One of Week 11’s biggest matchups pits the 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the 6-3 Buffalo Bills. Both teams are trying to keep pace in tight playoff races. The game has extra buzz because of the playful back-and-forth between Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen all week.
Buffalo enters dealing with inactives, while Tampa Bay wants to build on recent form. With both teams 6-3, this cross-conference clash feels bigger than the standings. The spotlight is on the quarterbacks, the trash talk has only amped interest for Sunday’s wind-prone game in Orchard Park.
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Mayfield even turned parts of the build-up into a golf joke. He poked fun at Allen’s hand size, saying Allen “better wear his gloves” for the windy matchup. He stressed ball control and that his unit must be “on point” for the windy environment.
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Mayfield’s reply to Allen’s two-gloves dig
Allen clapped back, saying, “Baker wears two gloves golfing, so he’s that type of guy.” When the comment reached Mayfield, he kept it light but sharp. He joked, “I respect Akshay Bhatia, but I’m not wearing two gloves. And so Josh is, I’m gonna have to tackle him pregame.” The exchange stayed friendly, more roast than real heat.
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Mayfield used the banter to fuel focus. He repeatedly mentioned the need for a “killer instinct” and hitting the “reset button” every time his team gets the ball.
Mayfield finished by reminding everyone the priority, protect the football, handle the wind, and execute the plangloves and golf digs aside. “Got to throw a tight spiral. If you’re against the wind, got to throw a spiral. The ball gets hung up in the air and that’s not what you want. So just got to take care of it,” he added lastly.
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