The Call: Vikings at Tampa Bay

WEEK 8: noon AT TAMPA BAY • ch. 9 (100.3-FM, 1130-AM)

23

Vikings

17

Buccaneers

One man's prediction: Both the Vikings and Buccaneers have gotten off to disappointing starts under new head coaches. But while the Vikings have won just two of their first seven games, Mike Zimmer still has some things to feel good about. Lovie Smith's start in Tampa Bay has been disastrous, especially on defense. The Bucs are so bad, the Vikings are bound to get their offense going, at least for one week.

Pass rush picks iT up

Buccaneers Defense soft

Lovie Smith, who took a year off from coaching after being fired by the Chicago Bears, brought the Tampa 2 defense back to Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers have struggled with the scheme switch, giving up a league-high 34 points per game. They are also dead last in passing defense and total defense. Smith defended the Tampa 2 on a conference call with the Minneapolis media, but even Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is calling this defense "soft."

Friendly face in Frazier

Smith's defensive coordinator, of course, is former Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier, who was fired after the 2013 season and replaced by Mike Zimmer. Frazier was 21-32-1 in his three-plus seasons as head coach and took the Vikings to the playoffs in 2012. He said all the right things about his former team this week, and his former players had nothing but kind words, too. Frazier was beloved by many players, so expect pregame hugs, not animosity.

Michael Johnson