With the preseason in the rearview mirror and the roster now cut down to 53 players, all signs point toward the Bucs’ regular season opener against the Vikings on Sept. 10. It’s a tough draw for Tampa Bay to open up the season, as it’ll be a new-look team heading on the road to play in a tough environment against a playoff-contending team. Bucs coach Todd Bowles knows the challenges that Minnesota provides, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota’s star wide receiver, will be the primary threat against the Tampa Bay defense come Week 1. Jefferson has solidified himself as an elite receiver within a short amount of time in the NFL, having topped 1,400 yards in each of his three seasons in the league.

Coming off of a 128-catch, 1,809-yard season that included eight touchdowns and a 106.4 yards per game mark, the former LSU standout will put the likes of Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean to the test right off the bat.

“Oh yeah, just watch the film,” Todd Bowles said Thursday. “You can watch him on Sundays. He’s unbelievable. He does everything. He runs every route, outstanding hands, outstanding route runner, great run after catch, great speed – tremendous player.”

The Bucs actually held the Vikings’ stud receiver in check when they saw him during his rookie season. That year’s No. 22 overall pick, Jefferson posted 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns on 88 catches in his debut year. But against Tampa Bay, he was held to just four catches for 39 yards on eight targets in a game that the Bucs won 26-14 in 2020. Todd Bowles will surely be looking to replicate that type of success when his team goes up north next weekend.

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins – Photo by: USA Today

Jefferson has starred for the Vikings over the first three seasons of his career, and he’s done so by establishing a deadly connection with Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins.

An 11-year veteran and four-time Pro Bowler, Cousins catches a lot of flak, but he puts up big numbers year after year. And while he hasn’t taken the Vikings over the top — he’s 46-33-1 in five seasons with them while going 1-2 over three postseason appearances (2019 and 2022) — he’s been a reliable, steadying presence.

For an organization that previously cycled through Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford and Case Keenum after Brett Favre’s final year in 2010, Cousins has given the Vikings what they needed since his arrival. Since signing with Minnesota in 2018, he has totaled 20,934 passing yards on 153 touchdowns while completing 67.8% of his passes. He’s also missed only two games over those five seasons.

“I think Kirk Cousins has been doing a great job with those guys,” Todd Bowles said. “He can throw it short; he can throw it deep. He knows where to go with the football. He knows the offense inside and out, extremely intelligent player, great competitor. [He] gets the ball to Justin [and], if he’s not open, he gets it to somebody else. It’s going to be a chore for us to be disciplined everywhere we go.”

Todd Bowles Knows How Good Vikings Are In Close Games

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell Photo by: USA Today

The Vikings are coming off of a season in which they finished 13-4. They ultimately bowed out of the playoffs in the same round that the Bucs did, losing to the No. 6 seed Giants, 31-24, on Super Wild Card Weekend. Nonetheless, Minnesota got out to an 8-1 start in the regular season before getting to 13 wins for just the third time in its history.

A big part of the Vikings’ success last year was how good they were in close games. They had 11 one-score wins, which set a new NFL record. Having that many narrow victories is why some dubbed them “the worst 13-win team ever,” but there’s still plenty to say about what an impressive feat it is to win so many close games.

The NFL is a league with a lot of parity, especially week-to-week, so there are bound to be close games. And coming out on top in one-possession games is the mark of a good, well-coached team. That’s something that Todd Bowles praised about Minnesota on Thursday.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I do believe there is a knack to doing it. I think Kevin [O’Connell] is an outstanding head coach and offensive coordinator,” Bowles said. “For what he does with that team is unbelievable. The thing is they score points in bunches. He’s very good at seeing weaknesses. They spread you out and keep you honest, and when you win close games like that it has a lot to do with coaching. It has a lot to do with players, as well, but I think he’s guided that team very well.”

The Vikings were 11-0 in one-score games last season before losing by a touchdown to the Giants in the playoffs. By contrast, the Bucs played in 10 one-possession games last year and finished 6-4 in those contests.

So, if the Bucs find themselves in a close game late in Week 1, things are bound to favor the home team. However, tight games late in the fourth quarter can be decided by one play — one momentum swing. That’s what made Minnesota’s record last year so impressive, but it’s what will also make it hard to replicate.