Bucs starter just got pegged with a late lump of coal from the NFL over the weekend

One Buccaneer felt the wrath of the league ahead of clash with the Dolphins.

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropped a game they should not have lost last weekend to the Carolina Panthers 23-20, putting them behind their NFC South rival in the standings with two games remaining.

There were a number of moments during the game that could have swung the game. Some were obvious, like the touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan over Jamel Dean’s head with seconds left in the first half. Or Yaya Diaby whiffing on a sack that led to a Bryce Young touchdown pass. Or Baker Mayfield’s game-ending interception in the final seconds.

However, there were other overlooked moments that contributed to the loss. One of them came midway through the second quarter with Tampa Bay holding a 10-3 lead with the ball at their own 21-yard line. On second down, Bucs center Graham Barton was flagged for a blindside block. That put the Bucs in a second-and-19 situation instead of third-and-4. Tampa Bay would end up punting, and the Panthers would convert that excellent field position into a field goal.

But the lost yardage wasn’t the only punishment to come down for that infraction. On Saturday, the league hit Barton with a fine for the penalty.

Bucs C Graham Barton fined $17,389 for an illegal blindside block against Carolina

The fine amount was one of the highest amounts handed out to any player across the league last weekend. It was tied for the third-highest amount across the league.

Given that it was based on a block, it feels a bit heavy handed. However, it’s still classified as an unnecessary roughness penalty, and as FOX Sports’ Greg Auman noted, it’s a fine structure that the players union had agreed to in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Still, the players know the rules, and they have to avoid committing these penalties for more than just their own pocketbooks. If that illegal block isn’t made, who knows how the game could have progressed at that point?

We’ll see if Barton and the Bucs can get back to playing smarter football on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins and keep some more of their own money in their own pockets.

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