Baker Mayfield throws for 428 yards and 3 TDs as Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Minnesota Vikings 30-11 in Week 3

Tampa, FL - Baker Mayfield delivered one of Week 3's most productive passing performances, throwing for 428 yards and three touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 30-11.

Mayfield completed 23 of 30 passes, posted a 151.3 passer rating and recorded a completion of 71 yards. His production highlighted a wide statistical gap between the passing attacks: Tampa Bay finished with 411 passing yards, while Minnesota recorded 129. The Buccaneers also held a 441-277 advantage in offensive yards and produced 21 first downs to the Vikings' 16.

Three Tampa Bay receivers accounted for most of the damage. Ted Hurst III caught seven passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, with his 71-yard reception standing as the longest completion of the game. Chris Godwin Jr added seven receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown, while Emeka Egbuka finished with four catches for 88 yards and another score. Together, they totaled 18 receptions, 341 receiving yards and all three of Mayfield's touchdown passes.

"There was a lot of production, but what I liked was how many guys contributed," Mayfield said. "When you have several receivers putting together days like that, it speaks to the entire group. We'll still look closely at the opportunities we didn't finish, but this is a result we can build from."

The Buccaneers' defense supplied another notable contrast by recording three sacks and three interceptions. Minnesota's defense finished with two sacks and no interceptions, with Andrew Van Ginkel and Caleb Banks each credited with a sack.

J.J. McCarthy completed 8 of 13 passes for 105 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, finishing with a 73.0 passer rating. Kyler Murray went 6 of 12 for 61 yards with one interception and a 30.2 rating. Murray also contributed 34 rushing yards on four carries, including a 12-yard run.

Minnesota found more production on the ground than Tampa Bay, rushing for 148 yards compared with the Buccaneers' 30. Jordan Mason led the Vikings with 75 yards on 16 carries, while Bucky Irving had all 30 of Tampa Bay's team rushing yards on eight attempts. The passing game featured T.J. Hockenson's three catches for 47 yards and a touchdown, along with four receptions for 45 yards from Justin Jefferson.

Those individual totals came amid a difficult overall scoring day for Minnesota. The Vikings reached the red zone three times but finished with no touchdowns and one field goal on those trips. Tampa Bay made five red-zone appearances, scoring two touchdowns and two field goals. Both teams went 5-for-11 on third down, and Minnesota converted its lone fourth-down attempt.

"The two interceptions are on me, and I have to be better with the football," McCarthy said. "We had three trips into the red zone and didn't get a touchdown out of them. When the final score looks like this, those are numbers you have to own and correct."

The final margin reflected Tampa Bay's substantial advantages in passing production, offensive yardage and takeaways. Mayfield's efficiency and a trio of productive receivers gave the Buccaneers the defining statistical performances of their 30-11 Week 3 victory.

Up Next

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will remain home to face the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, while the Minnesota Vikings return home looking to rebound against the Miami Dolphins.