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Sarah Barshop, ESPN Staff Writer
SEATTLE — Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua called his ejection for throwing a punch in the second quarter of Sunday’s 26-20 overtime win against the Seattle Seahawks “a learning experience,” saying he let his emotions get the best of him.
After quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s pass intended for Nacua was intercepted by cornerback Riq Woolen, Nacua got into a scuffle with linebacker Tyrel Dodson. Nacua threw a punch at Dodson and was ejected from the game.
Nacua said it was a “helpless feeling” watching the game inside the locker room, pointing to a small television in the corner where he viewed the Fox feed but listened to the Seahawks broadcast. The Rams came back to win in overtime after Seattle scored with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
“There were some things said earlier in the game and just letting my emotions get the best of me and reacting instead of responding kind of in that moment,” Nacua said when asked what happened on the play. “I knew the play was down after the interception, and he just had some hands on me while I was trying to get blocked off. So, I was just making sure I could defend myself and get ready to see whatever was happening for the next play.”
Stafford called Nacua “a smart and aware kid,” saying he is “not worried” about the second-year wideout.
“Obviously, that’s nothing that he wants to do,” Stafford said. “He doesn’t want to not be able to be out there and play with us and all those kind of things. It’s a little bit of a frustrating start to the game, and that guy made a hell of a play on that ball.
“And sometimes emotion gets the best of us. But I got total trust and confidence in his ability to respond and understand those are the things that we can’t do. And as hard as that is sometimes to walk away from those things, you got to do it. And I got no problems with how he will be moving forward.”
Nacua, who was active Sunday after an injury scare during practice Thursday, had one catch for 11 yards before the ejection. He had played 26 of 30 offensive snaps.
Nacua missed five games this season on injured reserve with a knee injury. He returned from IR in Week 8, finishing as the team’s leading receiver in that game.
The Seahawks scored after the turnover and 15-yard penalty on Nacua to take a 13-3 lead into halftime on Sunday.
After the game, Rams coach Sean McVay said Nacua’s emotions are “one of the things we love about him, but he’ll be able to learn from that.”
“Just, ‘We’re smarter than that,'” McVay said when asked what he told Nacua after his ejection. “Love him. … One of the best traits that he has is the emotions and the way that he loves competing with his teammates and doing everything that he can to contribute. And then also understand how important it is to have what [Aaron Donald] used to always call that controlled aggression.
“And so, he’ll learn from it. He is exactly the right kind of guy, and this was a learning opportunity, and we all make mistakes and I’m looking forward to being able to see him respond the way that I know he’s capable of.”