Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings: Second Quarter Open Thread

To start off today’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Minnesota Vikings got the football first, giving Case Keenum and company the first chance on offense. On the third play from scrimmage, Keenum found Adam Thielen open down the left sideline for a huge 45-yard gain to put the Vikings into Tampa Bay territory. The rest of the drive was the Dalvin Cook show, as he had five carries for 14 yards and a nice 16-yard reception to give the Vikings a first-and-goal. Two plays later, Cook went over from a yard out for his first NFL touchdown, and Kai Forbath hit the extra point to give the purple an early lead at 7-0.

Following a touchback, the Buccaneers took over at their own 30-yard line, and Jameis Winston and company started moving down the field in a hurry. Winston hit his first three passes, finding Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and O.J. Howard for a combined 47 yards and pushing the Buccaneers down to the Minnesota 30. However, after a third down pass that probably should have been intercepted, the Buccaneers were forced to call on Nick Folk to attempt a field goal, and he connected from 40 yards out to make it 7-3 halfway through the quarter.

Minnesota started their next drive at their own 15 after a Jerick McKinnon kickoff return. The Vikings had a first down negated by a penalty on Riley Reiff, but Keenum then found Stefon Diggs for a 17-yard completion to move the chains. Minnesota then faced another third down, but Keenum’s pass for Diggs fell incomplete. Ryan Quigley came in to punt, and Bernard Reedy called for the fair catch at the Tampa Bay 23.

Tampa managed one first down on their next drive, but then the Vikings put the clamps down and forced a punt from Bryan Anger. Marcus Sherels called for the fair catch at the 12-yard line, but a penalty on the Buccaneers forced a re-kick. This time, Sherels brought it in at the 24, so the Vikings got a bit of field position out of the extra punt.

As we move to the second quarter of play, the Vikings are looking at a 2nd-and-8 from their own 38-yard line.

The Vikings lead after one quarter of play by a score of 7-3. Join us for the second quarter of play!