Six days after he was flagged three times and beaten for a big gain down the left sideline, rookie corner Trae Waynes had another up-and-down game.

On the third defensive series, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer removed starter Terence Newman and subbed Waynes in at left cornerback. Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston quickly attacked his fellow rookie’s side.

Winston’s first completion of the night was a 40-yard bomb to wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who slipped behind the speedy Waynes on a skinny post. Zimmer indicated, though, that he should have had some safety help. Alas, strong safety Robert Blanton was not in the neighborhood.

“It wasn’t blown coverage, but there should have been two guys back there on that guy,” Zimmer said. “You can’t do that.”

Two plays after the big gain to Jackson, Winston looked toward Waynes’ side again, this time hitting wide receiver Louis Murphy for 17 yards.

The Vikings forced a field-goal attempt, though, with tight coverage by Waynes on second down and a pass break-up by Blanton on third.

It appeared to be smooth sailing for Waynes, the team’s top pick, from that point forward. Zimmer thought it was a good experience for Waynes to match up against a pair of tall targets in Jackson and Mike Evans.

“He’s still continuing to learn,” Zimmer said. “He’s got some things to work on. … So he’s going to have to continue to get better and keep fighting and getting practice. This is the best, best deal for young guys to get a chance to go up against receivers like they’ve got. Those are two pretty good receivers, so those are the kinds of guys you need to go up against and find out what you need to do to get better.”