Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield made his frustration with the officiating crew clear during Sunday’s Week 3 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, after a hit from Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson went unpenalized.
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Video of the moment, shared by the account Rate the Refs, shows Wilson wrapping up running back Kenneth Gainwell during a pass rush, with the contact appearing to catch the RB’s facemask. No flag was thrown on the play. Mayfield can be seen reacting immediately afterward, gesturing toward the officials and clearly frustrated that the contact wasn’t called.
“Refs miss a face mask against the Vikings and Baker Mayfield is pissed the refs missed it,” the post read, alongside the clip of the sequence.
Tampa Bay’s offense was already facing a tough challenge against defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ aggressive Minnesota defense. The Vikings consistently looked to pressure Mayfield and disrupt his rhythm throughout the game.
“I think it’s just fun, honestly. We’re not only playing in Flo’s defense. We kind of make it our (the players’) defense as well, and we definitely buy in,” Wilson said.
Wilson is in his tenth NFL season with the Vikings, coming off a career year in 2025 in which he recorded 6.5 sacks and a total of four forced fumbles, production that earned him a new contract with the team. His 2026 season has started far more slowly by comparison, with Pro Football Focus grading him a 34.7 PPF grade, which was the third-worst-rated linebacker in the league through the first few weeks; a rough stretch, Flores has stuck with him regardless.
Mayfield’s frustration also came after a difficult start to the season for Tampa Bay. He entered Sunday’s matchup following a 23-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 and had thrown just one touchdown pass through the Buccaneers’ first two games.
Minnesota’s pressure-heavy approach had already made life difficult for Tampa Bay’s offense. The Vikings entered the matchup blitzing on 73% of their defensive plays, the highest rate in the NFL, according to PFF.
Missed facemask calls have been a recurring sore spot around the league in recent seasons, including a similar facemask controversy involving the Vikings in 2024, when Rams linebacker Byron Young appeared to pull Sam Darnold down by the facemask during a fourth-quarter sack. Referee Tra Blake later explained that neither he nor the umpire had a clear view of the contact, so the officials could not make the call.
Whether Sunday’s non-call against Wilson gets any further review or acknowledgment from the league remains to be seen, but for Mayfield in the moment, the frustration was obvious well before any official explanation followed.