Rams WR Puka Nacua ejected for punching Seahawks LB Tyrel Dodson

Rams extensive receiver Puka Nacua was ejected on Sunday for throwing a punch at Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson in Los Angeles’ 26-20 overtime victory at Seattle.

The punch passed off because the Seahawks held a 6-3 lead late within the second quarter. Matthew Stafford focused Nacua on a downfield go on first-and-10 from the Los Angeles 44-yard line. Cornerback Tariq Woolen intercepted the ball on the Seattle 25-yard line and was down by contact. Woolen tried to return the ball, apparently not realizing he was down.

Dodson engaged with Nacua to dam him as Woolen ran with the ball. Nacua, apparently realizing that the play was over and annoyed by the turnover, punched Dodson along with his proper fist within the facet of Dodson’s helmet.

Officers noticed the punch and flagged Nakua for pointless roughness. They ejected him from the sport, however Nakua did not instantly depart the sector. He sat on the bench for a number of moments earlier than finally jogging to the locker room with 17 seconds left within the half to a spherical of boos from the Seattle crowd.

“There have been some issues mentioned earlier within the sport and simply letting my feelings get the perfect of me and reacting as an alternative of responding form of in that second,” Nacua mentioned after the sport, via ESPN. “I knew the play was down after the interception, and he simply had some palms on me whereas I used to be making an attempt to get blocked off. So, I used to be simply ensuring I might defend myself and prepare to see no matter was taking place for the following play.”

The turnover and the penalty put Seattle with the ball at its personal 40-yard line with 27 seconds remaining within the half. The Seahawks responded with a three-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a 24-yard landing go from Geno Smith to Jaxon Smith-Njigba to increase their result in 13-3 earlier than halftime.

For Nakua, the incident provides to a troublesome season for the second-year extensive receiver who broke out with a Professional Bowl marketing campaign as a rookie. Nakua suffered a PCL injury within the Rams’ season opener and missed the following 5 video games.

He returned in Week 8 to tally seven catches for 106 yards in a 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings, flashing the upside that he confirmed as a rookie that made him a primary goal in fantasy soccer. However he left Sunday’s sport with only one catch for 11 yards.

“Clearly, that is nothing that he desires to do,” Stafford mentioned of Nacua. “He would not need to not be capable of be on the market and play with us and all these form of issues. It is somewhat little bit of a irritating begin to the sport, and that man made a hell of a play on that ball.

“And typically emotion will get the perfect of us, however I bought complete belief and confidence in his capacity to reply and perceive these are the issues that we won’t do. And as laborious as that’s typically to stroll away from these issues, you bought to do it. And I bought no issues with how he can be shifting ahead.”