Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Fourth Quarter Open Thread

The second half at Raymond James Stadium started with the Minnesota Vikings getting a touchback courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' kicking game, starting their first drive of the second half at their own 20-yard line. The Vikings converted a third down early on a pass from Teddy Bridgewater to Charles Johnson. Bridgewater had Johnson open for what would have been a long touchdown on the next play, but overshot his target down the seam. Jerick McKinnon broke off a run to near midfield on the next play, but that's where the drive stalled out and Jeff Locke came on to punt once again. Locke got another pretty solid punt away, and it was downed by Rhett Ellison at the Tampa Bay 8-yard line.

The Buccaneers put together another three-and-out, their fifth in a row, thanks in large part to Everson Griffen blowing up a screen pass and pressuring Mike Glennon on third down. Don't think anyone is still angry that the Vikings gave #97 all that money this off-season, right? There was another penalty on the punt return by Marcus Sherels, and the Vikings started their drive at their own 37-yard line.

A couple of carries by Jerick McKinnon got the Vikings into Tampa Bay territory once again, and he followed that up with a huge 28-yard run to put the Vikings into the Tampa Bay red zone for the first time on the day. And the Vikings made it pay off, as Bridgewater found Greg Jennings for a 17-yard touchdown strike on a third down play. It was the second of his career, and it gave the Vikings a 10-0 lead after the Blair Walsh extra point.

The Buccaneers started their next drive at the 20 after a touchback, and avoided their sixth consecutive three-and-out by picking up a couple of quick first downs. Tampa Bay got to midfield for just the second time after a facemask penalty on Shamar Stephen, and the Buccaneers appeared to have a big pass from Glennon to Mike Evans, but it was called back after a holding penalty. The drive then stalled after the fifth sack of the year for Tom Johnson, and the Michael Koenen punt gave Minnesota the football at their own 7-yard line.

The ensuing Vikings drive was pretty bad, as a couple of carries by Matt Asiata losing yardage and ending up in a three-and-out. Jeff Locke's punt placed the Buccaneers at their own 49-yard line.

As we move on to the final quarter of play in Tampa, the Minnesota Vikings lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 10-0, with the Bucs looking at 2nd-and-9 at their own 39-yard line. Can the Vikings hold on and get their third victory of the 2014 season?