The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are having a dream start to their season. Sitting atop the NFC West with a 5-1 record, the Bucs put the 49ers to the sword, coming away with a comfortable 30-19 win in Week 6. But the victory came at a price…a hefty one.

The NFL just dropped the list of players fined during Week 6, and Bucs cornerback Kindle Vildor received a heavy fine. Vildor was charged to pay $7,430 for “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing,” as per the NFL’s Game Accountability report. The 49ers’ offensive tackle, Trent Williams, also took a hit of $11,593 for unnecessary roughness “away from the play.”

But unlike Kindle, there was one player who was saved. During the second quarter, Bucs’ quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a 34-yard touchdown to wide receiver Kameron Johnson. And at the end of the play, the QB was hit hard by 49ers cornerback Upton Stout. It drew a roughing-the-passer penalty, allowing the Bucs a two-point conversion. While the Bucs couldn’t take advantage of the penalty, Stout was saved from paying the fine as the officials decided against it.

The Bucs put in a masterclass in defending against the 49ers. This was evident from the fact that the 49ers’ QB, Mac Jones, was sacked six times. They recorded sacks in all three of their final drives.

“We talked about it all week, getting more pressure,” Head Coach Todd Bowles shared post-match. “And challenging [those] guys to get more pressure and work together a lot more. They really started the game off right. They got off the ball the whole night. Credit to them, they did a heck of a job.” The Bucs have racked up 16 sacks this season, which is the sixth most in the league.

The best aspect of the Bucs in the game was that seven players recorded at least half a sack each. And Mayfield was his impressive self, throwing 17-23, for 256 yards with 2 TDs.

This holds the Bucs in good standing for their next matchup against the Detroit Lions.

Three players to watch when the Bucs face the Detroit Lions

The game against the 49ers didn’t just bring fines. It also offered a glimpse of some interesting players to watch in the upcoming game against the Lions, who are coming off a disappointing 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. One such player is Kameron Johnson.

During the Week 6 game, he had a touchdown and led the team in receiving with four catches for 64 yards. As seen earlier, Johnson seems to have become a favorite target for QB Baker Mayfield. And paired with a powerful offense that includes wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillan, and Emeka Egbuka, the team can do wonders.

Another player in Week 6 was defensive tackle Vita Vea. While the Bucs must be raving about their sack record, Vea played a crucial role, contributing half a sack and five quarterback pressures in the game. He also double-teamed on 69.7% of Jones’ dropbacks. Without Vea, who created opportunities for other defenders, the team’s season-high sack total might not have been possible.

One of the true gems was cornerback Jamel Dean, who earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for Week 6. He recorded an interception, a sack, a QB hit, a pass defensed, and four tackles.

Will the Bucs triumph over the Lions in Week 7? Or will Detroit bounce back from its loss against the Chiefs? Share your thoughts in the comments.