The Los Angeles Rams’ night at SoFi Stadium got worse after the final whistle. Left tackle Alaric Jackson threw a punch at Bradley Chubb as the teams came together after the Buffalo Bills’ 37-34 overtime win on “Monday Night Football,” and the cameras caught all of it.
Tempers had plenty of reason to run hot. The teams combined for 35 points in the fourth quarter, Kyren Williams tied it with a 1-yard touchdown run with 5 seconds left, and Harrison Mevis had a potential game-winning 48-yard field goal in overtime blocked by Greg Rousseau. Tyler Bass then won it from 45 yards with 1:55 left in overtime.
What Alaric Jackson’s punch could cost the Rams
Throwing a punch at an opponent is the kind of act the league looks at closely, and it doesn’t stop counting because the game is over. A fine is the likely floor. Anything beyond that would hit the Rams where they can least afford it.
Jackson is the anchor of the line. He played all 293 of the Rams’ offensive snaps through the first four games, and his 74.6 overall grade ranked second among their offensive linemen behind center Coleman Shelton, according to PFF. Losing him would put more pressure on a protection unit that already has to keep Matthew Stafford upright for an offense leaning hard on Puka Nacua, who set a career high with 17 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown Monday.
The Rams are also dealing with fallout of their own making. Sean McVay said after the game that he’ll regret kicking the field goal instead of finding a better call, and that he is going to evaluate everything on special teams, a group we flagged for problems and mistakes before this game.
Los Angeles is 2-3 and hosts the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi on Sunday. The Rams will want their left tackle for that one, and a punch thrown after the whistle put that in the league’s hands.
More on the Los Angeles Rams
- Sean McVay’s Overtime Run Call Wasted Matthew Stafford’s Cleanest Game of the Season
- WATCH: Rams’ Alaric Jackson Sucker-Punches Bills’ Bradley Chubb During Postgame Incident
- NFL to Give Out Punishment Decision After Rams, C.J. Gardner-Johnson Incident
- 4 Maddening Takeaways From Rams’ 37-34 Overtime Loss to Bills
