NFL Announces Punishment for Lions Player for Baker Mayfield Actions
The Detroit Lions had a victorious showing during their Week 7 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field on Sunday, October 19. When the clock went down to zero at the end of the fourth, the Lions walked out of there with a 24-9 score and a winning record of 5-2 going into their bye week. That win even pushed the Detroit Lions to the top of NFL Power Rankings, with both ESPN and the NFL’s Week 8 Power Rankings having them at No. 1.
But, NFL games are packed drama and antics, and the Lions vs. Buccaneers game was no exception. There were heated moments during the contest, and one of them landed one Detroit Lions player a hefty penalty from the NFL.
Every week during the regular NFL season, the league penalizes players for their actions in the previous week’s games. The NFL notes on their website that these actions are “to protect players from unnecessary risk and preserve competitive balance and game integrity, the NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed on a set of game-related rules violations that may result in accountability measures.” The new roster of players getting hit with punishments goes up every Saturday afternoon.
Detroit Lions Player Hit With NFL Repremend
In the NFL’s report for Week 7, defensive end Tyrus Wheat was slapped with a $5,722 fine for “unnecessary roughness” and “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing.” Specifically, in this instance, Wheat tripped Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in the pocket while trying to make a pass. In the game, the refs didn’t call it as a foul against the Detroit Lions and instead gave Wheat the sack. Now, they’re making good on that misstep in the game with the postgame fine.
According to the NFL, those fines will go to the Professional Athletes Foundation to “support legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Rachaad White was hit with a fine for his actions during the Lions game, too. His fine was a whopping $46,371 for “use of the helmet.”
Detroit Lions Week 8 Stats
As mentioned above, the Detroit Lions are topping Week 8 power rankings from NFL analysts and experts, which is a great thing for the Motor City. ESPN has the Lions at No. 1, along with the NFL’s official website.
In a feature published on Tuesday, October 21, Eric Edholm of the NFL’s website says of the Lions’ “Jared Goff’s pick before halftime helped gift the Buccaneers points, but the Lions’ offense responded with a touchdown on its first drive of the third quarter and the defense played incredibly well all night, especially considering the circumstances.” He adds, “The Lions might have taken the Chiefs’ best punch in Week 6, but they took out their frustrations on a good Bucs team that they might see again in January.”
Fox Sports also has the Lions at No. 1 in a feature out Tuesday, October 21. In it, Ralph Vacchiano says of the Lions, “The Lions sure bounced back nicely from their loss in Kansas City with a win over the Bucs. They aren’t perfect, but they can do it all and may be the most complete team in the NFL.”
The Detroit Lions’ next game is against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, November 2. The Vikings lost to the Chargers on Thursday, October 23, with a 37-10 score, and are in a freefalling state when it comes to quarterbacks, so that will only help the Lions.
Celtics injury report: 2 starters added for Sunday’s game vs. Pistons
The Celtics could be shorthanded on Sunday afternoon as they begin their busiest week of the season against the Detroit Pistons. Boston announced four players on the injury report for the matinee matchup, including two new additions after Friday’s loss to the Knicks.
Jaylen Brown is the biggest addition, as he is listed as questionable due to left hamstring strain reconditioning. Luka Garza was upgraded to questionable after missing Friday’s game after entering concussion protocol. Derrick White was another new addition to the injury report and was listed as probable due to a right wrist sprain. Jayson Tatum remains out indefinitely as he recovers from his right Achilles tear.
Boston is still looking for their first win of the season, but they may have to do some injury management this week with five games over seven days looming, starting on Sunday against the Pistons. With two back-to-back sets this week, Brown looks like a candidate to miss one of those games as he continues to deal with the aftereffects of a hamstring injury suffered last week.
The good news for Boston is that Garza has already been upgraded, which signals his absence may not last much longer in an undermanned frontcourt. He played just six minutes in Boston’s opener before taking an inadvertent elbow, which led to him entering concussion protocol.
The Pistons are expected to be without Jaden Ivey (right knee surgery) and Marcus Sasser (hip impingement) for the matchup. They have started their season with a 1-1 record after a tough road win over the Rockets on Friday night.
