Odell tricked them.
The Rams and Ravens are caught in a rather strange game, with the Ravens taking a 13-7 lead at halftime. Nothing was as strange as what happened between Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Ravens safety Chuck Clark.
In the second quarter, Clark made his second interception of the day and before he got going, he was punched in the derrière by Beckham.
It certainly looks strange, but in reality, Beckham was probably just trying to hit the ball to regain possession. It’s not uncommon for players to try to hit the ball to cause fumbles in 2021 (now in 2022, you’re welcomed by the reminder), but this play teetered on the verge of “common” and a bit unnecessary.
To that end, the umpires didn’t think it was anything egregious either, as they didn’t take Beckham out of the game for the hit, nor did they flag Beckham for unnecessary harshness or anything like that.
It was Stafford’s second INT of the day, and the first also went to Clark for a Pick 6. The Rams are still in contention to take home the NFC West, although they will need fewer picks from Stafford to make it happen.
Maybe Beckham was just trying to get the ball out with a punch. Maybe she was going to slap him on the butt congratulatory. One thing’s for sure: it looked like a punch. There are no buts or buts about it.
Well, maybe a butt.