Baker Mayfield held officials accountable during and after Tampa Bay BuccaneersLosing with a score of 24:9 Detroit Lions on Monday evening.
Tampa Bay defenseman was spotted giving up NFL official John Hussey ear after the Buccaneers' final offensive drive. Mayfield then responded candidly when asked about his conversation with referee John Hussey and his overall thoughts on the night's officiating crew.
“A third down defensive hold that wasn't called and he's still confused as hell by the double look,” said Mayfieldwho couldn't help himself. “A lot of things in this game were a little iffy… I'm working as hard as I can and I've put a lot into this game, so when [calls are made] which, in my opinion, are not considered fair, I will inform someone about it.”
The “double look” Mayfield referred to occurred early in the fourth quarter when Mayfield completed a four-yard pass to the end Cade Otton in a fourth-and-4 game. The officials confirmed that Otton secured the catch and subsequent first down after the Lions challenged the play.
To everyone's surprise, Hussey was again called for observation and ultimately overruled the on-field call, giving the Lions possession and also returning Detroit's timeout.
It was the second canceled game of the night involving Mayfield and Ottone. Late in the first half, the referees overturned a three-yard completion to Otton, ruling that Mayfield pass was intercepted instead Arthur Maulet. According to the rules, possession of the ball is given to the attacker in a 50/50 possession ratio.
There's no denying the Buccaneers were on the wrong side of the ball Monday night. That said, Tampa Bay's loss was also a byproduct of the Lions simply playing better on both sides of the ball, especially on the ground. Detroit rushed for 164 yards, including 136 yards and two scoring gains. Jamir Gibbs. Conversely, the Buccaneers rushed for just 41 yards on 12 carries, spending most of the game playing from behind.
Adding insult to injury, Mayfield's team lost one of its players in Mike Evanswho will miss most of the Buccaneers' remaining regular season games. after a collarbone fracture during the second quarter.
