1. Unstoppable stride for Griffen

Everson Griffen had a sack in a fourth straight game and already has tied his career high of eight sacks. But let's take a closer look at that 3-yard tackle for loss on a screen pass to Doug Martin on second-and-8 from the Tampa Bay 10. Bucs tackle Anthony Collins was holding Griffen when Martin caught the ball. "Yeah, I felt him," Griffen said. "But you don't let that stop you. You play with your mind free and big plays are going to happen." Griffen is looking more and more confident in his ability to make himself unstoppable with one-on-one blocking. "Honestly, I feel like I'm hitting my stride," he said. "We got good coaches, some of the best in the NFL. And then using my speed and what God gave me, I feel like I'm hitting my stride. The sky is the limit."

2. Locke's lack of distance control an issue

In a close game with 15 total punts, Vikings punter Jeff Locke was oh-so-close to being one of the reasons the Vikings lost. His distance control was terrible, resulting in three touchbacks with nets of 29, 30 and 21 yards on a fourth-quarter punt that helped the Bucs to a field goal. "It's very frustrating because in college and last year, I was really hitting the plus-50 punts very well," Locke said. "Even the ones today, I hit them very well. I just didn't hit the right club at the right moment. I just have to make the adjustment and dial those in and get some fair catches at the 10 or having it land at the eight instead of the 1."

3 Walsh upset with ref on 56-yarder

Blair Walsh had much room to spare on a 56-yard field goal attempt that would have tied his career long. But he tugged it wide left for his first miss in four attempts from 50-plus this year. Walsh was upset with the official who stood over the ball before it was snapped. "They stood over the ball while the defensive substitutes came in and then didn't reset the clock," Walsh said. "I stood back in my stance, waiting for them to get away from Cullen [Loeffler], so he could snap it. They got away at like 6 or 7 seconds left on the play clock. I talked to the [referee] at halftime and he didn't even realize he had done it. He apologized to me. He realized he was wrong there." Walsh said he wasn't rushed, just "uncomfortable" waiting. "I'm going to be a man about it," Walsh said. "I should still make that kick. It's still well within my range."

4. Charles Johnson, deep threat?

Charles Johnson keeps working his way into the rotation at receiver. He caught two passes for 18 yards, including a 12-yarder on third-and-7. He's perhaps the most unknown player on the roster, but that could have changed on the play after his 12-yarder. He was targeted deep and was wide open after splitting the safeties in a two-deep look. But quarterback Teddy Bridgewater overthrew him. "That's a play we've been working on," Johnson said. "How we had worked it, I was anticipating to go inside and he threw it on me." Bridgewater said that throw will be the one he regrets most. Johnson said he was surprised the safeties were slow to react to him as a deep threat. "Maybe they don't know that I ran a 4.3 coming out of college," said the 6-2, 217-pounder. "Maybe they see this big body coming at them and they don't respect my speed or what. But I'm sure I'll get more opportunities after that play."

5. Bridgewater sensing defender

What initially looked like a poor throw that tight end Chase Ford had to reach back for actually was, according to Ford and Bridgewater, an alert and precise throw by the rookie QB. So, sorry for the tweet on that one, fellas. Ford was going over the middle late in the first half. His 19-yard grab of that throw and an 11-yarder on the next play set up a 46-yard field goal and a 3-0 halftime lead. "I pretty much felt the [safety] come into the passing lane," Bridgewater said. "I just put the ball where only our guy could catch it. Chase is a big body who can make those crazy catches for us."