Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Studs and duds from Week 14 vs. Vikings
Stud: The pass rush
The Buccaneers pass rush was strong and harassing on Sunday. Once the team had a double-digit lead, the pass rushers were able to engage and get after Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Buccaneers finished the game with six sacks on Cousins. They also added 12 QB hits on Cousins.
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Cousins was under pressure throughout most of the second half and he fails to operate under those conditions. Although the defense did not force Cousins into an interception, they did force a fumble from him. They also managed to hold Cousins to 225 yards passing. This was with the Vikings in pass-first mode throughout much of the third and fourth quarter.
Dud: Run defense
The Buccaneers entered the game with the NFL’s top-ranked run defense. On Sunday the run defense was carved up in the first half. Minnesota was able to get 162 yards rushing on Sunday.
This helped the Vikings dominate time of possession by an overwhelming 39:03 to 20:57. The Buccaneers looked impacted by the gap in the first half and started to look tired at times. It appeared Dalvin Cook could have had a 150 yard or more game running the ball.
Once the offense was able to get going, it bailed out the run defense. The Vikings were forced to throw more and were out of their comfort level. If the game had stayed close enough for the Vikings to keep running, the outcome might have been much different.