1. Missing more tackles The Vikings missed 13 tackles a week ago at San Diego, so it was a hot topic all week. Unofficially, via the naked press-box eye, I had them missing six tackles against the Buccaneers. And, just like last week, the third quarter was the worst the team looked when it came to tackling. In the first half, the Vikings missed only two tackles that gave up an extra 12 yards. But in the third quarter, there were four missed tackles, including two on a 51-yard reception by Preston Parker. Antoine Winfield missed a tackle that would have made it a 6-yard gain. Another miss by Husain Abdullah allowed another 28 yards. Abdullah also missed a tackle inside the 5-yard line on LeGarrette Blount's 27-yard TD run.

2. Better pass protection Pass protection was awful at San Diego. It was better, but not great, on Sunday. Donovan McNabb was pressured eight times (two sacks), including a couple of safety blitzes that were telegraphed early enough to recognize. One came on third-and-goal from the 11 with Lorenzo Booker isolated on a linebacker. McNabb hurried the ball incomplete.

3. Check-downs to the backs and tight endsI counted what looked to be eight checkdowns by the Bucs to running backs and tight ends. Overall, the Vikings did a better job on that than the first week. The longest gain on a check-down dump was 19 yards by tight end Kellen Winslow. Abdullah had an excellent tackle on Winslow for a 4-yard gain on third-and-10. There also was a 4-yard loss on a checkdown to Earnest Graham that was caused by pressure from the defensive ends.

4. Finally, some longer passes The Vikings attempted one deep pass against San Diego. One. Against the Bucs, the ball traveled at least 15 yards in the air on eight different occasions. Only one of them went through the air farther than 25 yards -- a 29-yard incompletion to Bernard Berrian --but, hey, there were at least more balls traveling farther down the field. Berrian's 17-yard completion --his only catch of the year -- went 16 yards in the air. Percy Harvin had a 19-yarder that traveled that far in the air, and a 25-yarder that was incomplete.

5.More penalties The Vikings had three penalties for 25 yards in the first 30 minutes. Then the second half started and they had two for 15 yards on back-to-back plays in the first two minutes of the third quarter. Phil Loadholt had a false start on third-and-3 for the second week in a row (inexcusable at home) and Adrian Peterson was called for holding in pass protection, negating a first down and putting the Vikings in third-and-18. And, of course, the defensive ends had a couple of bad ones that helped the Bucs score 10 points. Brian Robison jumped offsides on third-and-17, and Jared Allen was called for roughing the passer.