the Vikings
