–The hit by Bucs safety Jordan Whitehead on Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield Sunday was helmet-to-helmet and will likely be subject to a fine even though no penalty was enforced.
Head coach Dirk Koetter said he never got a good explanation of the call by referee Shawn Hochuli why two flags were picked up by his crew after the play in Sunday’s 26-23 overtime win over the Browns.
“I did not get a great explanation for that,” Koetter said Wednesday. “What they said on the field was it’s a helmet-to-helmet hit and then (Mayfield) got up and taunted our guy, so then they threw the second flag. Somehow, they worked it out that they were picking up both flags. Where I was on the field, I didn’t see it as a helmet-to-helmet. But when you look at it on tape, it clearly was and I guess the fallout from that is what it is.”
Mayfield scrambled for a 35-yard run on second-and-26 with just over eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter Sunday. When he began to slide, Whitehead dived at Mayfield helmet first.
After a few minutes of discussion with his crew, Hochuli announced there was no penalty on the play because “the quarterback was still a runner and therefore is allowed to be hit in the head. He had not yet begun to slide.”
That explanation was probably the wrong one. The penalty should’ve been called. Mayfield’s taunting may have made it offset. But regardless, Whitehead can probably expect a lighter paycheck this week.
–Among the things lost by the season-ending injury to Kwon Alexander was a player who can relay all the calls from defensive coordinator Mark Duffner. While Adarius Taylor will replace Alexander at middle linebacker, the Bucs will give the helmet communicator to Lavonte David.
“Being a captain of the team, and being one before, his leadership, his example, his knowledge is going to be counted on heavily,” Duffner said of David, who has performed that role in the past.
QUOTE TO NOTE: From Bucs defensive coordinator Mark Duffner on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul: “I love the guy. I just can’t say enough about how hard he plays. He comes out and he does it the right way. Think he’s got certainly great talent. A lot of people have talent, but he’s been able to turn that talent into production largely because of his attitude and his desire to make plays – to be a playmaker. We’re real excited about Jason and what he’s contributed and what we expect him to further contribute to the defense.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 6 – Number of sacks in as many games by DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who is tied for eighth in the NFL and needs only four more to become the first Bucs player with double-digit sacks in a season since Simeon Rice in 2005.
