Bucs struggle in 23-17 setback to Vikings, fall to 0-3 and lose Mayfield to injury

This is not how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers envisioned September ending.

Tampa Bay fell to 0-3 on Sunday with a 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, then watched starting quarterback Baker Mayfield leave the game with a dislocated right thumb on his throwing hand.

Mayfield injured the thumb while making a desperation pass late in the fourth quarter. He was screaming in pain on the ground before walking off and was replaced by rookie Jalon Daniels in the final minute.

Mayfield has started every game since joining the Bucs in 2023. His status for next week’s home game against Green Bay won’t be determined until he undergoes an MRI on Monday morning, coach Todd Bowles said.

Bowles said if Mayfield can’t play, Daniels would likely get the start. The Bucs also have seven-year veteran Easton Stick on the practice squad.

The Bucs are winless after three games for the first time since 2014, when they finished 2-14 and got the No. 1 overall draft pick the following spring, taking Jameis Winston.

“I'm sure it looks bleak,” receiver Chris Godwin Jr. said. “It's not ideal. Definitely not the start we wanted and we never want to lose (Mayfield) but that's where we are right now, and the reality is we have to pull ourselves out of this hole.”

Since starting the 2025 season 6-2, the team is 2-10 under Bowles, who dropped to 35-36 in the regular season as Tampa Bay's head coach. His three division titles in a weak NFC South have resulted in a 1-3 record in the playoffs.

"I don't have an explanation," Bowles said. "We just got to do more and play better."

After three weeks, all four NFC South teams have losing records, with the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons in first place at 1-2, and Tampa Bay in last place.

"Well, funny thing, we're 0-3, and we're a game out of first place," Bowles said. "So, we have to get our stuff together. We got to reach down and do more to a coach, to a person, to a player. We got to do more and figure out what we can do more and how can we be better."

Myles Price returned a punt 86 yards for a score, Kyler Murray threw a 41-yard TD pass to Jordan Addison to give the Vikings enough points against a Bucs defense that played much better than the previous two weeks.

At the same time, Tampa Bay’s woeful offense couldn’t do much against coordinator Brian Flores’ defense.

Mayfield hasn’t played like a $55 million-a-year quarterback since the Bucs gave him a $165 million extension before the season. He completed 17 of 34 for 217 yards with one TD and one interception, taking six sacks.

Mayfield had an 85-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin Jr. on third-and-30 negated by a holding penalty on Luke Goedeke in the third quarter.

That summed up the offense’s struggles.

“"It was a little bit of everything. I said it again and again. We got to see what the penalty situation looks like,” Bowles said. “We got to see whether it was play-calling, quarterback, offensive line. It's everybody included in that. We got to do better on third down.”

Mayfield’s 14-yard scramble on second-and-9 later was negated by a holding penalty on Payne Durham. But the Bucs got a first down on third-and-29 when Minnesota defender Joshua Metellus was penalized for hitting Emeka Egbuka helmet-to-helmet.

Again, the Bucs’ offense had to settle for a field goal. Chase McLauglin’s 54-yarder cut it to 17-16.

The Vikings are 3-0 for the second time in three years. They played most of the game without two-time All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson. He didn’t return after injuring his right ankle in the first quarter when a defender fell on it.

Will Reichard’s 56-yard field goal extended Minnesota’s lead to 20-16 with 3:10 remaining.

On the play that left Mayfield injured, the Bucs faced fourth-and-13 from their own 39 with just under two minutes remaining. Mayfield retreated all the way inside the Bucs' 15 before launching a pass that was intercepted by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

As Mayfield followed through, his throwing hand struck the left arm of Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman.

Five plays later, Will Reichard kicked a 43-yard field goal to put Minnesota up by seven with 33 seconds left.

“At the end of the game, we needed the play,” Bowles said of the decision to go for it on fourth down. “We would've gotten the ball back with very little time. We had to make a play.”

Daniels, undrafted out of Kansas, replaced Mayfield for the final series, which ended with a fourth-down interception as time expired.

Murray completed 15 of 29 for 168 yards with one TD pass and one interception in his first full game with the Vikings. He sustained a concussion in the first quarter of the season opener and Carson Wentz led Minnesota to consecutive wins.

Murray connected with Addison on a deep throw on third-and-8 to give the Vikings a 17-10 lead in the second quarter. Addison beat Jacob Parrish in one-on-one coverage, making a smooth adjustment on the ball.

After Tampa Bay’s A’Shawn Robinson intercepted a tipped Murray pass to set up a first down at the Vikings’ 22 in the third quarter, the Bucs went nowhere. Bucky Irving ran 3 yards and then dropped a pass. Mayfield got sacked on third down and McLaughlin’s 38-yarder cut it to 17-13.

"We're moving the ball," left tackle Tristan Wirfs said. "We're just going backward too much in our drives. Got to keep going forward and get into the end zone. Got to capitalize off all the opportunities. A'Shawn's interception in the red zone – got to score. We're all celebrating here if we get a touchdown off that.”

The Bucs fell behind 10-0 after just one possession. Following a three-and-out, Tampa Bay punted to Price, who darted up the middle, cut to the right and sprinted down the sideline for his first career touchdown.

Mayfield fired a 40-yard TD pass down the seam to rookie Ted Hurst III to cut it to 10-7.

The Bucs later had a first down at Minnesota’s 7 after Mayfield and Cade Otton connected on a 37-yard pass. But consecutive holding penalties on Cody Mauch and Graham Barton derailed the drive and McLaughlin kicked a 28-yard field goal to tie it.

"It's a team effort. You know, we gave up a special teams touchdown. The defense gave up a touchdown in the first half. It's all-inclusive right there," Bowles said. "So, we win as a team, we lose as a team. We're not going to throw nobody under the bus."

Tampa Bay wide receiver Jalen McMillan left in the first quarter with a knee injury and didn't return. It is the same knee he injured during training camp that sidelined him for several weeks. He played sparingly during his first game back, last Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The Bucs will try again to win their first game of the season next Sunday against Green Bay (1-2) at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

“We know the fans are frustrated,” Wirfs said, “but I'm telling you right now we're all pretty frustrated in here, too. This isn't how anybody planned to start the season. We need to turn it around."

WUSF's Rick Mayer contributed to this report.