The Los Angeles Rams secured a 20-13 win over the Washington Commanders. However, the cost of the win was losing an important piece on the gridiron.

The Rams lost wide receiver Puka Nacua to the sidelines after he injured his knee following a jet sweep. And head coach Sean McVay certainly regrets making that call.

“I’m kicking myself about those kinds of things,” McVay said about the jet sweep call, according to Rams beat writer Adam Grosbard.

“I’d be lying to you if I said I haven’t questioned the decision-making on that last play over and over in my head of what could have been another option that you felt like could have gotten a conversion and maybe ended the game. That would’ve led to him not taking a violent hit to his right knee. And so it’s stuff that I feel tremendous responsibility for. We’ve got to be able to figure out how to protect these guys while also putting them in positions that help our team and allow them to be able to shine.”

It happened on a third-and-11, when the Rams tried to end the game with a conversion. Nacua got the ball on a jet sweep. But he was only able to cover five yards before Jeremy Reaves and Sonny Styles brought him down near the Commanders’ 46-yard line. The impact seemed to have twisted his right knee. Well, he did stay on the ground, grimacing in pain before his teammates helped him up.

In the end, the jet sweep kept the clock running and forced the Rams to punt on their last play. Instead of the jet sweep, the Rams could have used any other play to keep the clock running, according to Rams Wire’s Cameron DaSilva. Giving the ball to a receiver with 16 touches was certainly a questionable call by McVay.

To make matters worse, Nacua went to the blue tent earlier in the game for concussion protocol. The jet sweep only put him further in harm’s way.

Nacua underwent an MRI a day after the win over the Commanders. While the test results aren’t public, he reportedly sustained a sprain in his MCL and PCL, along with a turf toe injury. Later on, the head coach suggested that Nacua could go to the injured reserve list and stay on the sidelines for at least a month.

“I’m bummed for Puka,” McVay said. “I feel for him. I feel for all of our players that are getting these kinds of injuries. It’s challenging, but it’s an opportunity for us to adjust and adapt. The game’s gonna be played, but you feel for the players first and foremost.”

It’s worth noting that Nacua was the only Rams receiver with more than 20 receiving yards in Week 9. He went out with 14 catches for 150 yards before leaving the field.

With Davante Adams already on injured reserve, Matthew Stafford and a depleted Rams receiving corps now face an uphill battle to keep their winning streak alive.