Two battles were being fought at Levi's Stadium on Sunday afternoon, one between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers and one by Baker Mayfield and Nick Bosa.
Their history was brought up more than a few times both in the lead-up to the game and while it was happening. Baker planting an Oklahoma Sooners flag in the middle of the Ohio State logo back when he led an upset over Bosa's Buckeyes is a lasting image of his iconic college career.
It's also something that has been bothering Bosa ever since.
While he downplayed it before the game, Bosa made sure to get a final word in on Baker and twist the knife one last time late in the game. It came on a play that was very clearly carrying the weight of the baggage the two players have, and also seems like it should have been flagged for roughing.
Did Nick Bosa get away with roughing penalty on Baker Mayfield interception?
No flag was thrown on the play, but replays seemed to show that Bosa got away with some sort of penalty.
Should Nick Bosa have been flagged for this on that last interception? pic.twitter.com/zC7pVjJs6T
— Dave Heilman (@DynastyDorks) November 19, 2023
Horse collar tackles aren't called in the pocket, something Bosa apparently told Baker while the quarterback was complaining to the refs, but at the very least it seems like roughing. The ball is well out of Baker's hand by the time Bosa yanks him backward and into the grass.
It's one things to have not called the penalty in a normal situation, but the specific circumstances of this missed call makes it sting even more. Had officials flagged Bosa for roughing, it would have wiped out an interception and kept the Bucs drive alive.
Tampa Bay made two trips to the redzone near the end of the game and could have tied it had the endzone been reached. This was the first of those two trips, and turning the ball over put the Bucs in a nearly impossible situation to try and comeback.
Despite the pick, the Bucs defense held firm and got the ball back. So if this penalty had been called and Tampa Bay had scored a touchdown on an ensuing play, they'd have been playing for a tie on that second drive and the energy is completely different.
Nothing was called, though, and instead Bosa got the last word in by apparently telling Baker to stop complaining. It's yet another example of the razor's edge the Bucs have been living on all season and what it looks like when they fall off.