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BUCCANEERS vs. VIKINGS

WHEN: Sunday, September 27, 2026 | WHERE: Raymond James Stadium | KICKOFF: 4:05 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Kenny Albert | ANALYST: Jonathan Vilma | SIDELINE: Megan Olivi

RADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Tony Castricone | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: Jay Recher

Game day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make its weekly game predictions and offer up our game preview of this week’s matchup. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Systemic Failure On Defense Dooms The Bucs

It’s hard to pick the 0-2 Bucs when they lost to the Browns at home last week. Where is the evidence that they’ll rebound and play better against a 2-0 Vikings team that has shown it can either win with offense (Week 1) or win with defense (Week 2)? Tampa Bay can’t get a full game’s worth of good play from either side of the ball. The only things that are reliable with the Bucs is that Chase McLaughlin’s field goals will continue to be money, and that Todd Bowles defense will have some “miscommunication” issue and bust a coverage or two that will give up a touchdown.

Bucs K Chase McLaughlin – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Until the Bucs defense starts taking the ball away and until the offense stops giving it away this team will continue to lose. Tampa Bay lost the turnover battle in both losses and is minus-4 in the turnover margin this year, which is the second-worst mark in the entire league. I will expect more of the same, unfortunately, until I see otherwise.

Prove to me you can win a game, Buccaneers, before I’ll pick you to win again. McLaughlin will come up clutch again on Sunday, but the problem is that he’ll be kicking too many field goals and not enough extra points – again.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Vikings 26, Bucs 23
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 0-2

Matt Matera: Bucs Still Don’t Correct Their Mistakes, Lose 3 Straight

There’s a little more mystery in this Bucs game since they might be missing Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter on defense, while the Vikings get quarterback Kyler Murray back after exiting early in Week 1. But let’s be realistic, the Bucs hardly every learn from their mistakes, and this won’t be the week that they do. Are they all of a sudden going to play tighter coverage and generate a pass rush?

Maybe more of Al-Quadin Muhammad, Anthony Nelson and David Walker can help. Will they actually make tackles? I think not.

Bucs OLBs David Walker and Al-Quadin Muhammad – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

It’s going to be too little, too late, before the Bucs offense gets going. Hopefully Baker Mayfield can get a rhythm and the Bucs can push the ball down the field. They need to rely on the running game, but if they don’t have a lead, that will be difficult. This team is has no direction. The Bucs drop to 0-3 on the season.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Vikings 24, Bucs 17 
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 0-2

Adam Slivon: Bucs Will Not Right The Ship This Week And Fall To 0-3

Heading into this week’s game, I had the Bucs coming in 2-0 with a serious chance of starting 3-0 by beating the Vikings before the season. Instead, things have quickly unraveled for Tampa Bay and would only continue to spiral with a loss on Sunday. Even so, there are not many encouraging signs to predict them coming out with a win. The same issues that caused them to slide in the second half of last season have not improved at all. That is something Minnesota is primed to take advantage of.

Bucs ILB Alex Anzalone – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Even with Carson Wentz under center, they had the 13th-ranked scoring offense through two weeks. Todd Bowles’ defense has struggled, putting Kyler Murray in position to return and use his mobility to sustain long drives against a defense that has yet to put together a pass rush and has had plenty of missed tackles. It does not get any better on the flip side facing Brian Flores’ defense.

Bowles and Flores both like to blitz. The difference? Only one has used it effectively this season. Baker Mayfield is likely to be dancing around the pocket evading pressure and not establishing a rhythm.

These are the biggest indicators that the Bucs will not get off the ground this week. They have been hit, but they have failed to show enough fight to get back up and throw some punches of their own. Until they can do that for four quarters, I can’t pick them to come out with a win against the Vikings, although I can see it being a close game.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Vikings 24, Bucs 20
SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 0-2

Bailey Adams: Blind Faith And Denial Have Me Rolling With The Bucs

My confidence in the 2026 Bucs was completely shaken by last week’s loss to the Browns, a loss that dropped the team to 0-2. I even told my dad (shoutout) that I wouldn’t be able to pick this Tampa Bay squad to win a game for the foreseeable future. But with some time to regroup, I’m fully going back on my word and calling for the Bucs to beat the Vikings at home this Sunday to stop the bleeding and get to 1-2.

I think this pick is far more about blind faith and denial than it is logic, though I do believe there’s enough reason to consider Tampa Bay winning this game. The blind faith manifests itself via the belief that Baker Mayfield and this offense are as close as Mayfield thinks they are. I don’t think the poor execution and the poor play from the veteran quarterback will last forever, and I do think he’ll regress to the mean a bit this week and look more like the better Baker Mayfield. And I have some level of blind faith in this defense making life difficult for Kyler Murray, at least enough to keep the offense in the ball game.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

The denial aspect? I think there’s a large part of me that just doesn’t want to believe the dark days are back and the Bucs are headed for an 0-3 start that could turn to 0-4, then 0-5, then… I’m just in full denial that things are that bad yet.

Bucs win. Sue me.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 23, Vikings 20
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 1-1

Josh Queipo: Bucs Learn From Mistakes and Keep Season Alive

The Bucs will face off against a defense that will test them. Tampa Bay has found success running the ball, but Minnesota commits so many assets to the box and moving forward it may be difficult for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to keep the train running on the ground. Through the air, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores plays a high-risk game of “big plays.”

That philosophy leads to a plethora of sacks and negative plays for the offense. But it also leads to plenty of explosives. Heavy zone behind an unrelenting blitz means the offense has options and answers…if they can find them. And Baker Mayfield is as volatile of a quarterback as they come.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bucs fans have seen plenty of the lows through the first two weeks of the season. I’m betting he finds the highs against Minnesota. With Robinson adjusting Mayfield’s focus to the middle of the field, Tampa Bay will hit several explosive catch and runs that fuel a 24-point showing.

On defense, the Bucs take advantage of Kyler Murray still trying to feel out the Vikings offense with a run game that has looked lackluster, the Bucs defense is able to contain the Vikings offense and deal a loss to a team that has overachieved a bit to start the season.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Vikings 20
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 0-2

Nick Geddes: Can’t Trust The Bucs After Losing To The Browns

I do not trust the Bucs — like, at all. How can I after an embarrassing, 23-19 defeat to the Browns AT HOME? They’ve already shown they’re capable of squandering even the most favorable opportunities, so what faith should I have that they can knock off the 2-0 Vikings on Sunday?

I simply don’t, and I especially don’t like the matchup for Tampa Bay’s offense. Going back to last season, first sign of trouble for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs quarterback is eyes down and converting himself into a running back. The feet get happy at the feel of pressure and Mayfield typically gets rattled.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Here comes Brian Flores to town, who is blitzing at a rate we haven’t seen in the NFL in years. And the difference between Flores’ defense and Todd Bowles’ is that his rush actually gets home. It could be a long day for a Bucs offense that couldn’t get out of first gear against the Browns.

Defensively, the Bucs desperately need to bounce back — I’m just not sure they’re capable of it. They can say all the right things all they want and claim it’s just a few miscommunication errors holding them back, but it’s who they are this point. Also, the job gets tougher with rookies Josiah Trotter and Rueben again Jr. unlikely to play. Kyler Murray is back in the saddle and it would surprise nobody to see him have his most efficient game in years.

Give me the Vikings here as Tampa Bay’s early season slide continues.

GEDDES’ GAME PREDICTION: Vikings 27, Bucs 17
GEDDES’ SEASON RECORD: 0-2