Los Angeles cornerback Marcus Peters let frustration spill over during the Rams’ 30-23 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, and coach Sean McVay said Monday that Peters knows “we’ve got to be better.”
Dec 16, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters (22) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood (28) during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In a video posted on social media after the contest, Peters is seen confronting a heckler behind the Rams bench. Peters walks over to the individual, repeatedly asking where the person was from and directing several profanities toward the fan.
“I saw the video. I got a chance to talk to Marcus,” McVay said during his press conference. “He knows that we’ve got to be better in those situations and can’t allow whatever is going on in terms of that dialog to affect our ability to be focused on what is going on during the game and on the field. … We had a good discussion, and he knows that.”
McVay said the incident was being handled internally by the Rams and that he wasn’t sure how the NFL might view the matter.
While McVay did not say what he and Peters talked about specifically, he added, “I wanted to have an understanding of what was going on because all I saw was that video — not exclusive to everything else that might have taken place.
“He and I were able to have that (talk). I like the way that he was able to communicate to me, and I trust that when those situations, if they do arise in the future, that we’ll handle it differently.”
Peters downplayed the incident Monday.
“It wasn’t nothin’, man,” he told reporters. “Just makin’ a little bit of fun with the people out there that be hecklin’ and stuff. It wasn’t nothing. Don’t take it too personal.”
Former “Saturday Night Live” star Taran Killam, who was at the game, said he witnessed the incident and posted his take on social media: “Saw the whole thing go down. Despite 8-10 security members and Rams personnel stepping in to diffuse the situation, Peters couldn’t let it go. Guy he was talking to was escorted out. Friend sitting closer said he overheard it had to do with old high school beef.”
The NFL has come down on Peters already once this season, fining him $13,000 for a lewd touchdown celebration during a Week 1 win over the Oakland Raiders. In 2017, Peters was suspended one game by his team at the time, the Chiefs, for throwing an official’s flag into the stands and arguing with a Kansas City assistant coach. He was fined $24,309 by the NFL for throwing the flag.
—Field Level Media