The Buffalo Bills came away with a key victory in Week 11, defeating the Buccaneers 44-32 to bounce back after a shocking loss to the Miami Dolphins. However, Buffalo lost again in Week 12 against the Houston Texans, and now their running back has been hit with a hefty fine.
NFL Punishes Bills RB TY Johnson for TD Celebration
The Buffalo Bills were trailing 17–14 late in the second quarter when Ty Johnson hauled in a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown to put them ahead. But the celebration that followed quickly drew the NFL’s attention. Johnson dropped to the ground, lay on his stomach, gyrated, and pounded his fist, an act officials deemed unsportsmanlike.
Now, the league has issued a $10,777Â fine for the celebration, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
It was Johnson’s first receiving touchdown of the season, and he ran for 52 yards to reach the end zone. He finished the game with two receptions for 61 yards and added nine rushing yards.
While Josh Allen and James Cook have handled the bulk of Buffalo’s backfield production, Johnson has proven to be a dependable rotational piece, recording 90 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and 11 receptions for 161 yards and another score on the year.
Allen and Cook, meanwhile, continue to be one of the NFL’s most dominant quarterback–running back duos. Together, they’ve combined for over 1,400 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, with Cook accounting for 1,084 yards and eight scores. Cook also ranks second in PFSN’s RB Impact metric with a 93.8 score.
Allen has been equally impressive on the ground. With 10 rushing touchdowns for the season, he has tied former NFL MVP Cam Newton for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history (75). Through the air, Allen has thrown for 2,709 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, ranking No. 1 in PFSN’s QB Impact metric.
Thanks to Allen and Cook, the Bills are averaging over 28 points per game, but defensive inconsistencies continue to limit their ceiling. Following a 23–19 loss to the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football, Buffalo has fallen to 7–4, sitting second in the AFC East, two games behind the New England Patriots.
The Bills’ remaining schedule is relatively favorable. Outside of matchups with the Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo faces a stretch of manageable opponents in the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets.
Next week, the Bills head to Pittsburgh for a crucial showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are fighting to preserve their narrow AFC North division lead over the surging Baltimore Ravens. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 30.
