THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (2-4) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-2)

SERIES

STATS

NOTES

BUCCANEERS: QB JOSH FREEMAN won only career start vs. Min., passing for 243 yards, 1 TD & 91.2 rating. When he has 95+ rating, Bucs are 11-5 (.689). Passed for 3 TDs & 115.2 rating with career-high 420 yards last week. Aims for 3rd in row with 3 TD passes…RB DOUG MARTIN is 2nd among NFL rookie RBs with 408 rush yards. Had 85 rush yards & TD vs. NO. RB LE GARRETTE BLOUNT tied career high with 2 rush TDs in last meeting…WR VINCENT JACKSON had 7 catches for club-record 216 yards (30.9 avg.) & TD last week. Has 4 TDs in past 3 & aims for 4th in row with TD. Since 2008, Jackson avg. 18.4 yards per catch (228 rec., 4,205 yards), best in NFL (min. 100 catches). WR TIQUAN UNDERWOOD scored 1st career TD last week (13-yard catch). WR ARRELIOUS BENN had 25-yard TD catch in last meeting…Club’s rushing defense is 3rd in NFL (76 yards per game). DB RONDE BARBER is only player in NFL annals with 25+ sacks (28) & 40+ INTs (46). Aims for 3rd in row with INT…VIKINGS: QB CHRISTIAN PONDER has 2 TD passes in 4 of past 6. Aims for 5th win in row at home…Since 2007, RB ADRIAN PETERSON leads league with 7,404 rush yards & 67 rush TDs. His 67 rush TDs in 1st 80 career games are 4th most in history (EMMITT SMITH, 78; JIM BROWN, 76; LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON, 73). Rushed for 120 yards & 2 TDs in last meeting…WR-KR PERCY HARVIN & HOFer GALE SAYERS are only players in NFL history with 20+ scrimmage TDs & 5 KR-TDs in 1st 4 seasons. Harvin, Sayers & TIMMY BROWN are only players in NFL history with rush, rec. & KR TD in 3 consecutive seasons. Since Ponder’s 1st start (10/23/11), Harvin has 115 receptions, 2nd most in NFL. Has 100+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3…DE JARED ALLEN has 6 sacks in past 5 & aims for 6th in row with sack. Had sack in last meeting. Has 38 sacks in past 32. Since entering NFL in 2004, Allen has NFL-best 111 sacks. DE BRIAN ROBISON had career-high 3 sacks last week.