It’s not very often that you see an offensive player get fined for an illegal hit to the head of a defensive player, but that is the case for Bucs’ starting left tackle Donovan Smith. Smith was fined $28,075 on Friday for a hit to the head on Rams cornerback Marcus Peters from Sunday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
NFL fined Bucs’ OT Donovan Smith $28,075 for this hit Sunday on Rams’ CB Marcus Peters, per league source. pic.twitter.com/i2eSEfA96s
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 4, 2019
The play occurred in the fourth quarter of Bucs game against the Rams after an interception was thrown by Bucs’ quarterback Jameis Winston was returned for a touchdown by Peters. Right as Peters was close to crossing into the end zone, Smith attempted to prevent Peters from making the score and hit him up high just near the goal line in a big collision. This made the score 45-40 at the time before the Bucs went on to win 55-40. Peters suffered a concussion on the play.
Here is a video of the hit that Smith was fined for.
I don’t know what’s more impressive: the 32-yard interception touchdown return by #Rams’ Marcus Peters or the fact that he got up after this brutal hit at the goal line from #Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith. pic.twitter.com/0QhHX5sMAe
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) September 29, 2019
Matt Matera joined Pewter Report as an intern in 2018 and worked his way to becoming a full-time Bucs beat writer in 2020. In addition to providing daily coverage of the Bucs for Pewter Report, he also spearheads the Pewter Report Podcast on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel. Matera also makes regular in-season radio appearances analyzing Bucs football on WDAE 95.3 FM, the flagship station of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
