The Buffalo Bills‘ victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came with a post-game price tag. After their DE Joey Bosa hit Bucs’ quarterback, Baker Mayfield, in the visitors’ 32-44 loss in Buffalo in Week 11, the league has announced punishment for the player in focus.

According to the NFL’s latest Gameday Accountability, Bosa is fined $17,389 for a hit on the quarterback.

On a 2nd & 10 with 1:57 remaining in the game and the Bills leading 44-32, Mayfield threw a pass towards wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. While the WR could not catch the out-of-bounds toss, the referees were quick to throw a flag down. They gave Bosa a ‘roughing the passer’ 15-yard penalty because he quite literally flew towards Mayfield’s knees, who was without the ball, after stumbling on a linebacker’s legs.

If the automatic 1st down wasn’t enough, to make matters worse, Bosa will now also have to pay the hefty sum for his actions. However, we can see how the incident happened in the first place.

Before stumbling and taking a fall right at Mayfield’s knees, Bosa was coming straight towards the QB, but Bucs’ Tristan Wirfs’ leg caught up with the veteran, and he fell, taking the QB with him. Even the broadcasters resonated with the Bills, who were frustrated with the call. However, such calls spark instant debates regarding player safety and officiating consistency.

Bosa played well statistically, but again, he was the central figure in another storyline about how far defenders can go when they’re disrupting quarterbacks.

While this remains the lone case of a fine on Joey Bosa, he has also been penalized for tripping in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers and a defensive offside flag in Week 5 against the New England Patriots. Seemingly, he’s doing a much better job avoiding punishment this season as compared to his last one with the LA Chargers, where he was issued eight penalties.

The fines didn’t just stop with Bosa.

The NFL also fined running back Ty Johnson $10,777 for an unsportsmanlike celebration earlier in the contest, when he celebrated a touchdown with a gesture late in the second quarter. Interestingly, Bosa’s was the only ‘hit on a QB’ penalty in Week 11.

While the penalty bug is slowly inching closer to the Bucs, they are facing another growing trouble: they’ve dropped consecutive games while looking to return to their early-season form.

The Bucs have back-to-back losses, but they look to bounce back

The two-game loss couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Buccaneers. Sometimes, all it takes is a couple of losses to steal the momentum of a team. Tampa Bay, however, feels the bounce-back has already started.

According to Mayfield, an honest talk after their Week 10 loss to the New England Patriots instilled a fresh perspective heading into the Bills’ contest and boosted the team’s overall energy. The Tampa Bay offense answered with one of its most productive ground performances of the season. Sean Tucker ripped off explosive runs behind an offensive line, helping the unit surpass 200 rushing yards.

Top Stories

Cowboys Fire Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus: Contract, Salary, NFL Earnings & More

10 Biggest NFL Draft Busts of the Last Decade, Including Trey Lance and Justin Fields

Andy Reid Sets Record Straight on Travis Kelce’s Chiefs Future As Retirement Question Continue to Mount

Russell Wilson Announces Retirement Stance as Giants QB Shares Hidden Injury News

John Harbaugh’s Feelings Clear on Ravens’ Future as Firing Calls Mount Against HC

“I think there was a difference mentally,” the Bucs’ quarterback said. “Any time you run the ball like that, guys are locked in, they’re doing their job. That takes everybody, not just the offensive line.”

The quarterback felt that accountability was embraced within the team, physicality was sharper, and execution came with purpose, even if key plays ultimately slipped away. The Buccaneers travel to Los Angeles for SNF to take on a Rams squad that has emerged as an NFC powerhouse.

At 8-2, the Los Angeles side boasts a top-tier scoring offense led by Matthew Stafford and a defense capable of controlling tempo. The Buccaneers know they must match the Rams’ efficiency.

“I think mentally, everybody was locked in. Whether [we] lost focus during the game or just didn’t make the plays, difference there,” Mayfield said.

He insisted that the mindset must carry over into Week 12, calling for another fast, physical effort on the road.