Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a tough blow under the bright lights of Monday Night Football. The Detroit Lions dominated from the start, building a 14-3 halftime lead that turned into a 24-9 victory. The defeat dropped Tampa Bay’s season record to 5-2.
Despite the setback, the Buccaneers remain in a solid position overall. However, their star quarterback could now be hit with a serious penalty from the league.
After the Buccaneers’ loss to the Lions, Baker Mayfield could face major NFL discipline over comments on officiating
Mayfield expressed his anger following the 24-9 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night. His frustration was directed at the officials, whose decisions left him “confused” after a series of questionable calls.
“Third-down defensive holding that wasn’t called, and I’m still confused about the double review,” Mayfield said to reporters after the game. “There were a lot of things that seemed pretty questionable tonight.”
Mayfield referred to a sequence where officials first ruled tight end Cade Otton had gained a first down on 4th-and-4. After Detroit coach Dan Campbell challenged the play, the refs initially confirmed the completion. Then, after a second review, they reversed the decision, awarding the ball to Detroit deep in Tampa Bay territory.
“A lot of that frustration came out toward [referee] John Hussey in the moment,” Mayfield added. “I work my tail off and put everything into this game, so when things don’t seem fair, I’ll speak up — good, bad, or indifferent.” The quarterback seemed aware his words could lead to a fine.
Even analyst Pat McAfee appeared to support Mayfield’s criticism, posting on X, “The NFL looking out for Detroit.. LOVE TO SEE IT.”
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles commented afterward that the controversial “double review” was strange but not decisive. “It was an interesting call, but we got the ball back, so it didn’t cost us much except time. That didn’t win or lose the game,” he stated.
Bowles had a point. The ruling set up a 58-yard field goal from Lions kicker Jake Bates, pushing the score to 24-9 instead of 21-9. The Buccaneers failed to score again, making the debate over the call ultimately irrelevant.
