Bad exit.
Two guys who likely needed a good game Saturday instead had memorable evenings, and not for good reasons.
Safety Shilo Sanders and receiver Kameron Johnson likely needed strong outings to make the Bucs’ final 53-man roster and /or perhaps a practice squad shot. That didn’t happen.
Sanders looked to Joe to have gotten the shaft, though he was not an innocent party.
In the first half, Buffalo backup tight end Zach Davidson was blocking Sanders and was way too aggressive and probably too handsy. Davidson drove Sanders a good 10 yards downfield and was still jabbing him after the play was over.
It appeared Davidson also got away with a hand to Sanders’ face.
All Sanders had to do was step away. He chose to take a swing at Davidson. Not smart, and that saddens Joe because Sanders seems like a smart player.
Naturally, an official noticed the swing and not what provoked it. Davidson was clearly the provocateur. Sanders, as a result, was ejected. He was gone early from the postgame locker room, which is not typical for him.
So Sanders’ last shot to try to make the Bucs, even as a practice squad guy, was largely lost.
When it came to Johnson, he simply dropped his Bucs career. Literally.
In the first half on the same drive, Johnson dropped two well-placed passes by Kyle Trask; one would have been a touchdown. Johnson, who was likely on the outside looking in for a roster, quite possibly saw his Bucs days slide through his hands.