The Minnesota Vikings made a myriad of mistakes in week one, costing them in a 20-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This was a frustrating game to watch. Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns, but his three turnovers, including two when the Vikings were in position to score points ended up costing them the game.
Buy Vikings TicketsOn the Buccaneers’ side, they looked really rough in the first half, but made some impressive halftime adjustments to come out with a win.
Over the course of the game, there were some really impressive performances and some that were really frustrating to watch. Here are the studs and duds from week one.
Stud: WR Justin Jefferson
What else can you say about Justin Jefferson that hasn’t already been said? He is the best wide receiver in the National Football League and it is becoming more definitive every time he takes the field.
In the first half, Jefferson was dominant with seven catches for 130 yards and was the catalyst for Jordan Addison’s first career touchdown. He finished with nine catches for 150 yards.
Dud: C Garrett Bradbury
Going into the 2023 season, one of the things that was benefitting the Vikings offense was continuity on the offensive line. On just the Vikings second drive, that was eliminated. Center Garrett Bradbury exited the game with a back injury that cost him five games at the end of last season. He was ruled out at halftime and did not return.
Stud: Defensive coordinator Brian Flores
The Vikings defense was a mitigated disaster for most of the 2022 season. Bringing in Brian Flores hopefully would fix some of those issues. Early returns are great for the Vikings defense, as they held the Buccaneers to 10 points and 91 total yards. They have been swarming the football and pressuring Baker Mayfield constantly, with three of those points came after a Kirk Cousins fumble that gave the Buccaneers the ball in the red zone.
Things weren’t always rosy, as they couldn’t make the stop at the end of the game when they needed it. Overall, a really solid showing from Flores and his unit.
Dud: RG Ed Ingram
Overall, Ed Ingram didn’t play too bad in terms of protection, but his mistake ended up costing the Vikings points. On third and two at the Buccaneers 26 yard line on the Vikings second possession, Ingram knocked the ball out of quarterback Kirk Cousins’ hands when beginning to pull on a running play. Instead of getting points, they turned the ball over which is never a good thing. These types of plays have become commonplace for Ingram, as he stepped on Cousins’ foot four times last season ending plays.
Stud: WR Jordan Addison
In his NFL debut, Jordan Addison made his presence felt. He caught a screen pass for his first NFL catch and followed it up with a 39-yard post route for his first-ever touchdown.
Welcome to the League, @espn_Jordan
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/kKgNYL6RqD
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 10, 2023
Addison finished the game with 4 receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown and solidifying him as a threat early on.
Dud: S Jay Ward
The Vikings had stopped the Buccaneers in the red zone and forced a field goal attempt. They had made kick, but a neutral zone infraction by Ward cost the Vikings a first down. Three plays later, Baker Mayfield found Trey Palmer for a seven-yard touchdown to put the Buccaneers up 17-10. These types of mistakes are inexcusable for the Vikings and need to be cleaned up.
