Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Forbes Reveals Thoughts After Ejection vs. Seahawks

Originally posted on FanNation Washington Football
By David Harrison | Last updated 11/13/23

If we're being honest the Washington Commanders (4-6) had every opportunity to win their Week 10 game against the Seattle Seahawks (6-3), even after losing cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.

With around 10 minutes and 30 seconds left in the first quarter, and on the Seahawks' first possession of the game, Forbes made a play on receiver Tyler Lockett trying to force a long third down for the Commanders to defend.

Instead, he was flagged for forcible contact on a defenseless player because he made helmet-to-helmet contact with Lockett.

Nobody argued this. The penalty was called, and assessed, and everyone was ready to move with their business, except for the league office in New York.

After the league saw the video of the play, it decided Forbes was no longer welcome to participate in football activities and he was ejected.

"It was certainly not a bang-bang-type play where you have both the defender and receiver just playing for the ball," NFL Senior Vice President of Officiating Walt Anderson said to PFWA Pool Reporter Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. "We're also looking at is the defender making the attempt to play the ball or is he making no attempt to separate the ball from the player -- in terms of going straight for the head? And in this case, it was the latter where he just went straight to the head and that's why it rose to the level of disqualification."

Many were surprised about the ejection and Washington coach Ron Rivera could be seen on the sideline stating his case for why Forbes shouldn't be removed from the contest.

Of course, many Commanders fans took offense to the ejection after Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson was allowed to stay in the Week 2 game between the two teams after making a much worse play - one that knocked tight end Logan Thomas out of that game and the next with a concussion.

Since that hit, we've seen a rise in the seriousness the league office is treating these types of plays, and even though Jackson was allowed to finish that game there has been an increase in players being ejected for similar plays to the one Forbes made Sunday.

"I was in shock that it was an ejection," Forbes told NBC Sports reporter JP Finlay after the game. "It wasn't like I was trying to kill him (type of) play. It was just a play (where) I was trying to make a play on the ball."

Seattle ended up getting a field goal out of that drive, and Lockett went on to total 92 yards and a touchdown in his team's 29-26 win.

Forbes will likely be fined in the coming week, but if recent trends continue he'll be fully available to play against the New York Giants (2-8) in Week 11.