There was plenty of things to be frustrated about after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-14 loss to the 49ers last Sunday, but one thing stood out in particular.
Late in the fourth quarter, Baker threw a costly interception that ended what could have been a much-needed scoring drive for the Bucs. Upon further review it appeared a flag should have been thrown for either a horse-collar tackle or a late hit by Nick Bosa, but nothing was called and the play stood.
Should Nick Bosa have been flagged for this on that last interception? pic.twitter.com/zC7pVjJs6T
— Dave Heilman (@DynastyDorks) November 19, 2023
Two frustrating things stand out from all of this.
Had the penalty been called, it would have wiped the interception off the board and moved the Bucs closer to scoring. Down by two touchdowns at that point in the game, it was a critical moment that helped swing things in the Niners favor.
The other thing is how callously player safety is tossed aside, and how weird it is that it only matters in certain areas of the field. Fans — and Nick Bosa himself — have pointed out that horse collar tackles don’t count if it happens while the quarterback it still in the pocket.
Bosa essentially admitted to horse collar tackling Baker but was let off the hook for a tackle that’s a foul anywhere else on the field because of how the rules are structured. It makes no sense, and is something Baker pointed out later in the week when asked about hte play.
Baker Mayfield has NSFW response to Nick Bosa’s horse collar tackle
While speaking to the media this week, Baker talked about the horse collar non-call and Bosa’s response to it during the game. Needless to say, he wasn’t thrilled about either the condescending explanation from Bosa or the selective nature of the rule.
Baker Mayfield, asked about Nick Bosa reminding him there’s no horse-collar penalty in the pocket, says it’s a “bullshit rule” and doesn’t agree with the exception.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) November 22, 2023
It’s truly baffling that a rule meant to protect players from serious injury is so selective. It’s not even up for debate whether Bosa horse collar tackled Baker, it’s the fact that even if it had been clear as day that he committed the foul it wouldn’t have been a penalty.
How is it that if Bosa horse collar tackled Baker a few inches to the left or right that it’s a penalty, but if he does it in the exact right spot it’s just another play? What if Baker had injured his knee or been knocked out of the game on the hit? The seriousness of illegal tackles is true no matter what boundaries the league writes, and it’s so weird that it’s allowed to happen in certain areas of the field.
Beyond that, it feels like roughing should have been called on the play. It’s not the first nor last time fans and players are going to try and decipher what should be clearly stated rules that are unnecessarily muddled..