Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t hide his frustration during his team’s Week 7 defeat to the Detroit Lions, a 24-9 loss that featured several controversial officiating moments.
Late in the game, Mayfield exchanged words with referee John Hussey, voicing anger over multiple calls he felt were mishandled. Among his complaints was what he believed should have been a defensive holding call against Detroit on a critical third down, as well as confusion over a replay review that initially granted Tampa Bay a first down before being reversed.
“There were a lot of things that just didn’t make sense,” Mayfield said after the game. “I’m still not sure how you can have a double review. It was frustrating, and maybe I took it out on John Hussey in the heat of the moment, but I give everything to this game. When it doesn’t feel fair, I’m going to speak up.”
Another flashpoint came when Mayfield was tripped by Lions defensive lineman Tyrus Wheat, a play that went unpenalized but could have extended a key drive for the Buccaneers. Cameras caught Mayfield shouting at Hussey afterward, clearly upset about the missed infraction.
While the league has previously fined players for criticizing officiating, the NFL opted not to punish Mayfield for his comments or his sideline outburst. Instead, discipline was directed at Wheat, who was fined $5,722 for “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing” during the game.
