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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was ejected Sunday after throwing a punch at Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson.
The incident occurred after Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen intercepted a Matt Stafford pass thrown in Nacua’s direction with 33 seconds left in the second quarter.
Woolen stepped out of bounds at the Seahawks’ 25-yard line, ending the play. However, Woolen didn’t realize he was out of bounds at first, and neither did Dodson, who continued blocking Nacua as the cornerback returned the ball toward the middle of the field.
The Rams wideout, who seemed to realize that the play was blown dead, didn’t appear happy with Dodson’s blocking and then threw a punch at the linebacker’s helmet.
The league’s officiating office ultimately decides on player ejections, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk questioned the decision-making on Nacua and other incidents.
Numerous fans didn’t agree with the decision, especially since Nacua reacted to being blocked after the play was blown dead.
In the end, it was a brutal blow for the Rams, who proceeded to let up a quick touchdown to go down 14-3 at the half.
It’s been a brutal year for Nacua, who missed five games this year with a knee injury before returning on Thursday, Oct. 24 against the Minnesota Vikings and catching seven passes for 106 yards in a 28-20 win.
But Nacua found himself on the injury report this week with a knee injury, putting his status for the Seattle game in doubt. He ended up playing but had a quiet first half, catching just one pass for 11 yards before exiting.
Without Nacua, the Rams’ wide receiver core consists of Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson and Tutu Atwell. But he should be back next Sunday, when the team hosts the Miami Dolphins.
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