Vikings player ratings vs. Bucs: Defense, special teams bail out bad offense

The Vikings are 3-0 this season after a somewhat bizarre 23-16 win over the Buccaneers under the Florida sun. Kyler Murray and the offense lost Justin Jefferson early on and struggled immensely without him, but the defense was dominant and special teams provided some key plays. Let’s dive into this week’s player and coach grades.

Kyler Murray: 4.9

Despite the 3-0 record, there’s concern about the Vikings’ outlook after a very poor outing from Murray in his do-over season debut. He was 15 of 29 for 168 yards, one touchdown, and one interception that was batted and caught near the line of scrimmage. His passer rating was 66.5. Murray missed plenty of throws and did not seem to be on the same page as his pass-catchers on multiple occasions. It’s just one game and his track record suggests he’ll improve, but this was not an upgrade on what the Vikings have gotten from Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy over the last couple seasons. His two throws to Jordan Addison on the Vikings’ lone offensive touchdown drive were nice.

Kevin O’Connell: 4.1

Murray gets his share of the blame, but this is O’Connell’s offense, which has largely struggled since the start of last season — and with four different quarterbacks. Vikings running backs averaged fewer than three yards per carry. The passing game was a mess, outside of the Addison drive. The Vikings were 2 for 15 on third down and committed nine penalties. O’Connell’s play-calling and Minnesota’s overall execution on offense need to improve in a big way.

Jordan Addison: 7.8

After a catch-less opener and just two grabs for 21 yards last week, Addison stepped up with Jefferson sidelined and caught five balls for 90 yards and a score. He is clearly a very talented receiver who just needs his quarterback to give him opportunities. Addison and Murray demonstrated a strong connection in offseason practices open to the media. He could’ve had an even bigger day if he had been able to come down with another Murray deep ball, which was under-thrown but potentially catchable.

Kyler Murray with a rocket to Jordan Addison for the TD 🚀@MINvsTB on FOX/FOX One
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— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026