Minnesota Vikings vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Week 3 2026

Vikings vs Buccaneers is one of the league's hardest defenses against an offense still finding its footing in a system it only started learning in the spring. Minnesota added a three time Pro Bowl safety on the eve of camp. Tampa Bay is on its fifth play caller in five seasons.

Kickoff is 4:05 PM ET on Sunday, September 27, 3:05 in Minneapolis. From the opening snap this page handles everything: live score, game leaders, box scores, play-by-play with the game flow chart and team statistics, all of it refreshing itself.

Vikings vs Buccaneers is also a late September afternoon in Tampa, which nobody from Minnesota enjoys.

Vikings vs Buccaneers Start Time, TV Channel and Live Stream

Date	Sunday, September 27, 2026
Kickoff	4:05 PM ET / 3:05 PM CT / 2:05 PM MT / 1:05 PM PT
TV	FOX
Venue	Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Lots open	3.5 hours before kickoff
Home team	Tampa Bay Buccaneers

FOX has Vikings vs Buccaneers in the 4:05 window, a regional assignment, so the market map decides and Sunday Ticket covers the rest. Tampa is on Eastern time and Minneapolis on Central, which puts the visitors an hour behind the clock at the stadium.

Brian Flores Added Jamal Adams

Minnesota's defense was already the reason to watch this team, and the front office signed Jamal Adams, a three time Pro Bowler, on the eve of training camp. He joins a group that includes Andrew Van Ginkel and a defensive line the club spent camp sorting for depth.

The quarterback arrangement is unusual too. Kevin O'Connell and Flores built a plan where Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy both took reps with the first and second teams, on the theory that the whole roster gets better that way. Murray, signed in free agency, has the job. McCarthy made the first ten starts of his career in 2025.

Tampa Bay's Young Defenders Are Playing Their Way In

The most interesting thing in Todd Bowles' camp was not the offense. Outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. spent it going head to head with tackle Luke Goedeke, rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter made an early impression, and undrafted cornerback Ayden Garnes turned enough heads to be worth naming.

The offense is still bedding in under Zac Robinson, and Baker Mayfield has said it is in a good place without pretending it is finished. Injuries forced some shuffling among Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson and Cade Otton, which Mayfield thinks produced packages the staff had not planned on.

Vikings vs Buccaneers: Details

Five coordinators in five years. Tampa Bay has changed offensive play callers every season since Byron Leftwich's run ended in 2022.

Robinson comes from the McVay tree. He spent the previous two seasons coordinating Atlanta's offense.

Minnesota has been on the road already. Vikings vs Buccaneers follows a division trip to Chicago in Week 2.

Rosters are set. The cut to 53 passed on August 30. Follow the Vikings and Buccaneers pages, and check the NFL standings three weeks in. The rest of the slate is on the 2026 NFL schedule.

Seven Cannons for a Touchdown

The ship in the north end zone is not decoration. It is a 103 foot scale replica of an 1800s vessel, built in 1998 and owned by the club, and the cannons on it fire seven times for a touchdown and three for a field goal. It sits in Buccaneer Cove, a 20,000 square foot space running the length of that concourse, done up with tiki huts, palm trees and concession stands built to look like a weathered fishing village. The ship itself is closed to the public during games.

Practical notes before Vikings vs Buccaneers: parking is first come, first served, roughly 10,000 spaces on site and another 15,000 nearby, with lots opening three and a half hours before kickoff. Cannon fire announces the gates fifteen minutes out. The stadium's Buccaneer Cove page explains the rest of it.

Vikings vs Buccaneers FAQ

Vikings vs Buccaneers is a defense that already knows what it is against an offense that is still deciding, which usually favors the defense in September. Come back on game day for inactives and the live score.

Last updated: August 27, 2026