TAMPA, Fla. -- If there's a type of team new Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety T.J. Ward gets excited to play, it's one similar to this week's opponent, the Minnesota Vikings. They're a run-first offense and utilize the tight end extensively -- two areas where an impact player such as Ward could make a difference if he can get up to speed.

"Historically the Vikings, you see them as a pretty physical team, being in the NFC North," Ward said. "We're definitely expecting a smashmouth game. Depending on which quarterback plays, it'll probably be a little bit of a different game plan, but I'm definitely looking forward to it."

At quarterback, the Bucs could see either Sam Bradford, depending on his knee injury, or they'll see Case Keenum. But that's not where the Vikings' star power is. Aside from a Pro Bowl-loaded defense, their strengths are at running back and tight end.

Dalvin Cook rushed for 127 yards in the season opener, shattering Adrian Peterson's opening-day Vikings rookie rushing record. His 191 rushing yards after two games are currently ranked third in the league and the most in the NFC. Then there's Kyle Rudolph, who finished last season with seven receiving touchdowns.

Last week against the Chicago Bears, Ward and the Bucs were able to hold Tarik Cohen and Jordan Howard to 20 rushing yards. Even though Ward didn't start and he'd only practiced with the Bucs for a week, his presence was immediately felt. On his second snap of the game in the second quarter, he shot out like a cannon through two blockers and pinned Cohen for a 3-yard loss.

"It is sort of ironic that first or second play T.J. was in there, that was a flash play when he hit that toss sweep," said Bucs coach Dirk Koetter, who also praised the job starters Keith Tandy and Chris Conte are doing, as well as rookie Justin Evans. "T.J. is going to help our football team."

Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith believes Ward, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is catching on quickly.

"T.J. is a football junkie," Smith said. "He loves to play the game. He loves to talk about the game. He's a guy that has a pretty good understanding of [the Bucs' scheme]. His time in Denver was with Jack Del Rio and Jack's verbiage is similar, so that the transition is not as slow. It's not like we're talking Chinese and he's talking Spanish."

Ward has a good track record against the Vikings. In two career meetings, when he played for the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos, he's had 14 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. But how much he plays right now is dependent on how quickly he can learn the nuances of the Bucs' system.

"I guess we'll see week to week," Ward said. "Coach Smith is telling me right now just to be patient. He's got a plan, so I'm just patiently waiting."