Roquan Smith’s Week 8 trip to Orchard Park came with a steep price tag.
The Ravens linebacker was fined a combined $35,822 by the NFL for two separate incidents in Baltimore’s game against the Bills, one involving quarterback Josh Allen and another tied to wide receiver DJ Moore. Both fines were listed at $17,911 apiece.
The more talked-about play came on Allen’s touchdown sneak. Per Tom Pelissero, Smith was fined for a facemask grab and tug on the quarterback during the score.
On the play, Smith was seen grabbing Allen’s facemask as he tried to drag him back, then twisting and pulling the helmet until it ended up completely backwards, with Allen’s head and neck turning almost a complete 180 degrees. Smith was not flagged on the play.
Smith’s other fine was for unsportsmanlike conduct, which the league classified as a hit on a defenseless player. Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 noted that the play involved Smith hitting Moore as he was “ going across the middle in the 1st quarter as the ball was thrown elsewhere.”
There had been plenty of speculation about whether Smith might face further discipline after the Allen play, but he appears to have avoided a suspension. He was available for Thursday Night Football in Week 9 just a few days later.
For a player who is usually among the league’s most decorated defensive forces, this week brought a much different kind of headline - and a noticeable bite out of the money he’s set to make in 2026.
In Other News...
Josh Allen And Bills Line Face A Brutal Test In Minnesota
Spencer Brown has spent the week getting ready for one of the NFLs most aggressive defensive looks, and it comes with plenty of pressure for Buffalos offensive line. Minnesotas defense, coordinated by Brian Flores, has been the leagues stingiest by points allowed and brings heat from all over the field, forcing quarterbacks to process quickly and linemen to hold up in a hurry.
For the Bills, that makes this trip a real test of protection and poise. Josh Allens mobility gives Buffalo a chance to turn some of those blitzes into broken plays instead of sacks, but the challenge is still obvious: identify the pressure, survive the first wave and keep the offense on schedule against a defense built to disrupt it. [Read more 🡒]
Dalton Kincaid Still Leaves Bills Fans Waiting On One Week 9 Answer
Dalton Kincaid gave the Bills a much better sign on Friday, turning in a full practice after being limited earlier in the week. For a Buffalo offense that has leaned on its tight end for a growing role, that kind of late-week upgrade matters, especially with Week 9 approaching and the team trying to keep its passing game intact.
The catch is that practice participation only goes so far until the injury report is final, and Kincaid still leaves one key question hanging for Buffalo fans. Around the league, Jake Ferguson and Hunter Henry are dealing with their own tight end injury concerns, but the Bills are the ones waiting to see whether Kincaids week ends with a clean bill of health or one more bit of uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Trade Deadline Search Puts One Defensive Need In Focus
The Bills are already working the phones with an eye toward the 2026 trade deadline, and the early read is clear enough: Brandon Beane wants help in the secondary. NFL insiders Albert Breer and Jonathan Jones have both reported that Buffalo has been checking on defensive back options, with cornerback and safety emerging as the positions most worth watching as the front office looks to strengthen the back end of the defense.
Safety has become the more obvious area to monitor after the release of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, but the search appears to be broader than one roster move. Buffalo is trying to add depth and flexibility in the defensive backfield, and the fact that the Bills were already weighing those possibilities before the release only adds to the sense that this is a need Beane intends to keep pressing as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]