After 44–32 Win, Josh Allen Stuns Everyone by Comforting a Devastated Baker Mayfield on the Sideline
The Buffalo Bills’ 44–32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11 delivered one of their most explosive offensive performances of the season. But the moment that spread far beyond Highmark Stadium didn’t come from a highlight, a touchdown, or a stat line. It came after the game ended — when one of the NFL’s most competitive quarterbacks sat alone on the opposing sideline, carrying a weight heavier than the loss.
Baker Mayfield, the fiery leader of the Buccaneers, finished the night with numbers that didn’t reflect the emotional toll behind them. Despite throwing, scrambling, and fighting for every yard, he simply couldn’t match the Bills’ relentless surge. When the final whistle blew, Baker remained seated on the bench, helmet beside him, staring at the turf as teammates walked toward the tunnel. His posture said everything — this wasn’t just another loss. It was a hit to the pride of a veteran who had emptied everything he had.
Then came an unexpected moment.
As Bills players celebrated near midfield, Josh Allen quietly stepped away from the crowd. He walked across the field toward the Buccaneers sideline, approached Mayfield, and gently tapped his shoulder. When Baker finally looked up, Allen pulled him into a brief, sincere embrace. Fans nearby fell silent — witnessing a moment that felt more like brotherhood than rivalry.
According to a staff member standing close by, Allen leaned in and told him softly:
“ You’re a hell of a competitor. One tough night doesn’t change who you are. Keep leading your guys.”
For Mayfield — a player who rarely shows vulnerability — the words struck deep. He nodded slowly, eyes heavy, acknowledging the respect coming from the quarterback who had just beaten him in a Week 11 shootout.
Inside the Buccaneers locker room, Baker didn’t hide his frustration. But he made sure to speak about Allen’s gesture.
“He didn’t have to come over,” Mayfield said. “But he did. That meant something. I expect a lot from myself. Tonight wasn’t good enough. Hearing that from him… I respect that.”
Meanwhile, in the Bills locker room, Allen’s teammates praised him not just for leading the team to a dominant 44–32 win, but for showing humanity in a moment when most players think only about celebration. Defensive players admitted they took pride in disrupting Tampa Bay’s offense — yet they admired Allen even more for recognizing the man behind the helmet.
Moments like these are reminders that NFL Sundays are about more than touchdowns and standings. They’re about respect. Brotherhood. The shared struggle of men who pour everything into a game that doesn’t always reward them.
Josh Allen didn’t just lead the Bills to a Week 11 victory at Highmark Stadium.
He delivered a moment that echoed far deeper than any highlight — a reminder that even the fiercest competitors can hurt, and sometimes the greatest strength is compassion.
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Accused of ‘Hiding Injury’ After Loss
Getty
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got off to a hot start this season, with a 5-1 record. Turns out they’ll need every part of as they’ve stumbled lately, losing 3 of their last 4 games to drop to 6-4, including consecutive losses the last 2 weeks.
Even worse? Both of those losses have come after their bye in Week 11.
After their latest setback, in a 44-32 road loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons questioned if there might be something physically wrong with 2-time Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“I would believe, if you gave me all the QBS and said one of these guys is hiding an injury, Mayfield would be my pick,” Simmons said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on Sunday, November 16. “It’s like, ‘Oh, he has a torn labrum’ or like some sort of really bad injury we don’t know about. Because it also seems like he doesn’t want to run with the same zest. So it’s also like maybe he has like a hairline fracture of his left collarbone or something like that.”
Numbers Back Up Mayfield Might Have Problem
While it’s purely speculative to say Mayfield might be hurt, anyone who has watched him play over the last month has to wonder what happened to the freewheeling player who thrust himself into the NFL MVP conversation over the first 6 weeks of the regular season.
The numbers also back up that something has changed. Before the Bills game, Mayfield didn’t have a single rushing yard in the previous 3 games after essentially (for him) running wild over the first 6 weeks.
Against the Bills, Mayfield had 5 carries for 39 yards and his first rushing touchdown of the season — one he paid for dearly. Mayfield, who is still averaging 7.3 yards per carry, finished 16-of-28 passing for 173 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in the loss to Buffalo.
“Baker Mayfield has now gone three straight games without a single rush attempt,” MB Fantasy Life’s Ian Hartitz wrote on his official X account before the Buccaneers played the Bills. “Was averaging 26 rush yards/game in Weeks 1-6. Popped up on injury report with a knee issue in Week 8, oblique added in Week 10. Probs playing through something we’ll find out more about in January.”
Injuries Have Defined Bucs Season So Far
If it turns out Mayfield has actually been playing hurt, it would be on brand for both how he approaches the game — he’s one of the NFL’s toughest players — and for how things have gone for the Buccaneers to this point in terms of injuries.
” … Bucs had six players get 500+ yards of offense last year, and two played Sunday,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account on November 16. “The other four — Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan — have played 10 of a potential 40 games this season.”
After getting off to such a hot start, Mayfield is on track to have his numbers dip significantly from 2024, when he threw for career highs of 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns to go with 16 interceptions.
At his current pace, Mayfield would finish the 2025 regular season with approximately 4,020 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and a career low 5 interceptions.
